Ince & Co has announced plans to launch a London market desk in the Lloyd's building at the same time as strengthening its insurance and reinsurance practice with a double partner hire from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG).

The firm will open the market desk on the eighth floor of the Lloyd's building on 1 November as a workspace and a place to meet clients. Partners and associates from practices including insurance and reinsurance, political risk and marine will comes to the office every day on rotation.

Global head of insurance Chris Jefferis told Legal Week: "We've been looking for a space in the Lloyd's building for some time, and this puts us literally on our clients' doorstep, where they will have immediate access to our partners and staff."

Meanwhile, Barlows commercial risk and reinsurance partners Kiran Soar and Simon Cooper are set to join Ince in the coming weeks.

Cooper, who has 25 years' experience advising insurers and reinsurers, specialises in the resolution of large-scale insurance and reinsurance disputes in England as well as drafting contracts.

Soar, who has a similar practice focus, has been a partner at Barlows for more than two years. His recent experience includes advising a major international reinsurer on their exposure to the New Zealand earthquake.

Jefferis added: "We had the opportunity to bring in some really good people and we took it. This fits in with our growth strategy for the group."

The news comes after Ince & Co bulked up its City professional liability practice last month with the hire of Cromwell & Moring insurance and reinsurance partner Nilam Sharma.

Nilam, who joined on 1 September from the London arm of the US firm, is both UK and US-qualified with a practice focus on directors and officers matters and management liability in the insurance industry.

Barlows has seen a stream of partner departures ahead of its merger with Clyde & Co going live next month.

Legal Week reported yesterday that Holman Fenwick Willan had hired City marine partner Simon Chumas, while the firm's head of marine, energy and trade Patrick Foss, is joining Norton Rose on 
1 November alongside fellow marine insurance partner Chris Zavos.

Meanwhile, financial services regulatory partner Chris Brennan has left to join Lloyds Banking Group.