Mayer Brown targets competition with Dentons hire

Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw is ramping up its London-based EU and competition practice after poaching partner Gillian Sproul from Denton Wilde Sapte.

The hire doubles Mayer Brown’s competition group in London, led by former Watson Farley & Williams partner, Frances Murphy. "We are aggressively expanding our group to meet the level of client activity we’re dealing with," said Murphy.

Sproul was highly rated at Dentons and was widely tipped to eventually succeed Jonathan Tatten as competition head. Sproul resigned from Dentons last week. Her release date has not yet been finalised.

The departure leaves Dentons with two specialist competition partners, department head Jonathan Tatten and Sam Szlezinger. In 2003, the firm saw the defections of Suyong Kim to Wilmer Cutler & Pickering and former head of department Polly Weitzman, who moved to Ofcom.