Ashurst has boosted its TMT (technology, media and telecommunications) practice with the hire of two partners from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) including the firm's practice co-head Nick Elverston.

Elverston joined HSF in 2004 and was previously a partner in Clifford Chance's TMT practice.

HSF's global TMT practice will continue to be managed by the firm's Australian based co-head Tony Joyner.

Elverston is joined in the move by TMT partner Amanda Hale, who was also previously at Clifford Chance before joining HSF in 2011.

The pair focus on transactional, commercial and regulatory matters in the TMT sector, as well as working on tech and digital issues for a broader range of clients. Both partners will be based in London and will focus on EMEA and the US. They will also work with Ashurst's TMT practitioners in Australia.

In December last year, both Hale and Elverston were part of the HSF team which won the TMT Team of the Year award at Legal Week's British Legal Awards. HSF also won the award in 2012 when Elverston was also part of the team.

Hale was part of the HSF team that acted for Sky on the £800m sale of its Sky Bet bookmaker subsidiary to CVC Capital Partners in December 2014.