Baker McKenzie has hired Hector Arroyo as a restructuring and insolvency partner in Paris, the latest in a series of high-profile moves by firms in the French capital to bolster their teams amid the coronavirus crisis.

Arroyo arrived this month from the Paris restructuring boutique Bremond & Associés, where he practiced for 10 years as a partner.

"Hector Arroyo is a rising star in the restructuring market," Eric Lasry, managing partner of Baker McKenzie, said in a statement. "He joins us at precisely a time when COVID-19 is causing an unprecedented economic crisis. Hector's expertise will allow us to respond even better to the needs and expectations of our clients."

His arrival brings Baker McKenzie's restructuring and insolvency practice in Paris to eight partners, according to the firm's website.

Arroyo, who is qualified in Brazil, France and the U.K., said he joined Baker McKenzie to work on more complex deals with a cross-border component.

"Baker McKenzie has a global footprint and a very strong restructuring practice across the world," Arroyo said in an interview.

He added that while at Bremond, he had frequently been asked by U.K. firms to advise on French law for restructuring deals. He moved to Baker McKenzie in part because "I wanted to do those deals myself," he said.

Arroyo is the ninth lawyer to leave the Bremond firm for Paris-based rivals since the beginning of April. Guilhem Bremond and a seven-lawyer team joined Paul Hastings earlier this month, creating an insolvency department at the firm.

Major law firms in Paris have been adding restructuring and refinancing muscle in a variety of practices since the coronavirus crisis hit.

Among recent moves, Caroline Ledoux, a mergers and acquisitions and restructuring specialist, joined Reed Smith earlier this month as a corporate partner from K&L Gates.

Thomas Binet, a banking and finance partner with specialist expertise in debt restructuring, joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher in March from Gide Loyrette Nouel.

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