London firm Bircham Dyson Bell (BDB) has expanded out of the capital with the hire of King & Wood Mallesons' (KWM) Cambridge office.

The nine-lawyer office, which was launched by KWM last year to to provide lower cost real estate services, consists of partner Simon Burson, eight fee earners and two support staff. One staff member has found employment elsewhere.

Burson will head up the new Cambridge base for BDB, which the firm plans to turn into a full-service office.

BDB managing partner Andrew Smith said: "This expansion outside London is a key element of our wider growth strategy and our new Cambridge practice is the first step in that process. We will be working hard to develop and grow the Cambridge office, as well as seeking other growth opportunities in 2017 and beyond."

KWM opened the Cambridge office in March last year, after Burson joined KWM in April 2015 from Eversheds. The firm initially planned to grow the office to between 10-15 lawyers within nine months.

BDB becomes the latest in a raft of firms to benefit from the disintegration of KWM's European business, after news emerged earlier today (12 January) that Goodwin Procter has taken on more lawyers from the firm's Paris office.

French international funds co-head Arnaud David is reuniting with a number of former KWM partners who have already made the move to the US firm.

Last year, Christophe Digoy, the former managing partner of KWM's Paris office, led a team that joined Goodwin to launch its Paris office. Goodwin had already hired fellow KWM alumni Richard Lever, previously co-head of corporate in London at KWM, for its City operation in April 2015.

The Paris hires prompted KWM to take legal action against both Goodwin and Lever. However, Legal Week revealed yesterday (12 January) that this litigation has now been dropped as part of a deal that also sees Goodwin take on a team of KWM partners, associates and trainees in London.

Meanwhile, KWM has also announced that its London trainees' training contracts will be cancelled tomorrow ahead of the administration of the European arm.