Simmons & Simmons has hired two new finance partners from King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) in London.

Investment funds lawyer Cindy Valentine and banking and funds lawyer Jen Yee Chan are the latest partners to leave the European operations of KWM.

Valentine is co-head of KWM's Africa group and acts on funds and private equity matters, her clients include Investec, South Suez Capital, AGRA, Triton, SL Capital Partners, Pantheon and Capital Dynamics.

Chen focuses on bank lending and and fund finance and has acted for the likes of RBS, the Bank of Montreal, Investec Bank, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group.

The moves follow other recent departures from KWM in London including private equity partner Simon Witney's move to Debevoise & Plimpton; the moves of Jonathan Pittal, Gabriel Boghossian (both private equity) and Warren Allan (corporate finance) to Stephenson Harwood; and private equity partner Will Holder's move to Baker & McKenzie.