Farrers raids City to build corporate service
Farrer & Co has made a rare foray into the lateral hiring market, taking on three partners and a consultant in a bid to beef up its corporate-related practices.
James Furber
Private equity and venture capital law partner Keir Barrie joins from Osborne Clarke, where he was a partner in the London office. Farrers senior partner James Furber said the move signified an aim to expand the firm’s workload in the private equity sector.
Trust and tax planning partner Nick Dunnell joins from Speechly Bircham. This follows the departure of Farrers financial services senior partner Jonathan Bayliss, who joined Speechly earlier this year (The Lawyer, 11 January).
The firm has also hired landed estate partner Rhoddy Voremberg from Salisbury-based firm Wilsons.
Farrers’ property practice has been bolstered by former Addleshaw Goddard head of construction Clive Lovatt, who joins the firm as a consultant.
“Our strategy is to strengthen the teams that we’ve identified as needing strengthening,” said Furber.
Traditionally Farrers has preferred to grow organically, but during the past financial year it has added five new partners to its ranks.
“The reason we look to the City for partners is that a lot of people have been here all their lives,” Furber said. “By recruiting from the City we feel we can give a more value-added service.”
The economic downturn has triggered an investment into corporate practices by a number of private client firms, which have seen clients looking for opportunities coming out of the recession.
Last week Withers unveiled plans to build a corporate practice that is on a par with its private client practice.
