US firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has raided its Paris ally with the hire of name partner Maurice Lantourne and eight associates from boutique Lantourne & Partners.

Lantourne and his team, which focuses on bankruptcy and litigation, joined Fried Frank this week and will work with the US firm's Paris head of insolvency David Chijner.

The 15-lawyer Lantourne & Partners, which formed an alliance with Fried Frank in November 2005, is disbanding as a result of the move.

Fried Frank Paris head Eric Cafritz commented: "It is like living with someone before you get married. Lantourne is a very lovable fellow… as long as he is not suing you."

Lantourne is the founding member of the French association for company restructurings, The Association pour le Retournement des Entreprises. He recently defended businessman and politician Bernard Tapie in a case against bank Credit Lyonnais. He has also advised the former Minister of Industry, Gerard Longuet, and the former CEO of oil company Elf, Loic Le Floch-Prigent.

Lantourne's appointment comes as Fried Frank moves to boost its Paris office, which has tripled in size over the last 18 months.

The news comes in the same week as US rival Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has admitted that one of its Paris corporate partners, Marianne Mousseron, is leaving at the end of the month to join a Paris boutique. The firm denied claims that her team is leaving with her.

Mousseron joined from Rambaud Martel when it merged with Orrick last year. Orrick has since lost several legacy Rambaud partners to the local offices of firms, including Reed Smith and Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker.

First reported on legalweek.com (6 June).