Taylor Wessing has hired SJ Berwin partner Tandeep Minhas in a boost to its City financial institutions practice.

Minhas joins the Anglo-German law firm as a partner in its financial institutions and markets group.

Her practice focuses on all aspects of corporate finance M&A work, including public takeovers, fundraisings and IPOs, company and business acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and reorganisations.

At Taylor Wessing she will form part of the deal execution group within the financial institutions and markets practice, working closely with head of the group Tim Stocks and finance partners Robert Fenner and Will Belcher.

The hire takes the total number of partners in the UK financial institutions and markets group to eight. Six of these specialise in capital markets work, whilst two specialise in financial services advisory matters.

At SJ Berwin Minhas has advised clients including British Land, ENIC Sports and Christian Candy's CPC Group.

Stocks commented: "The appointment of Tandeep to our financial institutions and markets practice is evidence of our continued commitment to the sector. We are delighted that Tandeep has chosen to join Taylor Wessing, she brings a wealth of expertise that ideally complements our existing team."

Minhas added: "There is a fantastic opportunity here to capitalise on my experience and contacts with a firm that is very well positioned to service high quality international corporate finance work."

The departure follows a number of partner defections from SJ Berwin in the last two months. They included a four-partner team led by real estate head Jon Vivian that joined Irwin Mitchell, competition partner Niamh Grogan, who set to join Lloyds Banking Group and real estate partner Michael Metliss, who is joining Berwin Leighton Paisner.