Norton Rose has secured a high-profile hire from CMS Cameron McKenna, recruiting the firm's former head of commercial regulatory and disputes Liam O'Connell.

O'Connell, whose leadership role also covered the firm's insurance and reinsurance group, became a partner at CMS in 2001 after rejoining the firm in 1997 from insurance broking company Sedgwick.

He will join Norton Rose as a partner in the firm's litigation and dispute resolution practice, and has been succeeded as head of insurance and reinsurance at CMS by partner Ed Foss.

Norton Rose head of financial institutions James Bateson commented: "Liam is a leading name in the insurance market. He will strengthen our non-marine claims practice, an area we have targeted for substantial growth, and help us to build a strong reputation as a claims firm to complement our market leading brand in non-contentious work in London.

"We expect Liam to play a prominent role in helping build our international capabilities too, working with our excellent insurance claims businesses in Australia, Canada and South Africa."

O'Connell has been splitting his time between London and Bristol since the start of this year after Reynolds Porter Chamberlain hired a 28-strong insurance team including seven partners from CMS in the city. Meanwhile, long-serving CMS insurance partner Andrew Symons was hired by DLA Piper last October.

His hire is the third high-profile insurance litigation appointment for Norton Rose's City arm within the last year after the firm hired marine and energy partners Patrick Foss and Chris Zavos from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert at the end of 2011.