'Bored' Benson quits for multidisciplinary vision

LITIGATION partner Stuart Benson has announced he is leaving City firm Dibb Lupton Broomhead but is adamant he will not join another law firm.

Benson, who was responsible for the firm's business development and marketing, said he was frustrated at the inability of law firms to develop multidisciplinary partnerships.

"I'm bored with being a lawyer," said Benson, who has not decided what his next move will be. "I want to do more than that."

He said he has been frustrated for some time by law firms being unable to recruit professionals outside the law as partners.

He said he has had several offers from Dibbs clients and also a major communications organisation.

He said he was also tempted to establish his own business in crisis management.

This would target companies which had their reputations on the line following a crisis, such as internal fraud or a product failure, and would pull together various professionals to offer these targeted comp-anies a complete package of financial, media relations, legal and management advice.

Benson said he intended to have a continuing relationship with Dibbs, which he joined three years ago from Turner Kenneth Brown, now merged with Nabarro Nathanson.

Dibb Lupton Broomhead's senior partner Robin Smith said the firm was sad to see Benson go but understood his feelings of frustration.

"I agree with Stuart entirely on the importance of the whole question of multidisciplinary partnerships," Smith said.

"We would like a more liberal regime where partnerships with other professionals were possible," he added.