McDermott Will & Emery has hired two partners in London to join its international private client practice.

The firm is seeking to expand in London as demand from US clients grows.

McDermott has hired Jean-Marc Tirard as a partner from Paris based boutique law firm Tirard Naudin. Tirard co-founded the firm in 1997 and worked there as a partner specialising in tax affairs.

Before that, he worked at Clifford Chance developing its Paris office's tax practice. Tirard joined McDermott last week.

Withers lawyer David Adler, who has worked in its US and Switzerland offices for three years, also joined McDermott as a partner in January.

Carol Harrington global head of McDermott's private client practice group said the firm was "pursuing a strategy of expansion" in London "when many firms seem to be retrenching".

She added: "We are building considerable critical mass in London and believe we can offer a truly unique proposition offering strengths on both sides of the Atlantic".

With 65 lawyers, McDermott's private client practice group is one of the largest practices in the sector in the US.

The US firm, which in October hired Nick Holland from Bircham Dyson Bell in London, maintains that London is still a lucrative place for such work.

Henry Christensen, head of the firm's international private client practice, said you had to have "a strong practice for international private clients" in both London and New York to succeed in the market.

He added: "We are seriously thinking about China as well. We want a practice in Beijing and Shanghai but it's difficult to do that."

Related:

Related events