Hill Dickinson has sealed a deal to take on DLA Piper's defendant insurance practice in Sheffield and Manchester, after DLA decided to divide up the 50-strong business.

The deal will see approximately 30 staff – including three partners – transfer to Hill Dickinson's offices in the two cities by the end of February, with the agreement also including the handover of its client book, comprising around 20 clients.

The acquisition of the practice, which has a turnover of approximately £2m and specialises in disease cases, will strengthen Hill Dickinson's capability in the defendant insurance area. The fee involved is undisclosed.

The fate of the practice's remaining 20 staff in Birmingham is currently unclear.

The news comes after DLA announced last November that it was kicking off a redundancy consultation affecting 251 lawyers and back office staff following a review of its UK business, with the move including the potential closure or divestment of its 50-strong defendant insurance practice.

Kennedys was among a number of other firms to express an interest in taking on the business; however, prior to Christmas, Hill Dickinson was selected by DLA as the preferred bidder and has since been negotiating terms, with completion expected today (28 January).

Hill Dickinson managing partner Peter Jackson (pictured) said: "This is a significant acquisition for the firm and one that will further enhance our insurance offering. The improvement of our relationship with mainstream insurers is a priority for our insurance business and this deal will help us to meet this objective. We look forward to welcoming the new team members onboard and to optimising the opportunities they bring with them for the firm."

Last week (24 January) DLA Piper confirmed it would close its Glasgow office by the end of April, making approximately 45 people redundant, while individual consultations have begun with the 116 staff affected by the firm's plan to centralise its document production practice in Leeds. Small document production teams will remain based at each of the firm's other UK offices in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield.