Dentons has appointed David Collins, Berwin Leighton Paisner's former corporate managing partner, to lead its UK corporate practice.

Collins will step into the role on 1 January 2016. At the same time, he will also assume the position of co-chair of the firm's global M&A group.

Jeremy Cohen, Dentons UK, Middle East and Africa chief executive officer, said Dentons' UK corporate practice, with Collins on board, now had a "very strong platform from which to access a greater volume of high quality domestic and cross-border mandates".

Collins (pictured) added: "As many law firms continue to reflect on how to position themselves for the future in an increasingly competitive environment, I have been extremely impressed by Dentons' ability to execute on its ground-breaking global strategy."

In June, Collins announced he would depart BLP at the end of October. The news came a few months after he was bested in BLP's managing partner election in February by employment head Lisa Mayhew.

He took the reins of BLP's corporate group in 2013, succeeding John Bennett who went on to become the BLP's international business partner. Collins previously served a 12-year stint as corporate finance head.

There have been a series of senior exits from BLP in recent months.

In London, it emerged last month that the firm's co-head of arbitration Richard Power, who also leads BLP's energy disputes practice, is leaving to join Clyde & Co, though his start date is not yet known.

In May the firm's City based head of EU and competition David Harrison left to join Mayer Brown.

In Asia, BLP saw a trio of partner exits from its Singapore office in October including its Southeast Asia managing partner Alistair Duffield whose plans are unknown.

BLP has also made some hires over the same period. It recruited a six-lawyer team from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe in Berlin in September, including two partners.

In August, it hired Geraldine Quirk from Clyde & Co as a partner in its London insurance practice.