Allen & Overy (A&O) has continued to drive its US finance team with the hire of a three-partner team from Paul Hastings.

The magic circle firm made headlines last year as it broke lockstep for the first time through the recruitment of four finance partners from White & Case and Proskauer Rose.

The new hires from Paul Hastings expand A&O’s leveraged finance capabilities in New York and take partner numbers to 12.

The team is led by Paul Hastings former head of leveraged finance Bill Schwitter, alongside partners Michael Chernick and Jeffrey Pellegrino.

Schwitter joins A&O as its co-head of global high yield and head of US private equity.

A&O has been on a recruitment drive in the US, also hiring Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft partners Gregory Mocek and Anthony Mansfield in Washington DC.

It did, however, lose its US senior partner Kevin O’Shea last year for Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy along with two real estate partners from the firm.