Paul Hastings has appointed Olivier Vermeulen as chair of its Paris office.

Vermeulen, a French lawyer, joined the firm three years ago as partner and head of the French finance department, after working at Latham & Watkins and SJ Berwin. He opened Latham's office in Qatar.

Paul Hastings has 45 lawyers in its Paris office, which places it among the top tier of law firms in France. Vermeulen said he is planning to expand the office and has Latham in his sights in terms of its size and presence. "I know where I'm aiming," he said.