Former Shearman & Sterling private equity partner duo Mark Soundy and Sarah Priestley are set to resurface at Goodwin Procter.

Private equity partner Soundy is joining Goodwin next week, with tax partner Priestley following him to the US firm in January.

The pair quit Shearman earlier this year within the same week, with multiple sources citing Goodwin as a likely home for them.

Soundy was global head of private equity at Shearman after joining from Weil Gotshal & Manges in 2013 alongside Priestley. His practice focuses on UK and international M&A work, with a particular emphasis on private equity and complex restructuring.

Priestley spent more than 15 years at Weil before leaving with Soundy to head the London tax practice at Shearman. Her practice focuses on the tax aspects of UK and international M&A and private equity transactions, and she has played a key role on deals including Bridgepoint's $100m investment in Deliveroo, and the £300m sale of Tyrrells Crisps to Amplify Snack Brands.

Goodwin's European chair David Evans said: "Mark and Sarah are outstanding, highly experienced lawyers who will be terrific additions to Goodwin as we continue to build out our global private equity platform.

"Their appointment is an important step in ensuring that we continue to have a best-in-class private equity team that can represent clients across the UK, Europe, Asia and the US."

Goodwin has expanded its private equity offering during the past 18 months, with the bulk of its hires coming from King & Wood Mallesons (KWM).

Former KWM corporate co-head Richard Lever joined in May last year. He was followed by fellow private equity partner Simon Fulbrook and later this year by Gretchen Scott.

Goodwin also hired a private equity team from KWM's highly profitable Paris office in April this year, and earlier this month hired the embattled firm's former UK head of funds Michael Halford and a team of four funds partners.

The firm and Lever are currently being sued by KWM. The details of the claim are unknown but it is understood that it relates to the Paris hires.