Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis has launched a new office in
Paris. The office opened earlier this month after the
US firm hired two partners from local outfit Kahn & Associés, with further expansion planned.
Diane Hedary, who is a member of both the New York and Paris bars, advises on real estate, corporate and M&A transactions, while fellow partner Olivia Le Horovitz specialises in private equity, corporate and environmental law.
The office adds a third base to K&L Gates’ European network, which was previously limited to outposts Berlin, where the firm launched this time last year, and London.
K&L Gates chairman Peter Kalis commented: “The opening of our Paris office is another important step in our build-out in Europe. We plan to grow this office at a rapid pace to be able fully to serve the requirements of clients that need legal resources on the ground in France.”
European managing partner Martin Lane added: “Paris is one of the legal markets that significantly contributes to the economic development of Europe. Combining this with the enormous experience that Diane and Olivia have in working with international clients, we are ideally placed to develop a significant presence in Paris.”
The Paris launch comes less than a month after the Pittsburgh-based firm sealed its latest merger – a tie-up with Dallas firm Hughes & Luce. The merger, which was agreed on 17 December, officially went live at the beginning of 2008. The move means K&L Gates now has more than 1,500 lawyers across 24 offices in the US, Europe and Asia.
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