Howrey is set to launch a Paris antitrust practice with the hire of a six-lawyer team from Clifford Chance (CC).

The team is led by Paris CC competition partner Claude Lazarus and counsel Audrey Amsellem, who both join the US firm as partners. They will bring a team of four associates with them when they join on 1 November.

Lazarus, a highly-rated French litigator, made partner at French independent Jeantet & Associes in 1980. He has worked in international firms since 2000, when he joined Herbert Smith as a partner, before moving to CC in 2002.

Howrey chairman Robert Ruyak said: "We are well-established in Paris with premier intellectual property and dispute resolution practices. As an integrated part of our market-leading European competition team [this respected group] will create our French antitrust practice. This is an exciting opportunity for Howrey, and one that will benefit both existing and new clients."

Lazarus's practice focuses on all aspects of French and European competition law, anti-competitive practices, restrictive practices, merger control, state aid and deregulation. Amsellem focuses on the broader aspects of competition law in litigation and arbitration procedures and merger control matters. She has a special focus on the energy sector.

Lazarus said: "Antitrust law is one of Howrey's premier practice areas and the firm's reputation in this area is exceptional. Joining Howrey means that we will be able to offer our clients, as well as Howrey's, the highest level of expertise on the most complex matters."

Howrey's Paris office, which launched in 2005, was the fastest-growing French practice last year when it grew turnover by 63% to reach €5m (£4.5m), according to information from Juristes Associes.

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