Four heavyweight partners have left K&L Gates' Paris office to join U.S. rival Winston & Strawn.

The quartet consists of M&A and private equity partner Nicola Di Giovanni, head of French tax Bertrand Dussert, M&A partner Jean-Patrice Labautiere and head of Paris finance Mounir Letayf.

Di Giovanni joined K&L Gates in 2014 and before that spent nearly three years as a partner at Baker & McKenzie. Dussert had headed the French tax practice at K&L Gates and spent more than seven years at the firm after joining from the tax boutique he founded.

Labautiere joined K&L Gates as a partner in 2014, after nearly 15 years at Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy as an associate and subsequently a partner. He began his legal career at French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel.

Letayf joined K&L Gates in 2017, having joined from Paul Hastings as a partner.

The hires are the latest in the French capital, as U.S. and international firms continue to invest in the market.

Last month, a team of Eversheds Sutherland lawyers, led by Paris-based project finance partner Boris Martor, defected to international firm Bird & Bird's office in the city.

Meanwhile, earlier this year U.S. firm Goodwin launched a real estate practice in Paris with the hire of rival Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe's French real estate head.

K&L Gates declined to comment.