Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed Elie Kleiman as the new head of its Paris office.

Kleiman (pictured), who formerly headed up the firm's dispute resolution practice, is set to take up the role of Paris managing partner on 1 November. He will hold the new position in conjunction with his client work.

He replaces Antoine Colonna d'Istria, who has led the office since 2007. D'Istria will continue as a partner in the tax practice.

Kleiman specialises in dispute resolution with a particular emphasis on international commercial arbitration and litigation. Prior to joining Freshfields he was a partner at Jeantet & Associes, where he was head of the French firm's New York office.

The news follows a mixed year for the firm in the Paris market, with revenues falling 8% during the last financial year to €80m (£69.8m), according to research by French publication Juristes Associes. The firm is ranked ninth in the Paris market by turnover.

The news comes after Freshfields appointed Dubai corporate partner Pervez Akhtar as regional managing partner for the Middle East and North Africa this month. Akhtar took up a three-year term in the role as of 1 October, replacing M&A partner Bertrand Pellet.

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