Top 50 US firm Alston & Bird has hired Scott Schirick from Pryor Cashman to strengthen its litigation and trial practice group.

Schirick joins as a partner and will be based in the firm’s New York office, where he will focus on federal and state litigation, securities enforcement and regulatory investigations, and white-collar criminal defence matters. He advises clients across a range of industries, notably financial services, real estate and fintech, including blockchain businesses such as digital asset exchanges and trading platforms.

Brett Jaffe, co-chair of litigation at Alston & Bird, said: “As we continue to grow our litigation capabilities, Scott brings incisive legal skills and impressive trial experience. His expertise will add value to our white-collar, financial services and commercial litigation teams as they work on our clients’ most important regulatory, litigation and transactional matters.”

Schirick spent more than eight years as a partner at Pryor Cashman in New York, having previously been a counsel at WilmerHale. He also had earlier stints as an associate at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, where he started his legal career.

James Sullivan, partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s New York office, said: “Scott is a formidable trial attorney whose experience builds on the momentum that our firm and its litigation offering continue to generate in New York.”

Schirick’s arrival follows the recent hires of trial lawyers Michael Hefter, Seth Cohen and Ryan Philp, who joined last August from Hogan Lovells, and insurance litigation and regulation partner Mona Bhalla, who joined last month from the New York State Department of Financial Services, where she was deputy superintendent for life insurance.

Schirick added: “This is an incredible opportunity to grow my business, securities and financial services litigation practice at a firm with a celebrated litigation practice, and I can’t wait to join forces with my new colleagues.”

Other firms seeking to bolster their US litigation benches recently include Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo, which hired a 10-strong life sciences patent litigation team from Proskauer Rose earlier this month. And in April, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner absorbed a 12-lawyer team from Seattle litigation boutique Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen.