Allen & Overy (A&O) has for the first time begun recruiting lawyers from outside the firm for its flexible lawyer business Peerpoint, with the service also now being offered direct to clients.

The firm has also appointed Richard Punt, the former managing partner for clients and markets at Deloitte, as Peerpoint's first stand-alone chief executive, with a brief to explore the possibility of expanding the business internationally.

A&O global managing partner Wim Dejonghe told Legal Week that those joining from outside the alumni network "would include partner level" hires, with the firm "really looking at senior lawyers" to join.

Dejonghe added that Peerpoint has already been trialled in a number of markets, including Australia and Hong Kong, with a view to rolling out an integrated service in offices outside of London.

Meanwhile, Punt will join the business in November and will work alongside chief operating officer Ben Williams to grow the contract lawyer service, which launched last year.

"Securing someone of Richard's calibre is a real coup for the business," said Dejonghe. "It shows the scale of our ambition for Peerpoint and our commitment to investing in alternative delivery models for our clients.

"The fact that some of our major clients have also embraced the service, and are keen to work with us to develop the model further, is a testament to the quality of the business and the people involved. It also demonstrates the demand for a quality offering in this part of the market."

At its launch last November Peerpoint had a pool of 20 to 30 former A&O lawyers working as self-employed legal consultants.

In a survey conducted by A&Oy earlier this year, 63% of respondents said they had used contract lawyers in the past two years, while three-quarters (74%) said they expect to use contract lawyers over the next five years, suggesting that flexible offerings are becoming an ever more important part of new legal service models.