US firm O'Melveny & Myers has begun to rebuild its London office with the hire of Hammond Suddards Edge's former national head of banking.
Gwen Griffiths will join the firm as the first step in a drive by O'Melvenys' to expand its three-lawyer strong London office to between 10 and 15 lawyers by the end of the first quarter of next year.
This year, the US firm saw London managing partner Christopher Hall leave for Dutch telecoms company and client KPN and structured finance and dual-qualified partner Christopher Kandel for Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson in September.
Adrian Harris, who took over from Hall as managing partner, said the firm's focus in London on acquisition and structured finance had been too narrow and the arrival of Griffiths would allow the firm to cover a broader range of finance work. The planned expansion will also allow the firm to cover areas such as media and technology, private equity and M&A, he said.
Harris said: "The London market is saturated with US firms, so it is important that we have sufficient market differentiation."