Holman Fenwick commodities specialist joins Stephenson Harwood as firm continues City recruitment

Stephenson Harwood has strengthened its London commodities sector group with the hire of a partner from Holman Fenwick Willan.

Peter Bennett joined the City law firm this week (25 January) after 17 years as a partner in the insurance leader's London office.

He specialises in commercial and trading contracts and litigation and arbitration for clients in the shipping, energy, steel, international trade and industrial sectors and will sit within the shipping litigation practice.

Bennett's hire will take Stephenson Harwood's commodities group to eight partners in the City and its shipping litigation practice to 11.

The firm already has experience within its commodities group in areas including coal, metals and minerals. Bennett's hire forms part of a push to further enhance its practice.

Commodities head Haris Zografakis said: "The firm has identified this as an area of growth and we are looking to further expand this practice. We've always had strength in oil and gas finance and shipping litigation, but with Peter's addition all of the practices meet in the centre – he complements what we already do."

Bennett's appointment is the second partner hire for Stephenson Harwood this week, with the firm also bringing in project finance partner Nick Avery, who was previously a partner with Ashurst. Avery left Ashurst in March 2009 after around 12 years as a partner with the firm's energy, transport and infrastructure group.

Including Avery and Bennett, Stephenson Harwood has hired five partners since summer 2009 in the City. In October the firm recruited Graeme McLellan and Richard Parsons as partners from Pinsent Masons and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer respectively, while in July it hired former Ashurst corporate partner Duncan Stiles.