Macfarlanes is set to continue diversifying its practice away from its traditional corporate focus, with the firm planning to launch a projects and infrastructure group in the coming months.

The firm hopes to launch the practice in order to take advantage of increasing activity in the emerging markets at a time when corporate activity in London has been hit heavily by the global economic turmoil.

It wants to target referral work from India and Brazil in particular, where the firm, which does not have any international offices, already has a network of referral partners.

News of the plans comes after Macfarlanes recruited its first structured finance partner in May this year with the hire of Clifford Chance partner Rachel Kelly.

Macfarlanes senior partner Charles Martin (pictured) said: "We can see demand from the law firms that we work with in several emerging markets for English law capability in projects/infrastructure.

"It plays to our existing strength in corporate, real estate, financing and commercial, so it's something that we are giving thought to at the moment.

"We would need to find the right partner to spearhead this. What we have found is the independent firm model should work well for clients in this sector."

Macfarlanes moved to increase its coverage in the US last year, setting up non-exclusive ties with six firms across North America on top of existing links with around half a dozen Wall Street firms.