Reynolds Porter Chamberlain has added to its intellectual property (IP) practice with the hire of Arnold & Porter partner Clive Thorne.

Thorne (pictured), who joined the firm on Monday (5 July), specialises in IP litigation and arbitration and has acted in a wide variety of patent, industrial design, copyright, trademark and IT litigation and arbitration matters.

He joined Arnold & Porter as a partner in 2004, after 18 years as a partner at Denton Wilde Sapte in London. He practised in Hong Kong between 1984 and 1987 and continues to do deals in Asia.

Thorne joins Reynolds Porter's six-partner-strong IP, technology and outsourcing group, which covers trademark and design rights, IT and communications, outsourcing, advertising and marketing, commercial contracts, competition, due diligence and audits.

The appointment further strengthens the team after the promotion of David Cran to partner within the practice last year and the recruitment of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer senior associate Paul Joseph earlier this year.

Managing partner Jonathan Watmough commented: "There is a two-pronged strategy behind the hire of Clive Thorne – on the one hand, he is a high-profile partner who will add to our growing reputation in IP. On the other hand, we aim to boost our IP department with a partner who has substantial experience on the patent side, especially on the international and arbitration scenes."

The recruitment follows on the heels of 10 lateral hires during 2009 and six so far this year.