Clarke Willmott's Southampton insurance team is set to join specialist insurance disputes firm Greenwoods.

The team – which is led by partner Rod Evans and includes two associate partners, seven lawyers and a number of support staff – will join Greenwoods on 1 May to form the basis of a new Southampton office.

Greenwoods senior partner Paul Parsons told Legal Week: "The reality is this was an insurance team in a non-insurance practice who asked the question: how best to serve the clients? We have a dedicated insurance practice with a national focus which makes this an obvious move."

"Because we focus exclusively on insurance, our working environment gives them the best opportunity to develop their practice. They will be bringing their clients, a number of whom we already act for, with them and we have plans for immediate expansion."

The firms have agreed to an informal co-operation agreement whereby Clarke Willmott will refer insurance work to Greenwoods which will be reciprocated for non-insurance matters.

Greenwoods plans to recruit a further three lawyers for the Southampton office and relocate one from London.

Parsons added: "We've adopted a co-operative approach with Clarke Willmott which is in the best interests of the clients as well as both firms. We aren't looking to compete with them. The clients are of paramount importance and we are working together to ensure there is a seamless transition."

Clarke Willmott CEO Stephen Rosser (pictured) said: "Following a strategic review of the services we offer, we have decided that we should concentrate and invest in our core strengths as we continue to look for ways of providing added value to our clients.

"The defendant insurance market is unique and self-contained, being distinct from the balance of our business. We consider the transfer to be in the interests of the firm's insurance clients."

Last September Clarke Willmott announced that it was launching in Manchester with the hire of two intellectual property lawyers from local firm JMW Solicitors. Around the same time the firm saw the departures of a trio of partners from its family, real estate and construction practices in Birmingham.