DLA Piper has strengthened its Corporate team in Paris with the appointment of partner Julien Vandenbussche and senior counsel George Pinkham.

Julien joins the firm from Tikehau, the specialist alternative asset management and investment company. He specialises in financial regulation and the structuring of investment funds, advising domestic and foreign financial institutions on the creation / approval of management and advisory companies, as well as on the structuring, creation, documentation and distribution of open and closed end investment funds (private equity, infrastructure, real estate, funds of funds, private debt).

George is a renowned senior practitioner who opened the New York office of KWM in 2014 after being Head of its Paris office from 2001 to 2012 and Head of its Hong Kong office from 2012 to 2013. He started his career as a tax associate in New York, moved to Paris in 1980 and became a partner in 1983, working primarily on tax and M&A transactions in France. From 1985 to 2001, George was Head of the Private Equity practice of an international law firm, focused on the creation of private equity funds and LBO transactions.

These hires form part of the launch of DLA Piper funds offering in France, which started in February with the hire of three Tax partners, Sylvie Vansteenkiste, Fanny Combourieu and Raphaël Béra, and Corporate partner Benjamin Aller in Paris. Sylvie, Fanny and Raphaël have deep and high quality tax expertise. With their focus on fund structuring, their skills align perfectly with those of Benjamin, Julien and George, with whom they will work closely.