Paul Hastings has boosted its London investigations and litigation bench with the hire of partners Stuart Alford KC and Oliver Browne from Latham & Watkins.

The arrival of the highly rated duo is a major boost for the top 25 US firm’s London arm, which has seen the loss of three partners since the start of the year, including that of structured finance partner Blake Jones, who joined Clifford Chance this week.

Paul Hastings confirmed the moves, but did not make any further comment. Alford has striking credentials in the sphere of white-collar crime and investigations having led the Serious Fraud Office’s banking fraud division for the four years immediately before he was signed up by Latham in 2016.

He spent the first half of his career as a barrister specialising in national and international criminal law, has served as a prosecutor for the United Nations, and was legal adviser to the judges in the trial of Saddam Hussein.

Browne, meanwhile, is leaving Latham after more than 18 years at the global giant, which he joined as an associate from Allen & Overy. He became a partner in 2012 and chaired its London litigation and trial department for the six years leading up to his departure. He advises companies and high-net-worth individuals undertaking cross-border arbitration and litigation.

The duo’s arrival at Paul Hastings follows its hire in March last year of partner Garreth Wong from Shearman & Sterling as global chair of its international arbitration practice.

Investigations and white collar crime specialists are in high demand in London. Last November, Latham hired white collar crime partner Pamela Reddy from Norton Rose Fulbright in a move that will help compensate for the loss of Alford.

Earlier this month, Sir Max Hill KC, the former Director of Public Prosecutions of England and Wales, was signed up by top 20 US law firm King & Spalding’s London office as a counsel. And last October Goodwin Procter snapped up Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft partner Mark Beardsworth to head its European investigations team.

This year’s partner departures from Paul Hasting’s London arm, meanwhile, also include veteran restructuring and insolvency partner David Ereira, who has upped sticks for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and leveraged finance partner Adrian Chiodo, who has joined Covington & Burling as head of European leveraged finance.