Herbert Smith Freehills has today (9 January) announced the hire of Tom Leech QC, who has left Maitland Chambers to join the top 10 LB100 firm as a partner in its advocacy group in London.
Having joined the Bar in 1988 and taken silk in 2010, Leech has spent his entire career at Maitland Chambers. He is experienced in commercial litigation, professional negligence, company and property litigation, as well as offshore jurisdictions, while his portfolio includes high profile cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and the House of Lords.
HSF established its advocacy unit in 2005, launched by former 11 Stone Buildings barrister Murray Rosen QC and Littleton Chambers’ Ian Gatt QC, as the firm set itself at the vanguard of firms training its solicitors to be advocates, offering clients greater flexibility in its approach to court work in London and across other offices.
Now comprising three partners and four associates, the addition of Leech will ‘enable the unit to maintain the high quality of advocates’ as Murray Rosen QC prepares to retire in April this year.
Of Leech’s departure, Maitland Chambers’ head Christopher Pymont QC, said: ‘Tom is a highly capable advocate at the very peak of his skills. He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in these chambers and at the independent Bar. He will be a credit to the HSF Advocacy Unit. We are sorry to see him go but would like to wish him every success in his new role.’
HSF’s London-based head of advocacy Ian Gatt QC added: ‘Hiring a QC of Tom Leech’s calibre is a real coup for the advocacy unit and marks an exciting new phase in our development. Personally and professionally Tom is an excellent fit for our practice and I am delighted to welcome him to the team.’
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
