New London offices and hires for Pitmans

THAMES Valley firm Pitmans is ramping up its two-year-old London operation with two senior hires and a move to more spacious offices.

The firm has hired insolvency and recovery partner Ian Searle from Davenport Lyons. Also arriving is Hiscox UK group general secretary Zoë Bucknell, who will be the director of its corporate team.

With the new hires, five partners will be representing the firm in London, but the new offices will have sufficient space to house 45 staff in total.

The latest hires are in line with the firm's vow last November to recruit up to 22 fee-earners in London by July 2008. The firm has recruited three partners and seven fee-earners since then.

Pitmans managing partner Christopher Avery said: "We've experienced continual expansion over the past four years and we now have 29 partners and a staff of over 230."

This compares with 21 partners and 215 staff in 2005 - the year the firm first opened its London office.

The new recruits are an attempt by the firm to bolster the strength of its corporate practice.