Berrymans Lace Mawer has hired Hill Dickinson partner Claire Batchelor for its Manchester healthcare practice.

Batchelor joined the firm on 1 June from the Liverpool arm of Hill Dickinson, where she has been a partner since 2003.

She specialises in clinical negligence, and has a particular focus on defendant healthcare-related law, advising NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities.

The firm also last week recruited Russell Jones & Walker partner Andrew Cameron for its safety, health and environment team in Manchester.

Berrymans has been growing partner count in its Manchester office rapidly in recent months, with half of its eight partner promotions this spring made up in the region.

Manchester healthcare head Mike Brown said: "Clinical negligence and professional discipline are both constantly expanding areas for Berrymans and the last 18 months has certainly been a period of substantial growth for us."

The firm also launched a healthcare practice in Cardiff in 2010 with the hire of RadcliffesLeBrasseur's local office head Jane Lang in August.