Heller helps itself to Wilmer Cutler City duo

Heller Ehrman has strengthened its fledgling London office after a second raid in as many months on US rival Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr.

Tax partner Christopher Prout and corporate associate Scott Leonard-Morgan both join the West Coast tech leader as partners from Wilmer Cutler's City arm, along with three corporate associates.

The move comes after the firm hired a three-partner corporate technology group from Wilmer Cutler last month, with Richard Eaton, Christopher Grew and Struan Penwarden all joining Heller's new City offering.

Since launching its London office at the beginning of 2007, Heller has also taken on former Slaughter and May competition associate Douglas Lahnborg, who joined Heller as a partner.

Heller chairman Matthew Larrabee said the firm was aiming to create a platform for advising emerging and technology companies in the UK and Europe.

London became the 700-lawyer firm's fourth office outside the US, alongside Asian outposts in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.