Los Angeles firm Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker is looking to take on its first UK-qualified partners as part of a major expansion of its fledgling London office.

Keith Ott, resident partner at the office, said that the firm wanted to bring on partners in telecoms, capital markets and transaction finance and was planning to increase the overall contingent of UK-qualified lawyers to between 10 and 12 over the coming months.

Ott said the firm was still in the recruiting process and had already interviewed candidates for some of the posts.

The firm, which set up its second overseas office in the City six months ago, currently has one UK-qualified lawyer, Ian Burton, who joined the firm from Nabarro Nathanson.

Ott added that a capital markets partner would also be brought over from the US early in the New Year to head up the London office's capital markets practice.

In preparation for the expansion, the firm has moved into 6,000 sq ft of office space at the refurbished International Financial Centre, formerly the NatWest building, which was bombed by the IRA in May 1993 and officially re-opened last week.

The move comes a month after Latham & Watkins, another leading LA firm in London, announced its plans to boost its capital markets practice in the City.