Masons grabs Dibb Lupton Manchester's IT expert

Dibb Lupton Alsop's Manchester IT solicitor Andrew Smith has been poached by Masons in Manchester along with his assistant Peter Budd.

Smith, who was approached by headhunters for the job, was due to be made a partner at Dibbs next month and will become Masons seventh Manchester partner.

He started his legal career in London with Norton Rose but moved to Manchester and joined Dibbs a year ago from Davies Wallis Foyster.

Smith claimed there was a gap in the Manchester market for locally-based IT lawyers.

"Many companies in the region are using London practices for their IT work," he said. "The difference at Masons is that we are a truly specialist practice."

The departures will leave Dibbs' Manchester office with six IT/IP lawyers.