Berwin Leighton Paisner’s (BLP) head of structured debt and capital markets Paul Severs is leaving the firm for Paul Hastings’ London office. 

Severs will join the US outfit as a partner in its corporate practice after a nine year career at BLP. 

He was previously European general counsel at the Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (FGIC), and had also been a structured finance partner at Clifford Chance for 11 years. 

Severs’ arrival at BLP in 2006, alongside Lovells partner Tamara Box, saw BLP ramp up its securisation practice, but there was talk even last year that Severs would leave for a US firm. 

Rumours began in March 2014 after BLP lost three partners in a week, including structured finance partner Lucy Oddy, and real estate finance duo Andrew Flemming and Jo Solomon. 

Severs’ arrival at Paul Hastings marks yet another attempt by the US firm to expand its finance practice in London. 

This year, it has hired Ashurst leveraged finance partner Luke McDougall and King & Wood Mallesons corporate partner Duncan Woollard to lead the firm’s City private funds practice.