Clifford Chance (CC) has hired a Mayer Brown partner to lead its Americas real estate group, reports The New York Law Journal.

Douglas Wisner, who for the last four years has led Mayer Brown's real estate practice group in New York, joins CC's base in the city as a partner.

He said that CC's decision could be "characterised as a strategic decision on their part to expand the real estate group."

Wisner, who joined Mayer Brown in 1994 from Winston & Strawn, has experience representing investment and commercial banks in arranging financing for real estate transactions. In particular, Wisner has experience in hospitality, which CC in a statement said was "part of a key sector" the firm had identified for growth.

Given the state of the real estate market, Wisner said his practice has lately focused on restructurings and bankruptcy-related transactions.

In a statement, Craig Medwick, CC's regional managing partner for the Americas, said that the firm's US real estate funds and REITS practice "continues to be very busy as our clients are looking at opportunistic acquisitions, financings and restructurings."

CC recently elected a new London real estate head with City partner Jonathan Solomon voted in for a four-year term from 1 May. Solomon, who has been a partner at CC since 2000, succeeded Cliff McAuley, who is set to retire at the end of the financial year.

The New York Law Journal is a US affiliate title of Legal Week.