Simmons & Simmons has launched a patent prosecution group in the UK with the hire of CMS London intellectual property (IP) partner Kevin Cordina.

Cordina's move to Simmons will reunite him with former head of legacy Olswang's European patent litigation team Michael Burdon, who moved to the firm last year.

Cordina was a partner at Olswang from 2014 until the firm merged with CMS in May 2017.

The firm has also refreshed the leadership of its City IP practice, with London partner Michael Gavey replacing Rowan Freeland as of 1 January. Freeland will remain at Simmons as a partner. He stands down after 18 months in the role, having taken over when former head Marc Doering left to join Allen & Overy.

Commenting on the hire of Cordina, Gavey said: "Kevin's arrival and the launch of our patent prosecution practice represent a major development in Simmons & Simmons' legal and sector offering. It is unusual for clients to have access to patent attorneys outside the patent and trade mark attorney firms, but the launch of the new service line enables us to offer a more integrated service."

Last month, Simmons boosted its Paris intellectual property offering with the hire of Reed Smith's European IP head Marina Couste and fellow IP partner Francois Jonqueres.

Simmons has been rebuilding its IP practice since a flurry of exits in 2016. That year four City IP partners left to join Allen & Overy: former practice head Doering and City trio Mark Heaney, David Stone and Marjan Noor.