Willkie Farr & Gallagher has boosted its European presence with the hire of a six-lawyer team of bankruptcy and litigation lawyers for its Paris office.

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson partner Maurice Lantourne has joined Willkie along with five associates. His practice focuses on advising corporate debtors, creditors and investors acquiring distressed assets and businesses, while he also is a trial lawyer focusing on both commercial and white-collar criminal matters.

Lantourne joined Fried Frank in June 2006 along with eight associates following the dissolution of his 15-lawyer boutique Lantourne & Partners.