Crowell & Moring has hired Pinsent Masons’ head of infrastructure and construction, Paul Finlan, to head up its London office, along with former Birmingham head of corporate Gary Laitner, as the Washington DC firm moves to kickstart its UK practice.

Finlan and Laitner, two of the national firm’s most senior partners, will move from the Midlands to join the US firm’s City branch at the end of the month, taking the total number of partners in Crowell’s office to four, with 11 lawyers overall.