The London office of US firm Jones Day Reavis & Pogue doubled the number of its lawyers in the first seven months of this year, creating a new UK law facility.

In July, it poached Denton Hall litigation partner Robert Thompson and it has taken four UK assistants from City firms, including Linklaters & Paines senior structured finance assistant, Keith Featherstone, who was made a partner.

It also poached US/Pakistan dual-qualified project finance partner Kaamil Ansar from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Floms London office.

The firm has been in London for 20 years but has confined itself almost entirely to English law until the beginning of this year, when it registered as a multinational partnership and moved from a small office in Mount Street in the West End to an office three times the size in Bucklesbury House at Bank in the heart of the City.

It now has six partners, half of whom are UK-qualified, and 10 assistants, four of whom are UK-qualified.