Ashurst has made a double partner hire from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), taking Nick Elverston and Amanda Hale to join its global TMT team.
Elverston is head of HSF’s global TMT group and exits after 11 years at the firm. He joined in 2004 after leaving the Clifford Chance partnership in London.
Hale joined HSF in 2004 from a consulting role at Clifford Chance and was made up to the partnership in 2011.
The departures reduce HSF’s London TMT practice from five partners to three, leaving Gavin Davies, Nick Pantlin and Stephen Wilkinson in the team.
Ashurst global head of TMT Lisa Ritson said Elverston and Hale were “very highly regarded lawyers with exceptional credentials” who would “boost” its TMT offering.
“Demand for TMT expertise continues to grow exponentially, driven by businesses across all industries looking to harness new technologies to gain competitive advantage,” Ritson added.
HSF clients the pair have advised include BSkyB, O2, Telenor subsidiary Aeromobile and FilmFlex.
Ashurst chairman Ben Tiswell said the dual appointment “represents a significant step in the further development of our presence in the digital economy, working for clients which are high growth, high tech and international in nature”.
Ashurst revealed it would focus its efforts on developing its international strategy last autumn following a review of the firm by consultants Bain & Co. The firm tied up with Australian firm Blake Dawson in 2014.