McGuireWoods has boosted its white collar crime practice in London with the hire of Serious Fraud Office (SFO) general counsel Vivian Robinson QC.

Robinson will join the US firm's London office later this summer as a partner in the government, regulatory and criminal investigations practice, after serving a three-month notice period at the SFO.

Criminal barrister and fraud specialist Robinson (pictured) joined the SFO in 2009 from barristers chambers QEB Hollis Whiteman. He was called to the Bar in 1967 and took silk in 1986. He has been involved in high-profile matters including the Hatfield rail crash proceedings – in which he represented a defendant – and the Blue Arrow fraud case.

The move makes Robinson the latest in a number of senior departures from the SFO to private practice, as law firms beef up their regulatory and white-collar crime practices in anticipation of increased enforcement activity from regulators.

The head of the SFO's anti-corruption team, Robert Amaee, left the SFO earlier this year to join Covington & Burling as of counsel, while the body's head of policy, Charlie Monteith, left to join White & Case in London at the end of 2010.

Commenting on his move, Robinson said: "The two years I have spent at the SFO have been amongst the happiest and most fulfilling of my professional life. It has also been a privilege to take part in bringing to the attention of a wide national and international audience the importance of the new Bribery Act, its implications, and the essential role to be played by the SFO as principal enforcer of its provisions."

McGuireWoods' London managing partner Anders Grundberg said: "[Vivian's] depth of experience in white collar crime and investigations and considerable contacts within government and the private sector will broaden the firm's expertise in this area."