DWF has recruited five partners from Eversheds as part of a 13-strong group of lawyers moving between the two firms.

The fast-growing firm is taking on a 12-strong Newcastle real estate team including partners Adam Heather, Gavin Jackson, Mitch Brown and Adrian Stanley, while eight further lawyers are also making the move to DWF's Great North House offices.

Stanley was Newcastle senior partner at Eversheds, while Brown, who was the firm's head of affordable housing, has taken up the same role at DWF.

The fifth Eversheds partner joining DWF is Suzanne Gregson, the firm's former head of affordable housing litigation, who is joining DWF in Manchester.

The hires bring the number of lawyers at DWF's Newcastle office up to 80, while the firm now has a 218-strong real estate practice across the UK.

DWF's northeast real estate head Ben Done (pictured) said: "This is another significant step in DWF's strategy for growth. We already have strong ties in the region, but the addition of the team from Eversheds will further strengthen our offering for clients and our presence in the northeast."

The hires come on the back five major acquisitions for DWF in little more than a year, including February's pre-pack purchase of Cobbetts, which has seen revenues double to around £200m – placing it just outside of the UK top 20. The firm also recently made a double partner hire from DLA Piper, with litigation partner Andrew Harris and corporate partner Paul Rimmer joining the firm.

News of the moves follows the January announcement of a major restructuring at Eversheds which saw the firm place 166 roles at risk, including 82 fee earners, with both equity and non-equity partners affected.