Willkie Farr & Gallagher has hired a corporate team from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris, led by the firm's former local practice chief Fabrice Cohen.

Cohen has left the magic circle outfit after seven years in the partnership. He brings with him of counsel Gabriel Flandin and senior associate Basma Paradin.

Cohen headed Freshfields Paris corporate practice until December last year, when he was succeeded by Herve Pisani, who joined from local firm Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier. Cohen subsequently returned to full-time fee earning.

The hires takes the total number of corporate lawyers in Willkie Farr's Paris office to 30, including eight partners. Freshfields now has a total of 25 partners in its French office.

Willkie Farr Paris managing partner Jacques-Philippe Gunther said: "Having worked with [Cohen] on various transactions over the years, we look forward to benefiting from his considerable expertise and experience, particularly with respect to advising multinational corporations and handling complex securities matters."

The news marks the second time in recent years that the US outfit has taken a team from Freshfields in Paris, after nine projects and public law lawyers led by partners Thierry Laloum and Amir Jahanguiri moved over to Willkie Farr in May 2010.

Freshfields also lost another group from its Paris office this year with a seven-strong real estate team departing for King & Spalding in May, including the former head of the magic circle firm's local real estate group, Benoit Marcilhacy.