White & Case has boosted its London finance practice with the hire of Mayer Brown partners Lee Cullinane and Jacqueline Evans.

Cullinane, who focuses on leveraged finance and associated restructuring, spent more than 10 years as a partner in Clifford Chance's leveraged finance practice before joining Mayer Brown in 2009.

Evans, who spent a decade as a partner with A&O's finance team before joining Mayer Brown, advises lenders and borrowers on all aspects of leveraged finance deals. Past transactions she has worked on have included the 2007 takeover of Liverpool Football Club by US investors George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

One partner commented: "These are both fantastic hires for White & Case – Cullinane and Evans make a great team and have years of valuable experience."

The hires are part of a move by White & Case to rebuild its finance practice in the wake of a string of departures in recent years. In January the firm's London office saw the departure of four banking and capital markets partners – including the co-head of its London bank finance practice Chris Kandel – to US rival Latham & Watkins.

White & Case's bank finance practice is currently headed up by Magdalene Bayim-Adomako, who co-led the group before Kandel's departure.

Mayer Brown's banking team was recently taken over by Dominic Griffiths, who succeeded Bruce Bloomingdale as London head of banking and finance.

Separately, US firm Vinson & Elkins has hired Mayer Brown City partner Nick Henchie to head up its international construction practice, with Henchie set to make the move in the New Year.

Henchie, who made partner at Mayer Brown in 2003, focuses on contentious and non-contentious work including contract advice, project structuring, procurement strategy and arbitration work in relation to major engineering projects.