Willkie Farr & Gallagher has moved to dramatically scale up its French projects and public law practice with the hire of a nine-lawyer team from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Public law partner Thierry Laloum and project finance partner Amir Jahanguiri both joined the Paris arm of Willkie Farr on 1 May as partners, alongside counsel Vincent Brenot, who also joined as a partner.

In addition, Freshfields has confirmed that the trio will bring along between six and eight associates in the move. The departures leave the magic circle law firm without dedicated partner capacity in the French projects and public law area.

Freshfields told Legal Week it will aim to rebuild its French practice in the area. Interim office managing partner Jean-Claude Cotoni said: "We are considering adding a team in Paris in the public law capacity that will replace the team that has left. This is an important practice area in the French market."

Willkie Farr Paris managing partner Daniel Payan commented: "Thierry, Amir and Vincent are among the very best in their multifaceted areas of practice. They bring to Willkie a depth of expertise and experience that will greatly complement the work of our restructuring, competition law and corporate and private equity teams."

Freshfields has seen a number of departures from its Paris finance practice in recent years with former Paris projects head Jean L'Homme leaving in 2008 for Proskauer Rose.

Following the departures, Freshfields has 28 partners in Paris.