Simmons & Simmons City corporate partner Richard May has left the firm for a move to Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson.

May (pictured) joined the corporate department in the US firm's London office on Tuesday (4 January).

The long-serving Simmons partner focuses on financial services M&A, and represents banks, investment funds, asset managers and their advisers as well as companies in public and private M&A joint ventures and securities offerings.

He joined Simmons in 1996, before which he was a barrister, and worked as a legal counsel at the House of Commons. After qualifying as a solicitor with Simmons, he made partner at the firm in 2005.

Commenting on the move, he said: "Fried Frank has a very strong corporate platform with a very different geographic spread to Simmons. I hope to be able to contribute to develop the firm's corporate practice in the UK."

Fried Frank chairperson Valerie Ford Jacob said: "We welcome Richard to Fried Frank and to our talented team in London. Richard's ability to manage large high-profile transactions and provide counsel on complex regulatory issues will be a valuable asset to our international financial services and corporate clients."

The addition brings the total partner count in Fried Frank's London office to 17. The firm has eight City corporate partners.