Team of Withers litigators quits to launch City office for Australia's Lipman Karas

Withers partners Jeremy Scott and Andrew Ford – along with a team of solicitors comprising Peter Leckey, Oliver Stokes and Caroline Stripp – are all set to join Lipman Karas, which is expected to launch its central London office in late April.

Lipman Karas, which focuses on investigative litigation, usually involving financial elements, has worked with Withers for a number of years and it is understood that the team is leaving on friendly terms.

Lipman Karas already has nine principal staff and one special counsel, across offices in Adelaide and Hong Kong. Scott and Ford will also join the firm as principals and, following the addition of the Withers team, Lipman Karas will have around 50 staff in total.

Scott and Ford both have particular expertise in corporate insolvency, fraud and asset tracing.

In February Withers announced that it was preparing to open an office in Singapore in May to cater to the demands of high-net-worth clients (17 February 2012).

Withers managing partner Margaret Robertson said: “Their departure has been entirely amicable and both parties recognise the potential for reciprocal work going forward.

“The departing team are a small part of Wither’s significant contentious practice, which fields more than 100 litigators globally and constitutes approximately half the turnover of our London office. The firm is well prepared and working to ensure these departures have minimal impact on, and will not disrupt, our day to day business.”

Scott declined to comment on his team’s move to Lipman Karas.