Paul Hastings is set to hire a three-partner finance team from Ashurst’s troubled London office as it emerges that regulatory partner Nicola Higgs is joining Latham & Watkins in the City.

Partners Michael Smith, Diala Minott and Cameron Saylor are all joining Paul Hastings in the latest in a string of exits from Ashurst, which earlier this year reported that average profit per equity partner (PEP) had plunged to its lowest level since 2004-05.