White & Case has hired two private equity partners in Stockholm from Nordic firm Hannes Snellman, as part of a push to build up the firm's practice in Europe.

Jan Jensen, chairman of Hannes Snellman's board and head of the firm's Stockholm private equity practice, is joining the US firm alongside fellow partner Shoan Panahi.

Hannes Snellman private equity senior associate Patrik Erblad will follow the two partners to White & Case.

Jensen has spent nine years at Hannes Snellman, where he focused on private and public M&A and equity capital markets. Prior to joining the firm he was a partner at Setterwalls, another Stockholm-based firm.

Panahi has worked at the firm for five years, including nine months as a partner. He specialises in private equity investments, M&A transactions and restructuring and insolvency.

White & Case global M&A head John Reiss commented: "The Nordic countries have some of the world's most well-established corporates, and its private equity market is one of the most active in Europe. Jan and Shoan will further enhance the firm's ability to advise Nordic private equity funds and corporates on their domestic and outbound transactions, and international buyout funds on their Nordic deals."

White & Case has grown its private equity practice steadily in recent years with a series of promotions and hires, including the 2015 addition of Clifford Chance partner Caroline Sherrell.

In July, co-head of White & Case's private equity practice Ian Bagshaw told Legal Week that the firm was planning further lateral partner hires both in London and across Europe.

Bagshaw said: "An important part of our 2020 strategy is growing our global M&A practice and adding breadth and depth to our private equity offering in the Nordic region, the UK and Germany."

The departures from Hannes Snellman come after the firm sealed a deal to transfer its entire Russian arm to Eversheds Sutherland. The acquisition of the business, which comprises bases in Moscow and St Petersburg staffed by five partners and 17 other lawyers, has granted Eversheds a long-sought-after presence in Russia.