Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) has grown its City banking litigation team with the hire of Reed Smith partner Simon Hart.

Hart joins RPC after seven years as a partner at Reed Smith. Prior to his move to the US outfit he spent time at legacy firm Wilde Sapte, now part of SNR Denton.

He will join the UK top 50 firm on 19 May this year, taking its total number of London banking and litigation partners to four.

The news comes after RPC promoted banking litigation senior associate Andy McGregor to partner earlier this month.

RPC managing partner Jonathan Watmough said: "RPC is one of the few firms in the City which can both handle substantial litigation and is also free enough from conflicts to be able to act against the major banks.

"We've been looking for some time for the right person to increase the capacity of a part of our business which has grown very rapidly over the past couple of years under the stewardship of Tom Hibbert."

Hibbert also joined RPC from Reed Smith to head the financial disputes practice in December 2009.

RPC has also this week announced the hire of a group of magic circle associates as it looks to grow its corporate practice at the junior level.

Neil Brown will move to the firm in the coming weeks from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, while Lily Meyer and Paul Jenkins are joining from Slaughter and May and Clifford Chance respectively.