Cobbetts raids Hammonds for construction splash

Hammonds has suffered a double construction loss as two Birmingham partners move to Cobbetts.

Birmingham head of construction James Bessey and non-contentious partner Mark Robinson join Cobbetts’ existing two-partner Midlands construction team. The hires boost Cobbetts’ construction team nationally to nine partners.

According to Cobbetts’ national construction head Mark Whittell, Bessey and Robinson will add breadth to the firm’s practice and will help build Cobbetts’ client base.

The moves continue a spate of exits from Hammonds both in construction and across the firm. In December 2004, construction partner John Deacon quit for Hunton & Williams’ London office, following Jonathan Hosie’s move to Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw and the retirement of national construction head David Jones in the summer.

Meanwhile three partners have already left Hammonds this month. As well as today’s announcement that IP partner Phillip Rees is moving to Shaw Pittman, Manchester insolvency specialist Dermot Preston left for Mace & Jones and London tax partner Tracy Fisher joined DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.