Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has made a rare lateral hire in the City, picking up high-profile finance litigator Jonathan Kelly from Simmons & Simmons.

Kelly, one of the City's best-known banking litigators, will launch a dedicated UK litigation practice for Cleary on his arrival at the US firm in April.

Kelly has headed up Simmons' finance litigation group for 10 years and sits on the firm's board. He qualified at the firm in 1989, making partner in 1995.

Kelly (pictured) has worked on a number of high-profile matters including the first true bank-on-bank dispute to hit the UK as a result of the credit crunch – HSH Nordbank's claim against UBS for more than $275m (£175m).

Kelly commented: "After 22 years it felt like time for change and a new challenge. Building a UK litigation capability for Cleary, and contributing to its outstanding global practice, is a challenge that I am tremendously looking forward to. I am naturally sad to be parting with Simmons, but I leave a powerful and impressive team behind me – the match of any in the market – and I will follow their continued success closely."

Kelly will be Cleary's first UK-qualified litigator in London. The firm's last partner hire in the City was M&A partner Michael McDonald, who joined from Allen & Overy in 2006.

He will be succeeded as head of finance litigation at Simmons by Rob Turner, who has been a partner at the firm since 2001.

Turner commented: "Jonathan is a class act and a super hire for anyone. A testament to that is the strength of the legacy he leaves here and our tribute to his contribution is not to break stride. There is no need to: the team is full of talent and only looking to the opportunities ahead."

Until now Cleary has not had a litigation practice in the City, although it does have a contentious antitrust and competition practice across London and Brussels.

Cleary managing partner Mark Walker commented: "Jonathan's experience in financial services litigation fits perfectly with our plans for the growth of our English dispute resolution practice, and follows the transfer of partner Jonathan Blackman from our New York office last year."

Earlier this month the elite New York firm lost competition partner Shaun Goodman to Howrey and star performer Ashar Qureshi, who left the to join the Renaissance Group as executive vice chairman. UK tax partner Nik Mehta also left the firm late last year.

Clearly currently has two US-qualified litigators in London – David Sabel and Jonathan Blackman – while Romano Subiotto QC also splits his time between the Brussels and London offices.