Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is looking to ramp up its US transactional practice after installing new chiefs for the firm’s M&A and leveraged finance teams in New York.

Mitchell Presser, who was at Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz for 17 years before helping to found private equity firm Paine & Partners seven years ago, has taken on the leadership of Freshfields’ US M&A practice.