Fulbright benefits from another BLG partner exit

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) has been raided by US firm Fulbright & Jaworski, losing the head of its financial services regulatory team Chris Warren-Smith.

Warren-Smith is the latest in a line of big-hitting partners to leave BLG this summer.

In the past six weeks aviation boutique Gates and Partners poached BLG's Singapore boss David Johnston to head its new base in the region (www.thelawyer.com, 7 August) and corporate partner Jonathan Deverill defected to Canadian firm Stikeman Elliot (The Lawyer, 16 July).

Warren-Smith, who worked on the Barings Bank collapse, joins Fulbright's London office as the head of the international financial services disputes practice it assist the firm in its service expansion for it global clients.

Lista Cannon, who heads Fulbright's London office, will oversee the international disputes practice with Warren-Smith.

"We’re increasingly involved in transnational disputes and enforcement proceedings, which require the depth of experience that Chris has," said Cannon.

The firm's senior partner Richard Dedman said: "We’re always sorry to lose a good partner, but we have built very strong teams here in financial institutions insurance and financial services regulation and have every confidence in their continued future growth and success."