Taylor Wessing has moved to bolster its London insurance and reinsurance practice with the hire of a partner from Clyde & Co.

Anthony Menzies joined the top 30 firm today (15 August) after three years as a partner with Clydes' London office.

Before joining Clydes, Menzies worked with a Bermuda-based law firm and is admitted to practice both in England and the Cayman Islands. In addition to his London practice he has experience advising on litigation and arbitration on behalf of insurers and reinsurers in the US, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.

Menzies commented: "This is a firm with a rapidly developing insurance practice, but there remains room for growth without running into some of the conflict problems that more commonly affect the 'traditional' EC3 firms. The firm is particularly strong in Continental Europe, offering a synergy with my own practice, focused on the London and Bermuda markets."

Commenting on his arrival, insurance chief James Crabtree said: "Anthony brings with him a flourishing practice, which complements Taylor Wessing's existing international insurance and reinsurance practice."

The hire follows a string of recent moves to the firm, with the addition of M&A partner Giles de Poix to the Paris office in June and the appointment of Jeremy Cama as consultant in the firm's Dubai arm.

However, the hires come as Taylor Wessing's French arm is in a court battle with US firm Nixon Peabody. As exclusively revealed earlier this month (5 August) by Legal Week sister title The Am Law Daily, Taylor Wessing's Paris arm launched a claim in the US courts alleging that Nixon Peabody had breached an agreement not to recruit its staff when merger talks between the two ended last year.

The suit argues that Nixon Peabody attempted to poach 12 non-equity partners – despite an agreement between the two firms that neither would try to recruit from the other.

Fears that Taylor Wessing's UK arm was planning to tap outside investment under the Legal Services Act (LSA) prompted the firm's French arm to enter the breakaway merger talks.