Kaye Scholer has become the latest firm to pick up a partner from Ashurst, with the US firm bringing in London restructuring partner David von Saucken.

Von Saucken, who joined the US firm this week (1 November), is qualified to practise both English and German law. He will split his time between the firm's London and Frankfurt offices and is the firm's first restructuring partner in London.

Von Saucken focuses on advising funds and investment banks in special situations, with a particular emphasis on Commercial mortgage-backed securities and other complex real estate-related restructurings.

At Ashurst, von Saucken worked closely with fellow restructuring partner Matt McDonald, who also left the firm – and the law – earlier this year. In 2009 the two partners jointly advised a group of bondholders who collectively held more than 25% of bonds in Nakheel – the Dubai World-owned construction giant company at the heart of the Dubai debt crisis.

Other high-profile exits from Ashurst in recent weeks include former London real estate head Simon Cookson and head of non-contentious construction Marc Hanson, who quit to join DLA Piper and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) respectively.

In addition, head of European real estate David Evans and fellow partner Samantha Lake Coghlan are leaving for Goodwin Procter's London base, while former litigation head Michael Madden, who specialised in property work, has joined Winston & Strawn.

Kaye Scholer has six partners in London, with local managing partner Andrew Harris – former head of private equity at DLA Piper – planning to expand the practice.

Kaye Scholer's Chicago-based co-managing partner Michael Solow said: "The European markets currently face great uncertainty at a time when leverage is still high in most areas as a consequence of the lending boom prior to the ongoing financial crisis. This has led to high client demand for restructuring assistance in Europe. There couldn't be a better time to bring on someone with David's unique strengths and talents."

The US firm recently brought in Hogan Lovells securities head Katherine Mulhern and DLA corporate partner Sean Scanlon.