Muriel Pariente, a longtime labor partner at Hogan Lovells in Paris, has left the firm along with two associates to become head of the employment practice at Ashurst.

Pariente, a labor and litigation specialist, practiced for 14 years at Hogan Lovells following her associate years at Winston & Strawn, also in Paris. She is joined at Ashurst by associates Laura Berdugo-Donnersberg and Jordan Cohen, Ashurst said.

"Muriel's reputation and recognized expertise make her an excellent addition to our Paris office and she will play an important role in our continued growth in the market," Philippe None, managing partner of Ashurst's Paris office, said in a statement.

The arrival of Pariente and her team brings Ashurst's Paris office to 34 lawyers and 19 partners.

The London-based international firm recently opened an office in Los Angeles, its second U.S. base, to focus predominately on projects and project finance work in the transport and social infrastructure sectors.