International law firm Dechert has swelled its corporate and M&A practice with the hire of 35 lawyers as part of a mass defection of 65 attorneys from rival Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman.

The hires include nine corporate partners and 26 corporate associates. Partners specialising in global M&A work include Charles Weissman, Scott Zimmerman and Richard Goldberg, who will all be based in New York.