Bird & Bird has boosted its London and Paris offices with the hire of a five-lawyer team, including three partners.

Charles Russell Speechly City capital markets partners Clive Hopewell and Adam Carling have joined as partners, with Hopewell also in charge of leading the firm's expansion of its London equity capital markets practice.

The third lateral partner hire is Jean-Jacques Essombe Moussio from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe in Paris. He will lead the firm's French banking and finance group and manage its Africa desk, with particular responsibility for increasing its corporate client base in the region.

The other City hires include Fieldfisher legal director Nick Heap, who has joined the firm in the same role. His focus is corporate law. In addition, Bird & Bird has recruited Locke Lord associate Sharon O'Donnell, who has joined as senior associate.

Bird & Bird London corporate head Neil Blundell said: "We are also looking forward to them playing an important role in our energy and utilities sector, to further increase our reputation in the mining and oil and gas sectors."

In 2016-17, Bird & Bird's average profit per equity partner (PEP) rose by 12% to £503,000. The firm, which reports its financial results in euros, posted revenue of €361m, up 5% from last year's total of €343.8m.

In February, the firm launched an international tax disputes practice based in London, with the appointment of a five-lawyer team from PwC Legal. PwC partner Andy Brown joined Bird & Bird alongside four other lawyers including PwC solicitor Julian Balson, who joined as a partner.