Linklaters woos French duo from Gide Loyrette

Linklaters & Alliance has recruited another two partners from top French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel to work in its continental offices.

Olivier D'Ormesson was the head of Gide's Brussels office and will move to the Linklaters office in the city as a partner specialising in EU and anti-trust law.

And in Paris, the main Gide office will lose tax specialist Philippe Derouin who will become a partner.

Linklaters senior partner Charles Allen-Jones says "We did not poach the partners, they approached us. The office needed to broaden its area of coverage. I would think that the perceptive observer would have been aware that we needed to strengthen our tax department."

News of another lateral hire for the Paris office is expected within the new few weeks says Allen-Jones.

No one from Gide was available for comment, but senior partner Xavier de Roux recently spoke out about what he regarded as aggressive recruitment strategies from Allen & Overy and Linklaters & Alliance.

Linklaters drew his fire after it poached three litigation partners and its team of five assistants last October which was followed by the departure of three capital markets partners to Allen & Overy in January. Gide accused the English law firms of offering 100 per cent pay rises to its partners which the firm cannot hope to match.

Meanwhile, rumours are sweeping Madrid that Linklaters is due to announce a Spanish member of its Alliance. Madrid sources say that Gomez-Acebo & Pombo and Despacho Melchor De Las Heras are in the frame.

Gomez-Acebo is a well-regarded international firm with many multinational clients while Melchor has suffered recently from the departure of several lawyers although it still brings in blue-chip work.