Squire Sanders & Dempsey has recruited Speechly Bircham‘s head of finance Andrew Knight.

Knight will oversee growth of the firm’s finance practice in the City.

He acts as counsel by invitation to the newly formed asset-based lending committee of the Asset Based Finance Association.

The London office plans to bolster the team from 40 lawyers to 120.

Squires decided to ramp up its recruitment drive after a proposed merger with Bryan Cave collapsed earlier this year.