Clifford Chance is set to relocate its Paris office to the prestigious Place Vendôme in a move that will give it 50 per cent more space.

The firm is currently housed in the French capital’s traditional legal heartland, close to the Arc de Triomphe. The move will bring together lawyers currently working in two separate locations.

Clifford Chance has been present in Paris since 1962 and in its current main office since the early 1990s. The firm has 240 lawyers in France, led by managing partner Yves Wehrli, and nearly 200 more staff, all of whom will be able to work in the new offices.

The Place Vendôme’s most famous occupant is the Ritz Hotel, but it is also the site of the French Ministry of Justice and several banks.

Clifford Chance’s relocation is one of the largest moves yet in the French legal sector and follows a strong year for the firm. On M&A, the magic circle firm came second in the Mergermarket 2004 French league table by value, advising on 38 deals worth a total of e72.3m (£49.2m).

Wehrli declined to comment on the move.