DWF has recruited Dickinson Dees partner John Flynn and taken on Manchester private client boutique Lane-Smith & Shindler.

Corporate partner Flynn, who will join DWF in Newcastle, was in the running to take over as senior partner at Dickinson Dees last year but lost to John Marshall, who succeeded Robin Bloom in April.

Meanwhile, niche practice Lane-Smith, which specialises in wills and capital tax planning advice, joined DWF this week.

All 11 members of Lane-Smith, comprising six fee earners and five support staff, have joined DWF's Manchester private client team, including the firm's co-founder Geoffrey Shindler, who will join as a consultant, and Paul Davies, who will join DWF as a partner. Shindler is also the current president of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Roger Lane-Smith, who co-founded the practice with Shindler five years ago, has retired to focus on external business interests.

DWF private client head Graham Ball commented: "Geoffrey and Paul bring solid expertise and a highly technical perspective on both domestic and international matters to DWF. By combining the strengths of both firms, we expect to be able to achieve our aim of becoming the leading private client practice in the north."

Shindler added: "Developing our services with DWF comes at a time when issues such as inheritance tax and succession planning are increasingly in the spotlight, especially as tax laws are constantly evolving to meet the fiscal challenges the government currently faces."