Legal Business

Revolving doors: Osborne Clarke and RPC strengthen City practices as WFW makes major New York hire

Several LB100 firms have announced a range of lateral hires this week, with Osborne Clarke, Watson Farley & Williams (WFW), RPC and DAC Beachcroft all adding new partners.

Osborne Clarke boosted its London real estate team by adding two partners, Jo Footitt and Louise Cartwright, from Irwin Mitchell.

Footitt, previously a partner at legacy firm SJ Berwin and later Irwin Mitchell, has experience acting for developers, lenders, investors and land owners. Cartwright, who trained at SJ Berwin before joining Irwin Mitchell in 2010, making partner in 2014, specialises in the industrial and retail sectors.

Osborne Clarke head of project, real estate and finance Tim Simmonds said: ‘Both Jo and Louise are highly regarded practitioners with a track record of delivering strong results.’

RPC has also been recruiting in London, hiring international trade specialist Stuart Shepherd from Ince & Co to join its commercial disputes team in London. RPC managing partner Jonathan Watmough said Shepherd’s arrival would add ‘significant extra firepower’ to the firm’s offering on litigation and large scale disputes.

Bolstering its Newcastle office, DAC Beachcroft has recruited a four-lawyer professional indemnity team from Manchester-based DWF. DAC Beachcroft bring in former Newcastle Law Society president Helen Ager, as well as fellow partner Tom Whitfield and two further solicitors. The move follows last month’s hires, when the firm added seven partners, also from DWF, to its Newcastle office.

In New York, WFW has added to its litigation practice, bringing in former Mishcon de Reya partner and head of civil litigation and white collar defence Joshua Sohn. Sohn has 20 years’ experience in commercial and regulatory issues and brings a team of three associates with him to WFW.

matthew.field@legalease.co.uk