Lawrence Graham (LG) has sealed a deal to take on Eversheds' Monaco branch, in the same week that the City firm hired Manches head of construction James Foster to lead its construction department.

The Monaco deal will see the two-partner practice, which is headed by tax, financial services and commercial property partner William Eason, transfer with all its staff and clients to the top 50 UK firm, and become its only foreign office.

As Legal Week reported in June, the Monaco office, which is predominantly focused on private client work, has been on the market for some time. The transfer is part of a bid by Eversheds to focus its practice on corporate clients.

The appointment of Foster, meanwhile, secures LG a senior lawyer to replace its former head of construction Alan Hart, who quit the firm in May to join Kennedys.

LG managing partner Penny Francis commented: "[Foster] brings a wealth of experience to our firm. His practice complements that of our current construction team and we look forward to developing this area of business with James at the helm."

Foster, who is set to join LG in October, is the eighth partner Manches has lost over the past 18 months following a rash of defections from its property department last year.

The firm recently engaged in abortive tri-partite merger discussions with niche firms Fenners and Kanter Jules, and is understood to be seeking to acquire other small firms.

Fenners has since merged with leading Scottish firm Maclay Murray & Spens while Kanter Jules has told Legal Week that it is no longer in merger talks.

First reported on www.legalweek.net (4 July).