Wiggin goes inside and out to ramp up partnership headcount

Media boutique Wiggin has boosted its partnership by two, with an external hire and its first internal promotion for more than three years.

The firm has swooped on Bird & Bird to hire media finance partner David Quli. It also promoted broadcast lawyer Richard McMorris to the partnership.

McMorris focuses on media rights management and broadcast regulation. Quli specialises in advising banks and financial institutions on media financing. Quli's clients include the Bank of Ireland and Ingenious Media.

Quli joined Bird & Bird as a partner in November 2005 from Richards Butler, where he was an associate.

The additions take Wiggin up to 14 partners. According to The Lawyer Rising 50, the firm turned over £9.3m in the last financial year.

Wiggin partner Caroline Kean said there was no formal process for promoting associates. "As a partnership we've never had to put anything to a vote yet. We're very open and informal," she said.

Kean added that future promotions would be considered where there is a business case.

In the past 12 months the firm has drawn up plans for an of counsel role and launched a sports practice with the hire of Michael Brader from Olswang.