Pinsents employment head goes to rival

REGIONAL firm Pinsent Curtis has lost the head of its Birmingham employment practice to a rival in the city, Wragge & Co.

Martin Chitty becomes the third partner in Wragge's expanding employment law department.

Chitty says the move is not connected with the merger between Pinsent & Co and Simpson Curtis, which produced the enlarged firm earlier this year.

"Wragges has a well-established and organised employment practice with high quality clients and work. The attraction is of moving to a highly-regarded employment practice.

"Employment law is an exciting growth area and I am particularly looking forward to using my extensive experience for some of its high profile clients."

Chitty's experience covers all contentious and non-contentious employment issues, but he has particular expertise in public sector work.

Pinsent Curtis, which has employment lawyers in Leeds as well as Birmingham, says it will recruit somebody to replace Chitty.

John McMullen, head of employment, says: "Pinsent Curtis has the largest integrated team outside London. We are advancing further in Leeds and Birmingham. We are recruiting for both those offices and part of that recruitment will be to replace Martin."