In Paris Dentons has hired King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin's restructuring and insolvency team, consisting of partner Nicolas Theys and four lawyers.
The move fills a void left by the departure in January 2014 of practice head Gabriele Sonier and partner Caroline Texier, which the firm had inhereted after the pair joined Salans just before the three-way merger of SNR Denton, Salans and Fraser Milner Cagrain. Sonier and Texier have moved to the more natural looking home of Gide Loyrette Nouel. In 2012, the Dentons practice had also recruited a notable associate in Maria-Carla Conti from Gide Loyrette Nouel.
Meanwhile French independent JeantetAssociés has opened an office in Geneva under the direction of former DLA Piper (Paris) tax partner Patrice Lefèvre-Péaron. Péaron had been recruited by DLA Piper from Morgan Lewis & Bockius in 2011 in order to develop the firm's tax practice. The news echoes the recent announcement by leading Portuguese firm PLMJ, which opened a Swiss office in March 2014.