Continuing a string of hires in its transactional practices, Pepper Hamilton has added two California partners to its Orange County office.

The firm announced Tuesday that it hired David Allen and Derek Dundas, who were colleagues together at Latham & Watkins for a decade earlier in their careers. Allen was most recently a partner at K&L Gates, and Dundas at Orange County firm Rutan & Tucker.

Allen, coming from larger, international K&L Gates, said Pepper Hamilton presented the opportunity to help build an Orange County presence and join a corporate practice that is determined to grow. For Dundas, Pepper Hamilton offered a larger platform and greater geographic reach, which he said will be beneficial to clients.

“Over the last year or two we started talking about working together again,” Dundas said, and the partners both connected with Pepper Hamilton through partner Pamela Palmer.

Both lawyers advise on mergers and acquisitions and work with issuers, private equity firms and investment banks on public and private debt and equity offerings. Allen's practice also focuses on capital markets, while Dundas also works with emerging companies. Both serve clients in the middle market.

“Their history of practicing together and their understanding of the local market make them ideal additions to our team,” Sharon Klein, partner-in-charge of Pepper Hamilton's Orange County office, said in a statement. “Adding corporate capabilities to our Southern California offices is a strategic priority for the firm, and we are thrilled to welcome Derek and David.”

Allen and Dundas follow several other recent hires by Pepper Hamilton in its transactional practices.

Most recently, the firm hired corporate and securities partner Scott Saks from Paul Hastings. Lisa Kabnick and Kathryn Pourmand Nordick rejoined Pepper Hamilton from Reed Smith in September, adding to the firm's financial services capabilities, and financial services partner Scott Samlin joined from Alston & Bird before that.

The firm also made several hires in its health sciences department, bringing on dealmakers in the life sciences industry. Rachael Bushey and Jennifer Porter, who focus on mergers and acquisitions in that industry, rejoined Pepper Hamilton from Hogan Lovells. And Deborah Spranger, who also works on life sciences transactions, made a move to Pepper Hamilton from Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr.

Though the trends are industry-specific, Allen said, transactional practices have generally been more active recently. That has made for a bigger book of business, Dundas said, as clients are actually making moves on the deals they've long considered doing.

“We've definitely seen an uptick in deal flow over the last 12 months or so,” Allen said. “The market is moving in a generally positive direction.”

A spokesman for K&L Gates declined to comment on Allen's departure from the firm. Rutan & Tucker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.