DLA Piper's Sydney office has recruited a corporate partner duo, including Bryan Pointon, who joins as head of corporate for Asia-Pacific, from Gilbert + Tobin.

Pointon, a top-ranked private equity lawyer who spent 15 years at King & Wood Mallesons and previously practiced at Latham & Watkins in New York, makes the move alongside David Ryan from Ashurst.

Ryan, who focuses his practice on public company M&A, equity capital markets transactions and corporate governance, counts a number of clients in the engineering, infrastructure, technology and health industries.

"Asia Pacific is a key market for us and the addition of lawyers of Bryan and David's calibre moves us closer to achieving our goals," said DLA co-global chief executive officer Sir Nigel Knowles.

"These appointments signal our commitment to develop our corporate practice in Australia and across Asia Pacific," said Andrew Darwin, DLA's former UK head who earlier this year moved to head up the Australia practice.

"We believe that they are the kind of individuals who are well-aligned with our objective and will bring new relationships and capabilities which will enhance our practice and the service to our clients, both domestic and international."

DLA Piper International – the partnership representing the firm outside the US – merged with best friends firm DLA Phillips Fox in May 2011, following a referral relationship that dated back to 2006.

Aside from Sydney, the firm also has Australian bases in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth.