Clifford Chance has signed Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) London corporate and capital markets star Alex Bafi to its finance and capital markets group and relocated him to its burgeoning Paris office.

Bafi (pictured), who is US-qualified, began his career at Davis Polk & Wardwell before joining legacy Herbert Smith in 2001. He was appointed to its global partnership council in 2011 as one of four City-based partners elected to sit on the nine-strong group.

Bafi has recently advised financial institutions on deals including a high yield debt offering by Kuwait Energy; a £350m rights offering by Premier Foods launched in March; and Zoopla's £920m initial public offering (IPO) and London listing in June.

He has also advised banking clients on high-profile matters including shopping mall owner Liberty's demerger in 2010 and National Grid's £3.3bn rights issue in the same year.

CC global head of capital markets practice Adrian Cartwright said: "The appointment of Alex in a major financial centre such as Paris was an obvious choice given the increasing importance of the US market for capital markets transactions. His expertise in high yield offerings will also be particularly useful on the French market."

Bafi joins 70 lawyers, including 10 partners, at CC's finance and capital markets practice in Paris.

CC is set to further bulk up its Paris offering with the hire of a trio of former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer lawyers headed up by corporate partner Fabrice Cohen. The team, which is expected to join the firm imminently, were recruited from Willkie Farr & Gallagher.