Finers Stephens Innocent has raided national outfit Russell Jones & Walker, taking head of litigation Sue Thackeray.

Thackeray joined Finers as head of its litigation department last month (23 April), taking on the firm's commercial dispute resolution, intellectual property, media, family and personal injury teams. She replaces incumbent Howard Zetter, who is standing down from the role after five years.

Thackeray joined Russell Jones in 1982, becoming a partner in 1998. She brings Finers' partner count to 35, 11 of who are in the litigation department.

She will also join Finers' eight-strong management team, which includes the firm's other department heads and managing partner Paul Millett.

Finers has recently recruited corporate partner Paul Glassberg from Lewis Silkin and property partner Mark Johnstone from Kilpatrick Stockton.