SJ Berwin Paris woos CC LBO team

SJ Berwin has scored a significant coup in Paris by wooing a four-lawyer leveraged buyout team from Clifford Chance, led by corporate partner Christophe Digoy.

Also joining as a partner is Maxence Bloch, who is currently counsel at Clifford Chance, but is understood to have been offered partnership. Two further associates complete the group.

Before joining Clifford Chance in 1998, Digoy was general counsel of Suez Industrie Private Equity, and prior to that general counsel at Sopromec Venture Capital. Since moving into private practice he has acted for Suez as an external adviser. The private equity house is also a client of SJ Berwin's Paris office.

Paris partner George Pinkham said the hire largely completed the firm's initial phase of building the core areas in the region.

"This is very much in line with the strategy of the firm, both in Europe and specifically the Paris office," he commented.

However, he added that the firm was looking for a competition capability in the region.

The hires take the number of lawyers in SJ Berwin's Paris office to 30.