By Richard Tyler
Kingsley Napley has set itself up as one of the country's leading business immigration firms and strengthened its company practice, after striking deals to acquire teams from Simmons & Simmons and disintegrating West End firm Walsh Lawson.
The deal with Simmons has seen a team of four business immigration lawyers and support staff, headed by Hilary Belchak, transfer to the firm, while the bulk of six-partner Walsh Lawson has agreed to merge with Kingsley Napley at the end of March.
Belchak has teamed up with Elspeth Guild and Lesley Kemp to form what Kingsley Napley managing partner Paul Terzeon described as one the largest and most respected business immigration departments in the country.
Of Walsh Lawson's fee earners, company partners David Walsh, Nicola Bustin, David Moss and Colin Stone and their four assistants are joining the firm.
Walsh Lawson's two other commercial property partners Adam Marks and Nichola Peace are not joining their colleagues. Instead, Marks is going to Taylor Joynson Garrett and Peace is joining Maclay Murray & Spens.
Bustin said: "Our deals are becoming more complex and are increasing in number and we needed the back-up of a larger firm. We have always passed litigation to Kingsley Napley and we like their ethos – the personal way they handle clients."
Simmons' decision to outsource its business immigration advice team follows a strategic review which found the team was not a core Simmons business.
Similar exercises saw Herbert Smith hive off its shipping practice in December, and Berrymans Lace Mawer dispose of its two partner yachting department.
Head of Simmons' employment department William Dawson said: "It was a strategic decision and a very good move for the firm."
He added that the 21-lawyer department was expanding, with six assistants joining in the next three months.