Shearman & Sterling takes 13 lawyers from Paris rival

Shearman & Sterling's Paris office has poached 13 lawyers from rival firm Simeon & Associes for its M&A group.

The haul includes three partners, Jacques Epstein, Cyrille Niedzielski and Jacques Wantz; European counsel Bernard Carrez, and nine associates. The exodus leaves five partners in Simeon's M&A department.

Emmanuel Gaillard, managing partner at Shearman & Sterling's Paris office, says: "In fairness we have already worked together on a number of commercial clients and activities."

Eric Morgan de Rivery, head of the EU department at Simeon, says: "It is a big hole but we have five other partners doing M&A work. We keep a robust team in this area. We have been doing M&A work for 20 years."

Morgan de Rivery says the practice has forged alliances with firms in Brussels, Germany and The Netherlands under the Conference of European Lawyers banner.