Bird & Bird has bolstered its Central European banking and finance practice with the acquisition of a six-lawyer boutique in Poland.

The team, which is headed by partners Aleksandra Widziewicz and Slawomir Szepietowski and includes four associates, joined Bird & Bird on 1 May from Warsaw firm LEXdirekt. Warsaw is Bird & Bird's largest office in the Central European region and now has five partners and almost 40 lawyers.

Central European business and corporate development head Boris Doza said the new team would strengthen the firm's banking and finance offerings and complement the Warsaw office's corporate and technology groups and sector focus.

He said: "We've worked with them previously, so it's a natural cultural fit. Bird & Bird is a good breeding ground for focused practices. The new team will offer us more and we will offer them more. They will strengthen our office and help us tap into key clients."

Bird & Bird launched in Central Europe in September 2008 when it simultaneously opened offices in Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest.

Former Central European head Stephen Kines said: "We're not looking to be the eurobonds specialists or compete with the magic circle. We've carved out a technology, pharma and clean energy niche and we're happy to continue to tap into that market."

Kines stepped down from his role on 1 May and, following a four-month transition period, will leave the firm in August to focus on his own emerging markets practice. Bird & Bird's practice will now be run by a four-member executive committee comprising three country heads and overseen by Doza.