Eversheds has recruited a new partner with the hire of legacy Hammonds' Birmingham employment head Teresa Dolan – the first UK partner-level departure since the national law firm merged with US practice Squire Sanders & Dempsey.

Dolan is set to join Eversheds in the spring as a partner in the firm's human resources (HR) practice. The move will reunite her with former colleague David Beswick, who joined Eversheds in 2009 from Hammonds, where he was one of the firm's most senior partners and headed the Birmingham employment practice.

At Eversheds, Dolan will work closely with Beswick in his current role leading both the Birmingham HR practice and the local office.

Dolan specialises in employment tribunals work, regularly advising on high-value discrimination claims. She also has considerable experience in TUPE and group restructurings.

Eversheds HR practice group head Martin Warren said: "We are delighted to welcome Teresa to the team. She is a highly-regarded lawyer both in her field and in the region, and it is a real coup for us that she is joining Eversheds."

He added: "Our Birmingham employment team continues to go from strength to strength under David Beswick and this appointment can only accelerate that process."

It is understood that Dolan is the first partner to resign from Hammonds in the UK in the wake of the firm's merger with Squire Sanders, which went live on 1 January 2011. It is currently unclear who will replace Dolan in her current role at the merged Squire Sanders Hammonds.