Watson Farley & Williams has strengthened its continental corporate and finance capabilities with partner hires in its Paris and Hamburg arms.

The firm has hired Taylor Wessing Paris corporate partner Pascal Roux, who joined earlier this month and will focus on private equity and insolvency work.

Roux was previously a partner at legacy firm Richards Butler and spent a term as managing partner of its Paris office. He has advised on some notable insolvencies including Parmalat and Moulinex.

The hire takes Watson Farley's Paris corporate team to 11 fee earners.

The UK firm has also strengthened its German offering with the hire of finance partner Stefan Kilgus from US firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey's Frankfurt office.

Kilgus, who focuses on syndicated financings, leasing transactions and project finance work, will join the Hamburg office on 1 July.

The firm launched in Germany in October 2005 and the office now has 14 lawyers.

Another notable move on the continent this week saw US firm Latham & Watkins beef up its fledgling Spanish arm with the hire of rated Lovells administrative law partner Antonio Morales.