Heavyweight Linklaters litigator Christopher Style QC is set to leave the magic circle firm to join One Essex Court.

Style will join the chambers on 1 November this year after 27 years as a partner at Linklaters, where he joined as a trainee in 1977.

He has spent time as global head of litigation and arbitration at the firm, as well as a period later as one of its three divisional dispute resolution heads. He was handed QC status in 2006.

Style, who said he now intends to grow his international arbitration practice, said: "I've been at Linklaters for 35 years and I have had a fantastic time , but my principal practice is in international arbitration, and one of the things I've always wanted to do is work as a full-time arbitrator.

"That's not really something you can do in a large law firm because of conflicts problems. At present I have to decline 90% of potential appointments. The idea is that as a sole practitioner I will be free to accept more of these opportunities."

He has acted on a number of high-profile cases throughout his career, including the controversial Jivraj v Hashwani case last year which addressed the question of whether arbitrators should be subject to UK equality laws.

He appeared before the Supreme Court on behalf of the London Court of International Arbitration as an intervener in the case.

A number of high-profile litigators have moved from law firms to the Bar over the last decade, including former Herbert Smith partner Julian Lew QC who left the firm to join 20 Essex Street in 2005.