DWF is set to launch an office in Birmingham with the hire of Shoosmiths' asset finance head.

The new office, which will be the northwest firm's seventh UK base, will extend DWF's asset finance practice and see the creation of a new lender services team to target the city's banking and finance markets.

The asset finance and regulatory practice will be headed by Joanne Davis, who is joining from Shoosmiths. She specialises in advising regulated and unregulated lenders in the credit, motor finance and leasing market on consumer credit compliance, litigation and dispute resolution.

DWF managing partner Andrew Leaitherland (pictured) commented: "Birmingham has long since been a strategic target for the firm to ensure we are based exactly where our clients need us. The city also has a great talent pool of lawyers, many with the expertise and knowledge of the market sectors in which we specialise and aim to develop in the future."

He added: "Joanne is a great fit with our new national lender services team and client portfolio. Her outstanding asset finance and consumer credit regulatory experience will help us build on our impressive commercial offering."

Davis is the second lateral hire at DWF this month, after the firm announced that Watson Burton intellectual property partner Ed Meikle is set to join the firm's Newcastle office later this year.

The news comes after the firm posted a double-digit increase for the 2010-11 financial year, with fee income growing 15% to £83m alongside a 17% increase in profits per equity partner (PEP) rise to £390,000.