Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is to bulk up its City real estate arm with the hire of Hogan Lovells partner Andrew Sanders, with the news coming as Charles Russell strengthens its corporate and commercial practice with a partner hire from BLP.

Sanders is set to join BLP's commercial real estate practice after 12 years as a partner at Hogan Lovells, having joined legacy Lovells in 1999 from the partnership at DJ Freeman.

Sanders' hire will take the total number of commercial real estate partners at BLP to 33, with the firm housing 46 partners across its wider real estate, planning and construction group.

Sanders' practice covers all aspects of real estate financing, investment, joint venture and development projects.

The hire is the latest in a number of appointments to BLP's global real estate practice in recent months, with the firm hiring David Nunn and Mohammed Kamal, Simmons & Simmons and Hogan Lovells respective Middle East real estate chiefs, as partners for its Abu Dhabi office in January.

News of Sanders' hire emerged as Charles Russell has expanded its City corporate and commercial group with the hire of Vanessa Barnett from BLP.

Barnett, who specialises in online business, digital media and marketing, including sponsorship, joined the firm earlier this month (1 July) after 12 years at BLP, where she had been a partner since 2008. Her hire takes the total number of partners in Charles Russell's corporate and commercial group to 36.

Barnett said: "Advising on online business, digital media and marketing is a growth area for clients. We are now regularly seeing products and brands being offered and marketed with integrated consumer facing strategies which include sponsorship, social media engagement and highly personalised offerings."