DAC Beachcroft is launching in Paris with the hire of an eight-strong team of lawyers from local firm HMN & Partners.

The team, which is led by partners Vladimir Rostan d'Ancezune and Christophe Wucher North, will focus on the global and domestic insurance and industrial risks sector. The partner duo are bringing six HMN associates to launch the office, which will open Monday.

In a statement, DAC Beachcroft said the team has "extensive experience" of international work in the U.K., Latin America, Australia, the U.S. and Singapore, which aligns with the U.K. firm's presence in these regions.

The team will initially share temporary office space in Paris with Reed Smith and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner while aiming to settle on a permanent home later this year.

DAC Beachcroft managing partner David Pollitt said he intends the firm to become the "leading provider of insurance legal advice in France".

"This is an exciting development, part of our international strategy to grow our footprint in strategically significant centers and continue to strengthen the international support we offer our clients," he said. "Paris is an important hub for international insurance work, as well as a gateway into the strong domestic market."

Outside of the U.K., DAC Beachcroft has offices in Ireland, Spain, the U.S., Singapore, Mexico, Colombia and Chile. Last year the firm also joined the four-way Legalign Global alliance, which includes U.S. firm Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, German insurance leader Bach Langheid Dallmayr, and Australian insurance specialist Wotton + Kearney.

France was a target for a number of international firms in 2018, with many citing Brexit as a catalyst for renewed interest. In October, U.S. firm Kirkland & Ellis sealed the hire of two Linklaters partners to set up in the French capital, and in November, White & Case made a trio of hires from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe to boost its presence in Paris.

DAC Beachcroft is also gearing up to move into its new London space at The Walbrook building in the second quarter of this year.