Bingham McCutchen City banking partner Sarah Coucher has resigned from the US firm to join DLA Piper, Legal Week can reveal.

Coucher joined Bingham in 2002 from top 20 UK firm Denton Wilde Sapte, where she was head of leveraged finance. Her practice focuses on acting for creditors on senior and subordinated debt work.

Her departure will leave Bingham with just one UK-qualified partner in its banking, commercial and structured finance group. Stephen Peppiatt joined the firm from Shearman & Sterling last year to work on general finance matters, including senior debt and distressed debt.

At the time of his hire Bingham said it wanted to broaden its banking practice, which represented the banks on the Gate Gourmet restructuring and also advised on the restructuring of Queens Moat Houses and Jarvis.

Other recent hires by DLA Piper include the recruitment of Irwin Mitchell real estate partner Martyn Holland in March and the appointment of construction partner Stuart Jordan from property firm Campbell Hooper the same month.