Dibbs loses second regional banking partner in a week

Dibb Lupton Alsop has lost a second senior banking partner from its regional offices in the space of a week.

Leading banking lawyer Nicholas Fisher, recruited by Dibbs four and a half years ago from Wilde Sapte to establish and build up its banking departments in Manchester and Liverpool, has announced his intention to move back to London to join Simmons & Simmons. This leaves only one banking partner for Dibbs' north western region.

Fisher said: "I was offered the opportunity to do work in a City firm with a serious international outlook. The City is a much larger banking market."

The move comes a week after news of the departure of Dibbs' sole Birmingham banking partner Tim Travers to become a senior assistant at Birmingham rival Wragge & Co.

But both Fisher and Dibbs' national head of banking Mark Vickers stressed that the departures were unconnected. Vickers added: "It was also a coincidence that both resigned while I was on holiday!"

He said that Simon Woolley, the remaining banking partner in the North West, was a high-profile "rising star" who would replace Fisher as banking head for that region.

Fisher said he had built up Dibbs' north western banking presence to second place behind Addleshaw Booth & Co. He will remain a partner at Dibbs until 1 December, although it is understood Dibbs has agreed that he will not have to come into the office while he moves himself and his family down to London.

It is also understood that Simmons & Simmons made the first approach to Fisher. It has also just recruited Theodore Goddard asset finance partner Kim Walkling. Chief executive Alan Morris said: "As our capital markets practice has expanded recently, our banking practice has been a little bit under its shadow."

The two appointments have been made as part of a strategy to build up the banking side of the department, he added.