Field Fisher Waterhouse has hired former Bird & Bird chairman Hamish Sandison, the City firm announced today (7 April).

Since joining Bird & Bird in 1992, Sandison has held several management roles with the top 30 UK firm, including a six-year stint as non-executive chairman. He stood down from that role last year and has also co-headed the firm's international IT sector group, as well as leading its international public procurement team.

Sandison has also worked for Linklaters and US firm Arnold & Porter, with whom he spent eight years in Washington DC, qualifying as a US attorney.

He joins Field Fisher's technology law group, which numbers 11 partners and 22 additional lawyers, with Sandison specialising in advising public sector clients on a range of commercial work.

Last September Sandison was selected as Labour's parliamentary candidate for Monmouth and will stand as a candidate in the next general election.

Field Fisher technology head Michael Chissick said: "Hamish will assist in enabling us to become the leading supplier of legal services to the public sector. Drawing on his lifetime of close ties to the US legal market, he will also help us to broaden and deepen our transatlantic legal practice. "

The news as Bird & Bird launches an India practice group following the firm's hire of White & Case corporate partner Nipun Gupta.

Gupta, who focuses on the metals, mining and financial services sectors within emerging markets, was global head of legal at steel giant Arcelor Mittal, then called ISPAT International, before joining White & Case.