Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw has bolstered its City arm with the hire of telecoms specialist Robert Bratby from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Bratby was an of counsel at Washington DC-based Wilmer Cutler, which he joined in the autumn of 2003. He was previously at the UK branch of COLT Telecom Group, where he enjoyed spells as legal and regulatory manager and director of business development.

He has also worked on secondment at Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, from 1996 to 1997.

Bratby, who joins Mayer Brown's London arm as a partner, focuses on regulatory issues, primarily advising clients on dealing with Ofcom and European Union compliance.

Mayer Brown has seen a number of senior London departures over the last 12 months, with IT partner Andrew Scott moving to Dickinson Dees, construction partner Trevor Nicholls joining Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham and property litigation specialist Antony Phillips moving to Field Fisher Waterhouse.