CMS has launched a Liverpool office with the hire of DWF real estate partner Abigail Dry, as part of its strategy to grow in the north of England. The firm said in a statement that the new office will be "a small presence", adding: "The ongoing regeneration of the north combined with opportunities coming out of the Northern Powerhouse initiative have resulted in a significant uptake in real estate projects across the region." Dry joined DWF in 2015 and was a partner at Hill Dickinson prior to that.

Gowling WLG has sold its Monaco office to advisory firm Maitland, with Monaco-based tax partner Peter Walford joining Maitland. At Gowling, Walford focused on trusts and estate planning advice. Maitland provides legal as well as fiduciary, investment and fund administration services to private, corporate and institutional clients in jurisdictions including the UK, Canada, Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands.

Womble Bond Dickinson has hired Lloyds Banking Group head of legal, business and specialist banking Jonny Williams to lead its national financial services team. Williams has held various roles at Lloyds Banking Group since joining in 2006. He also worked previously at Barclays and trained as a lawyer at Addleshaw Goddard.

Clifford Chance has boosted its Luxembourg office with the hire of Linklaters investment funds partner Emmanuel-Frederic Henrion. Henrion joins from Linklaters' Luxembourg office, where he led the rival magic circle firm's local asset management practice. He specialises in structured funds and derivatives.

Italian firm Chiomenti has strengthened its banking and finance department with the hire of McDermott Will & Emery partner Marco Cerritelli. His practice focuses on project and infrastructure finance.

Withers has hired litigation partner Cristina Pagni to boost its Milan dispute resolution capabilities. Pagni joins the firm from Italian law firm Studio Legale Mazzoni Regoli Pagni, and has previously worked at international firms including Simmons & Simmons and Hogan Lovells.

King & Spalding has hired project finance partner Robin Bayley in its Abu Dhabi-based corporate, finance and investments practice. Bayley joins from Shearman & Sterling, where he had been a partner since 2014.

Hunton Andrews Kurth has grown its London office with the hire of tax partner David Klass, who joins from French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel. He trained at Slaughter and May and was a partner at Gide since 2007.

Shoosmiths has hired corporate partner James Klein from Penningtons Manches to lead its London corporate team. Klein was a partner at Penningtons for nearly eight years, and before that was a partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner between 2007 and 2011, where he led the corporate finance and technology sector group.

Pillsbury has bolstered its London office with the hire of Dechert corporate and transactions partner Gavin Watson. He was co-head of the international oil and gas group at the US firm, and his practice at Pillsbury will focus on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure.