Norton Rose has hired Willkie Farr & Gallagher partner Stephane Sabatier to join its corporate finance team in Paris.

Sabatier, who specialises in M&A and capital markets advice, joined the UK firm's partnership on 24 February.

He said: "I was impressed by the collegiate nature of the Norton Rose Group and its culture which reinforces the practice of building client relationships by tapping global resources and expertise of the partners to offer clients the best teams to suit their business needs."

Sabatier joined Willkie Farr in 1999 and made partner in 2004. At the US firm he worked with French bluechip clients as well as multinational corporations investing in the French market.

Commenting on the appointment, group head of corporate Tim Marsden (pictured) said: "Stephane's experience in M&A with high-profile French domestic and international players will benefit our growth strategy in France. He has the ability to service the French domestic M&A market as well as the in-bound and out-bound investment market in France."

Sabatier's appointment is the second recent lateral partner hire for Norton Rose's Paris corporate finance team, after DLA Piper IP/IT partner Marc d'Haultfoeuille joined the firm in December last year.

Norton Rose announced last week that it is to open a new office in Hamburg with the hire of a team of partners from DLA, including Hamburg managing partner Klaus von Gierke.