Mayer Brown has strengthened its City banking practice with the hire of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe's former European managing partner Stuart McAlpine.

McAlpine, whose practice focuses on cross-border asset and project finance deals, in particular the shipping, offshore and energy industries, will join Mayer Brown's London banking and finance practice next week (28 March).

He previously practised in Singapore as well as London and was Orrick's Paris office head until relocating to the US firm's City office in 2008 when he took on the European managing partner role.

McAlpine held the role until January 2009, when he was replaced by City finance partner Alexander Janes. Paris partner David Syed remains European senior partner.

Mayer Brown City banking and finance group head Dominic Griffiths said: "In Asia, Mayer Brown JSM has one of the leading aviation and shipping finance practices in the region and we also have strong practices in France and Germany. Stuart is the right person to build a strong presence in the London asset finance market and develop our global practice."

McAlpine added: "Mayer Brown JSM's high-quality Asian asset finance practice, combined with the global firm's overall strength in banking and finance, give me a great opportunity to take my practice to the next level and to help put Mayer Brown firmly among the top drawer asset finance firms in the market. I am immensely excited by this opportunity."

The hire comes after Mayer Brown's City office saw the departures of bank finance partner duo Jacqueline Evans and Lee Cullinane to White & Case in January this year.