Thring Townsend bucks recruitment trend

Bath ;firm ;Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons is set to step up its recruitment programme after hiring two partners for its London practice.

The firm has recruited employment ;partner ­Jeremy Nixon from Bird & Bird and taken private client partner Sonia Slater from Clintons.

The recruitment drive comes as the firm secured new Bristol office premises, which it will move into in 2009.

Managing ;partner Thomas Sheppard said the firm was ramping up its recruitment campaign and would be recruiting a further two partners imminently.

“We want to build a strong advisory practice,” he said. “We’re ;recruiting ;and ­investing, which is against the market trend right now.”

In addition, Sheppard said Thring Townsend aims to double the size of its London office, from 40 to 80 staff, with a focus on private client and commercial work.