Squire Sanders Hammonds has recruited a partner from Pinsent Masons to head its global outsourcing and procurement group.

Garfield Smith joined the firm on 1 October from Pinsents, where he had been a partner for four years and headed the financial services outsourcing practice.

Smith, an IT and outsourcing expert, was the relationship partner for BP, AIG and QBE Insurance, having brought the clients with him when he joined the firm from Norton Rose in 2007.

He commented: "Squire Sanders Hammonds' global platform together with its strong US base made perfect sense. International strength is critical to supporting and developing my practice both from a large deal and client development perspective."

Squire Sanders Hammonds Europe intellectual property and technology head Carl Rohsler added: "Garfield brings with him some significant bluechip clients that we are confident will be very well supported by our international network."

Smith left Pinsents at the end of July, serving a three-month gardening period instead of the firm's usual 12-month period – an exception made on an individual basis.

The exit marks the third departure from Pinsent's technology group since September, including Leeds-based IT partner Michael Peeters, who left the firm in mid-September, and outsourcing, technology and commercial group partner Rosemary Jay, who joined US firm Hunton & Williams this month.