Ashurst has raided Allen & Overy (A&O) and German independent Haarmann Hemmelrath to boost its offices in Frankfurt, London and Milan.

In Italy, the firm has hired respected A&O project finance partner Franco Vigliano for its Milan office. His colleague, project finance associate John France, is joining as a partner and a further three associates are also set to come over with Vigliano.

The Italian hires come after Ashurst identified its projects practice as a priority area to focus on internationally to help raise the firm's profitability. The team will be Ashurst's first local projects team.

In addition, Ashurst has hired three partners from Haarmann to boost its German practice, which has seen a number of senior departures over the last 18 months. Most recently three lawyers led by private equity heavyweight Jorg Kirchner quit Ashurst's Munich office in December for Latham & Watkins.

Haarmann restructuring partners David von Saucken and Matthew McDonald will join Ashurst's London office while corporate partner Ingo Scholz will join the firm's Frankfurt office. A team of six associates is also expected to join from Haarmann in London and Frankfurt.

Ashurst senior partner Geoffrey Green told Legal Week: "This is a new area for us in Italy but it is one we have always wanted. The projects practice we have earmarked for growth internationally, we have already got the capacity elsewhere in Europe and we will be looking in Germany too."

Commenting on the Haarmann team, Green added: "It is an area we have wanted to expand for a while and these opportunities do not come along very often. Five lateral hires is a good way to start the new year."