Bird & Bird has bolstered its Paris finance practice with the hire of SJ Berwin associate Herve Pillard, who will head up a new dedicated banking and financial services team. Pillard was previously at Ashurst and began his practice at De Pardieu Brocas Maffei & Leygonie in 1996. Head of Bird & Bird's international banking and financial services group Trystan Tether said: "His appointment will really drive forward the development of our banking and financial services work in France."