King & Spalding has hired Hogan Lovells M&A partner Derek Meilman, as the US firm pushes forward with plans to expand in London.

Meilman (pictured), who focuses on complex cross-border M&A and joint venture transactions, has a particular emphasis on industrials, including energy and infrastructure and consumer retail.

He joined Hogan Lovells' New York office as an associate in 2010 and made partner at the Anglo-US firm in 2014, relocating to London two years later.

At the start of 2018, King & Spalding City managing partner Thomas Sprange QC set out the firm's aims to target London growth in practices including white-collar crime, corporate and energy.

He said: "We want to grow in the practices in which we already have a strong US offering, including the white-collar space. We're hoping to bring in teams of three to five lawyers in that practice, and in corporate as well."

The firm hired legacy Berwin Leighton Paisner head of corporate crime and investigations Aaron Stephens earlier this year as a partner in its special matters and government investigations team.

Meanwhile, Robert Dedman, former head of enforcement at the Bank of England, also joined that team last month.

He joined from Navigant Consulting, where he was a senior director in its global investigations and compliance group.

Sprange took over the leadership of King & Spalding's London office from corporate and projects partner Garry Pegg, who has returned to full-time fee-earning.

The City base made two lateral partner hires last year, with finance partner duo Mark Wesseldine and Fergus Wheeler joining from Ropes & Gray. It also brought in Financial Reporting Council executive counsel Gareth Rees QC as a partner in its special matters and investigations practice.

A Hogan Lovells spokesperson said: "We wish Derek well in the next phase of his career and thank him for his contribution to Hogan Lovells."