Sept 15 (Reuters) - Prominent Wall Street law firm Paul

Weiss has added three partners to its antitrust team, including

the head of rival A&O Shearman's global antitrust practice,

after several high profile lawyer departures in the spring.

Paul Weiss on Monday said it hired David Higbee, who led A&O

Shearman's antitrust group and was a member of it's executive

committee, along with the firm's partners Ben Gris and Djordje

Petkoski.

Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp in a statement said the

Washington-based trio would strengthen the firm's antitrust

capabilities.

Higbee told Reuters he was not looking to leave A&O

Shearman, but the move was an opportunity he did not want to

pass up.

A Paul Weiss spokesperson did not immediately respond to

requests for comment.

A&O Shearman in a statement thanked the lawyers for their

time there.

The moves follow the departures in May of a core team of

Paul Weiss litigators with antitrust expertise, including Karen

Dunn, William Isaacson and Jeannie Rhee.

Their firm Dunn Isaacson Rhee has since grown with

additional hires from Paul Weiss and other firms.

Dunn was co-chair of Paul Weiss's litigation department and

is a leading Washington lawyer. Dunn's new firm has said its

clients include Amazon ( AMZN ), Warner Bros. Discovery ( WBD ), Qualcomm ( QCOM ) and

Google.

Paul Weiss in March struck a deal with President Donald

Trump to avoid an executive order by the Republican leader

targeting the firm over its past hires and its diversity

policies.

Eight other major firms followed Paul Weiss' lead, pledging

nearly $1 billion in free legal work to causes Trump supports.

Paul Weiss has defended its deal, asserting that it was

necessary to protect the firm. Dunn, Isaacson, and Rhee have not

cited Paul Weiss' deal with Trump as a reason for leaving the

firm.