K&L Gates has become the latest US firm to launch a white collar crime and criminal defence practice in London, bringing in Addleshaw Goddard business crime specialist Elizabeth Robertson.

Robertson has been a partner with Addleshaws since 2007 and was a member of the national firm's fraud and regulatory team until handing in her notice earlier this month. She specialises in international and domestic corporate crime and regulatory investigations, including corruption and financial services enforcement.

She will be the first partner in K&L Gates' new corporate crime practice, with the firm intending to expand the practice further through additional hires.

Increasing numbers of UK and US law firms have been trying to break into corporate investigations and criminal defence work in response to a more robust enforcement stance from US and European regulators and the implementation of last year's UK Bribery Act. The area had previously been dominated by specialist firms including Peters & Peters and Kingsley Napley.

The last 18 months have seen firms including Sullivan & Cromwell and McGuireWoods making white-collar crime hires in London, with Sullivan hiring Simmons & Simmons partner Louise Delahunty earlier this year and McGuireWoods bringing in former Serious Fraud Office (SFO) general counsel Vivian Robinson QC.

London managing partner Tony Griffiths commented: "As well as establishing a corporate crime offering and enhancing our regulatory and internal investigations capability in London, Elizabeth's addition also fits perfectly with our policy holder insurance coverage practice to provide boards of directors with advice on their risk issues."