Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has hired Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's non-contentious insurance head Robert Stirling.

Stirling, who advises on all aspects of non-contentious insurance, and has previously counselled Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas and Credit Suisse, on transactional and regulatory matters on both transactional and regulatory matters.

He led for Rothesay Life on its £1.9bn insurance of RSA's pension liabilities in 2009, and Pearl Group on its £1bn acquisition by Liberty International Holdings and its subsequent listing in London.

At Skadden, Stirling will work with clients seeking inbound and outbound insurance opportunities in Europe as well as advice on the European Union's Solvency II directive which requires insurance companies to boost their capital reserves.

"Skadden's platform is a perfect match for my practice," commented Stirling. "I look forward to working with its renowned European corporate group and its leading insurance practice in advising insurance companies and other firms around the world."

Stirling becomes the second partner to be recruited by Skadden's London office in less than a month. Two weeks ago, Legal Week revealed the firm had secured the signature of Dechert's international arbitration London head Daniel Gal.

The recruitment of Stirling and Gal are also the first partner hires for Skadden's London office since 2012, when the US firm recruited Weil Gotshal & Manges restructuring guru Dominic McCahill.