PwC has made its first key hire after setting out major growth plans for its financial services legal practice.

The accounting firm confirmed it has hired director Kevin King from rival Big Four firm KPMG, as a corporate partner with a focus on financial services clients.

At KPMG, King established and built its financial services legal team in London.

The hire comes after PwC head of legal practice Ed Stacey said the firm has a target to recruit at least 50 lawyers during the next 18 months and continue to grow the practice in the next three years.

Talking to Legal Week last month, Ed Stacey, PwC's head of legal services, said: "We want the financial services legal offering to match what the rest of PwC does, because financial services is already big throughout the rest of PwC – so we want an adjacent legal piece."

King's move is one of many hires the Big Four has made recently as the accounting firms continue their push into the legal market. Deloitte made its first partner hires for its new Hong Kong base from local law firm J. E. Jamison & Co; EY's Hong Kong legal arm hired a partner from Paul Hastings; and KPMG hired Nicola Brookes from Travers Smith to head its new legal operations and transformation services.

Recent expansion of the Big Four's legal arms include Deloitte establishing a new U.S. alliance, PwC launching a legaltech incubator, and KPMG's French legal arm hiring 144 lawyers from local  law firm Fidal.