French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel announced Wednesday that it has hired nine partners and 10 associates from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius’ office in the French capital. Most of the defectors joined Morgan Lewis in 2004 as part of a 15-lawyer team recruited from another French firm, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei & Leygonie, to launch the Am Law 100 firm’s now-depleted Paris outpost.
Anne Tolila, the Morgan Lewis partner leading the group, told Legal affiliate The Am Law Daily that Gide’s global scope was the main draw for her and her colleagues. “The international presence of Gide is far beyond what is available at Morgan Lewis,” Tolila said. Gide has 18 offices scattered across 15 countries, with about half of its 600 lawyers based in Paris. By comparison, 1,600-lawyer Morgan Lewis has 16 offices in the United States and nine others abroad.
