Richards Butler in lateral spree after merger collapse

Richards Butler is embarking on a series of hires following the collapseof its merger

with Theodore Goddard.Last week, the firm announced the poaching of Hill Taylor

Dickinson's onlyinsolvency partner Mike McCarthy.The firm says McCarthy is the first of

several "lateral hires".The merger fell through in January after Theodore Goddard's

corporate andfinance partners raised objections (The Lawyer, 18 January).Stephen

Edwards, Richards Butler's head of corporate and commercial group,says the firm remains

open-minded about future mergers, but has decided togo it alone for now.Edwards says:

"Our strategic plan is to grow our corporate finance andbanking strategy. The merger

talks were intended to achieve precisely that,and since that hasn't happened what we are

doing is looking to bring inhigh-quality laterals to help us grow the

business."Contentious insolvency specialist McCarthy joined Hill Taylor Dickinson asa

partner in 1993. He will bring his assistant, Scott Couper, with him whenhe joins in

August.Edwards says: "Mike's a very established insolvency practitioner whothinks his

own practice will thrive in the corporate, financial servicesand banking setting that

we can provide."