DLA Piper has hired white-collar crime partner and former co-head of the Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) bribery and corruption division, Patrick Rappo, from US firm Steptoe & Johnson.

Rappo had been a partner in Steptoe & Johnson's white-collar criminal defence practice in London since 2013, before which he worked at the SFO for five years.

During his tenure as co-head of the bribery and corruption division, Rappo played a key role in introducing deferred prosecution agreements within the UK legal system and acted as case manager on the 2011 case against fraudster Edward 'Fast Eddie' Davenport.

He has also advised on the conduct of internal investigations and responding to government enforcement action, including by the US Department of Justice, SFO and World Bank.

Rappo practised as a criminal barrister for 12 years before joining the SFO in 2007.

DLA litigation & regulatory group global co-chair Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry said: "Our global practice in this area continues to go from strength to strength and we are pleased to grow our practice yet further in response to client demand and market trends."

The hire follows a spate of heavyweight moves in the corporate crime space in recent months. In June, litigation specialist Stewarts hired 2 Bedford Row barrister Richard Kovalevsky QC to launch a financial crime and investigations practice at the firm.

This followed Greenberg Traurig's hire of Pinsent Masons' head of global corporate crime Barry Vitou in April, to launch and lead a white-collar defence and special investigations practice in London.

In March, Macfarlanes also launched a white-collar practice with the hire of Eversheds Sutherland corporate crime and investigations head Neill Blundell.