Professional negligence silk Patrick Lawrence QC is joining Justin Fenwick QC’s Four New Square from rival set 4 Paper Buildings.

Both are specialist negligence practices, although Fenwick’s set has moved towards high-value insurance and financial services work in addition to its core practice.

Four New Square is currently 22nd in The Lawyer’s Bar Top 30 survey published as part of The Lawyer 100 last week.

Jean Ritchie QC’s 4 Paper Buildings has a strong negligence practice with additional expertise in clinical negligence, commercial contract law and human rights.

Lawrence was well regarded as a junior professional negligence barrister before being awarded silk in 2002. Leading cases he has been involved in include Cave

v Robinson Jarvis & Rolfe on deliberate concealment, Landall v Dennis, Faulkner & Alsop, a barrister and solicitor negligence case, and Penn v Brill, another negligence case involving breach of warranty.

Lawrence also has an international commercial litigation practice relating to commercial trusts and contracts.

Four New Square recently took on Graham Eklund QC and David Turner from 2 Temple Gardens and William Godwin from 20 Essex Street.