Litigation boutique Loble Solicitors has closed after its founder, Steven Loble, quit the firm to join Collyer Bristow.

Loble said the decision to close the firm came as regulation and administration became increasingly burdensome, diverting his attention from legal work.

Loble joins Collyer Bristow’s dispute resolution team which he aims to grow in the international market. “The firm is definitely in growth mode,” he said.

Loble sparked widespread debate in 2005 about the extent to which legal advice is privileged when he acted for the US government in its efforts to have Lovells partner Andrew Foyle give evidence in the Department of Justice’s case against the tobacco industry.

“We are particularly focusing on the US work. We have a lot of people with US clients, contacts in law firms and referrers, and we are making concerted efforts to use that,” Loble added.

Particular emphasis has been put on the growth of the firms’ private client practice and international litigation.

In addition Collyer Bristow has boosted its employment practice with the hire of Tania Goodman from Seddons where she was head of employment.