Taylor Wessing has grown its City hotels practice with the hire of a partner from Edwin Coe.

Ronald Graham, Edwin Coe's head of hotels and hospitality, will join Taylor Wessing later this month (24 October). His practice focuses on advising owners and investors on their hotel and leisure assets, in particular on M&A and commercial contracts work.

He also advises a number of Middle Eastern families, having acted in the region since 2000, and has clients in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, a factor that Taylor Wessing said would fit well with the firm's Middle East and private wealth practices.

London hotels group head Richard Bursby said: "The hotels group is very busy at the moment and we set out a mandated search in a bid to grow our international capacity from a corporate angle.

"Ronald's practice fits us very well, as we are currently seeing a large influx of foreign investment going into the UK, especially from China and the Middle East."

Graham added: "In Taylor Wessing I have found the platform, both in terms of expertise and geography, that will enable me to enhance my practice. I very much look forward to joining the team."

Taylor Wessing will have nine City partners advising on hotels-related work following the hire, spanning the firm's corporate, real estate, finance and construction practices. Graham becomes the fourth hotels partner with a corporate practice.