Macfarlanes has strengthened its commercial real estate practice with the hire of Shearman & Sterling partner Clare Breeze.

Breeze, who is due to join at the firm in the beginning of July, has been a partner at Shearman since 2009, and has acted for a range of developer and investor clients including Stanhope, AIG and Argent Estates.

Her move to Macfarlanes reunited her with former Shearman partner Ian Nisse, who joined Macfarlanes in 2011 to head the firm's commercial real estate group. Nisse, who was formerly managing partner at Ashurst before joining Shearman, has advised on high profile transactions including the acquisition of Tower 42, the BBC Television Centre at Wood Lane and Macmillan Publishers' new headquarters.

Nisse said "Clare is an excellent lawyer with the right expertise, talent and approach to help us to realise the potential of our commercial real estate practice. We have a first rate team and a commitment to be a market leader in complex, high end real estate transactions and financing."

Breeze's hire comes after Macfarlanes, which historically has made few lateral partner hires, brought in investment funds partner Simon Thomas in February from US firm Akin Gump, while the firm also took over specialist hedge fund firm D Harris Co International (DHCI) last year, adding all of its nine City employees to its private equity practice.

Meanwhile, in November Macfarlanes announced the hire of Speechly Bircham private client partner Charles Gothard, while former Addleshaw Goddard corporate partner James Dawson agreed to join the firm in March 2012.