Eversheds' intellectual property (IP) practice is fighting back after losing three senior partners late last year with the hire of Clyde & Co partner Sally Shorthose to its London office

Shorthose was legal director at Novartis UK and a senior legal adviser at ICI/Zeneca before moving to Clydes. At Eversheds she will specialise in biosciences and non-contentious IP.

Eversheds' IP practice lost national chair and London head Isabel Davies last year, who is joining Howrey Simon Arnold & White. Contentious IP partner Paul Harris also left the London office to join Hammonds. Both Davies and Harris specialise in patent, trademark, design, copyright and IT matters. Birmingham head of IP Philip Atkinson left the firm for personal reasons.

The spate of departures prompted a review of the IP practice. Cambridge-based Patrick Farrant has stepped into the role of national head and Patrick Isherwood now leads the London practice.