DLA Piper has added two partners to its London corporate practice with the double hire of Rob Salter and Anu Balasubramanian from Berwin Leighton Paisner and Kirkland & Ellis respectively.

Salter, who is expected to join DLA in September, makes the move after nine years at BLP, where he made partner in 2006 after training at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

At BLP he has worked with key clients including Balfour Beatty and Tesco, and in 2011 advised Balfour on the £1.8bn contract negotiations between Royal Mail and facilities management joint venture Romec, which is part-owned by the construction giant.

Meanwhile, Balasubramanian joins DLA this week following eight years at Kirkland. She made partner in 2007 after joining from Ashurst in 2005, and was a member of the US firm's India practice. She has advised both European and US clients on a variety of matters including cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures and management equity plans.

DLA UK corporate head Bob Bishop said: "As a leading global law firm we have long felt it critical to continue to have a strong London corporate practice. This means bolstering the team, both organically and through lateral hires. We have been looking carefully at the market and both Anu and Rob will definitely strengthen the group.

"Rob is an excellent corporate lawyer, widely regarded as one of the best at BLP. He works for some great clients and will be a superb addition. Joining DLA Piper will give him more of an international platform."

"Anu is a private equity lawyer who does a lot of M&A work and has significant experience in the India market, a core focus for DLA."

The hires come after DLA last year expanded its northwest corporate team with the hire of Gareth McIntegart, the former head of corporate in DWF's Liverpool office, while the firm also merged with Paris corporate boutique Frieh Bouhenic in August last year, a deal which saw it take on 11 partners and 15 associates in the French capital.