Addleshaws recruits ex-Denton Wilde ace

Addleshaw Booth & Co is launching an assault on J Sainsbury's property work with the recruitment of Denton Wilde Sapte senior equity partner Clive Jenkins.

Both Denton Wilde Sapte and Addleshaws are on J Sainsbury's panel for commercial property work, along with CMS Cameron McKenna.

But Jenkins was the contact partner for the work at Dentons before he left the City firm at the end of June without another position to go to.

He has now joined Addleshaws' fledgling London office, set up less than two years ago.

Addleshaws' head of commercial property John Pike says: "His background is very much complementary with our own, particularly in the key retail sector where we are working to increase our market share."

Jenkins explains: "I took time off during the summer to see what I wanted to do. I am delighted to be joining such a dynamic commercial property practice. Its approach to managing clients and its growth ambitions match my own."

Jenkins adds that he hopes his clients will follow him to Addleshaws, although he concedes it is still too early to tell which ones will go with him.

Addleshaws' commercial property department has 29 partners spread out between its Manchester, Leeds and London offices. Although its northern operations have a leading reputation in property, its City practice has yet to make the same inroads into the market.

Pike says that Jenkins' reputation in the City was one of the reasons that the firm appointed him in its drive to boost the London office .

Former Dechert Price & Rhoads (now called Dechert) corporate finance partner John Hiscock joins with Jenkins while earlier this year, DJ Freeman's head of banking and property finance specialist Caroline Janzen joined the Addleshaws office (The Lawyer, 15 May).