US firm LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae has hired a three-partner team from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in the wake of the early ‘retirement’ deal the magic circle firm offered its partners earlier this year.

Freshfields environment partners John Bowman and Paul Watchman and real estate partner Graham Prentice will also be joined by Blake Lapthorn Linnell environment head Nicholas Rock, who was formerly an associate at Freshfields.