Pinsent Masons Middle East head Sachin Kerur is leaving to join Reed Smith, as the US firm rebuilds in the region with a trio of partners following several departures earlier this year.

Dubai construction partner Kerur (pictured), who has led Pinsents' Middle East offering since 2008, will now head Reed Smith's Dubai and Abu Dhabi bases.

He is followed to Reed Smith by fellow construction partner Michelle Nelson, who led the firm's international disputes group in the Middle East from 2012 until this year.

The pair will be reunited with former Pinsents arbitration partner Shourav Lahiri, who completes the trio of hires. Lahiri joined Pinsents in 2004 and was promoted to partner three years later, before leaving in 2013 to set up his own Singapore-based firm Lahiri.

The hires come after Reed Smith saw three Dubai-based construction disputes lawyers, including construction partner Paul Taylor, leave for Eversheds Sutherland in January.

Reed Smith EMEA head Tamara Box said: "Sachin and Michelle are highly regarded in the region, and we are thrilled to have them join us. They have worked closely with Shourav for many years and together this team will be a real boost to our Middle East offering, and represents a game-changer in the local legal market.

"Under Sachin's leadership, we are looking forward to growing our platform to increase our services to both local and global clients active in the region."

The three new arrivals will split their time between Reed Smith's Abu Dhabi and Dubai bases.

For Pinsents, the departures come after it sealed an association with Saudi Arabian law firm Alsabhan & Alajaji at the end of last year, while in May the firm sealed the hire of two infrastructure and energy partners from Eversheds Sutherland in Dubai, including regional energy and infrastructure head Tim Armsby.

In a statement, Pinsents said: "We wish Sachin and Michelle all the best in this new venture. Our 90-strong strong Middle East business has expanded rapidly over the last two years, as evidenced by our joint venture with Alsabhan & Alajaji and the appointment of the market-leading projects team in the region. It remains a key market for us and we will continue to invest in line with our strategic focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors.

"Although he left our business some six years ago, we remember Shourav well and wish him all the best too."