An international law firm has added a luminary of the French legal industry to its ranks in London.

International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has appointed Jean-Marc Tirard, whom it describes as “one of the best known private client lawyers in France”, as a partner in its international private client practice group, based in London.

The move comes a week after the firm appointed new private client partner David Adler, also working in the London office.

Tirard has advised French and non-French companies and private clients on French and international corporate and individual tax issues, negotiating with tax authorities and handling tax litigation for over three decades.

London has seen an influx of high net worth French individuals - and a broader mass of French citizens - in recent years, in some case said to be as a result of high taxes in France.

Originally specialising in French and international corporate tax through his unique knowledge of trusts in France, in the last 18 years Tirard's practice has developed into an international private client practice.

He began his career with the French tax administration before entering into private practice. He was in charge of the Paris tax department of Ernst & Whinney (Ernst & Young) for 10 years. In 1989, Tirard joined Clifford Chance, where he was the head of the Paris office tax practice before he co-founded Tirard Naudin (with Maryse Naudin) in 1997.  

Meanwhile, Adler’s practice focuses on US tax planning, wealth transfer, and trust and estate matters, advising on the US federal tax and compliance issues that arise for individuals and fiduciaries with a connection to multiple jurisdictions.

The firm’s London private client team was founded in 2009.