Simmons & Simmons' former managing partner Mark Dawkins is set to join the London office of US firm Bingham McCutchen.

Dawkins (pictured), who stepped down as Simmons' managing partner at the end of April, is expected to join the US firm's securities and financial institutions litigation group as a partner in early September after taking a sabbatical over the summer.

News of his move comes after Simmons' partnership voted in City litigator Colin Passmore as senior partner ahead of Dawkins on 28 April.

Dawkins served as Simmons' managing partner for nearly seven years as well as working as a partner in the banking litigation group.

Bingham London managing partner James Roome commented: "The hire is part of a broader attempt to grow our financial litigation practice, and we will continue to be opportunistic going forward. The hire ties in well with the appointment of Jeff Smith in the US, as part of the McKee Nelson combination."

He added: "As usual, we are backing the individual here and the large amounts of contentious work flowing out of the financial crisis will continue to keep us very busy. We think that Mark will slot in very well."

Dawkins told Legal Week: "I have been at Simmons a long time and this opportunity came along at a time when I was thinking about whether I should stay or whether I wanted a totally new challenge."

He added: "Banking litigation is what I do, now that I am not in management anymore, and I think that will be a very strong market for the years to come, not least because of the regulatory changes that clients face in different countries. I have had a good career at Simmons and made many friends there whom I hope to keep."

In his new role, Dawkins will work closely with Bingham financial institutions litigation partner Natasha Harrison.

Top 25 US firm Bingham posted profits per equity partner (PEP) of $1.625m (£1m) in 2010, with revenues of $873m (£547m). The firm has around 45 lawyers in its London office, including around 16 partners.

Simmons has yet to release its 2010-11 results; however, turnover and PEP both fell by double-digits during 2009-10, with PEP standing at £457,600 against revenues of £250m.

Dawkins' move marks the latest in a string of recent high-profile hires from City firms by US rivals. Earlier this month Legal Week revealed that Weil Gotshal & Manges had made one of the largest-ever team hires from the magic circle, with the New York firm bringing in a four partner funds team from Clifford Chance led by Ed Gander.

The hire of Dawkins also comes after Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton last year recruited high-profile finance litigator Jonathan Kelly from Simmons. At the time of his departure Kelly had headed the firm's finance litigation group for 10 years.

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