Ernst & Young appoints team for litigation unit

The law firm of accountancy giant Ernst & Young in Paris has poached a top litigation partner and his team from US firm Shearman & Sterling.

Eric Teynier, two senior assistants and a paralegal will join Ernst & Young to set up a litigation and arbitration department.

The practice will work with the accountant's London law firm when it is established later this year.

Last month Christopher Tite and Mark Lewis deserted PricewaterhouseCoopers' law firm Landwell to set up an Ernst & Young firm in London.

Ernst & Young managing partner in Paris Herve Labaude says that the firm has decided it needs a strong litigation practice.

He says: "You cannot be a top-ranked law firm without having a top-ranked litigation and arbitration practice. Teynier is one of the leading litigators in Paris working for major multinationals and French companies."

The department will start off with six lawyers, including the three joining from Shearmans.

Labaude says that he expects there will be a further four recruitments in the next few months.

The firm then plans to recruit US and UK trained lawyers to do litigation work.