New York firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson is moving one of its senior corporate and M&A partners to become senior partner of its London office.
Sanford Krieger, who will move over to London at the end of this month, joins London partners Christopher Kandel, Timothy Peterson and Karen Wiedmann, along with managing partner Robert Mollen.
Krieger specialises in cross-border M&A, leveraged buy-outs, joint ventures and private equity investments. "A lot of my US clients are looking to expand into the UK and continental Europe and it makes sense for me to be where they need me most," Krieger said.
"We are looking to expand the London practice because it is an important financial centre and a bridgehead into Europe," he added.
At the beginning of the year the firm took on 25,000 sq ft of office space as part of its plans for expansion in the City.
The firm, which has 14 associates in London, has been targeting growth in the UK since last April, when it broke off its three-year-old capital markets joint venture with Simmons & Simmons.
In September the firm took on English law capacity for the first time by hiring dual-qualified finance partner Christopher Kandel from the London office of fellow US firm O'Melveny & Myers.