Tenant quits 36 Bedford Row for rival

London set 9 Bedford Row has poached senior tenant Gordon Aspden from local rival 36 Bedford Row.

Civil practitioner Aspden is the latest to have rejected mega-set 36 Bedford Row's ambitions to become the country's first national chambers.

His departure follows that of Heather Swindells QC, the leading commercial and family silk, who left for Birmingham set St Philip's Chambers in May.

Swindells was followed in July by Martine Kushner and Andrew Neaves, both respected senior family practitioners, who also joined St Philip's.

However, 36 Bedford Row has been recruiting widely to maintain its status as one of the largest in the country.

Last month, the set took on six new tenants and managed to fulfil its long-term ambition to develop a presence in Nottingham when it opened an annex made up from tenants from a former potential merger partner, St Mary's Chambers.