Pinsent Masons' head of financial products and payments Tony Anderson has led a three-lawyer defection to Eversheds Sutherland.  

Anderson is joined by Pinsents consultant Henry Burkitt and associate Charlie Clarence-Smith.

In a statement to Legal Week, Pinsents said: "We can confirm that Tony has left the firm and wish him all the best."

It is the latest setback for the City firm, which last month lost three partners in separate moves. Pinsents lifer and tax partner Ian Hyde went to Osborne Clarke; employment partner Steven Cochrane to CMS; and energy partner David McEwing joined Addleshaw Goddard.

Anderson, a Pinsents partner of 15 years, led the firm's financial products and payments practice, working closely with regulatory bodies including the Bank of England, UK Payments, UK Finance and the Financial Markets Law Committee.

After spending three years at legacy firm Nabarro, he had a one-year stint as senior legal counsel at Barclays as the financial crisis reached a crescendo in 2009. 

A person with knowledge of the latest Pinsents departures said it was an effect of natural attrition and that, despite the spate of recent exits, the firm will have increased its partnership from 437 to 458 – an increase of nearly 5 percent – in the year to May 1, 2019.

On his move, Anderson said in a statement: "Eversheds Sutherland's impressive global platform offers the perfect opportunity to better serve clients as they navigate these challenges, as well as the chance for us to grow this area of the business by winning more cross-border work – particularly in the U.S.

"Charlie, Henry and I are excited to start working with Richard [Jones – Eversheds' international payment services group head] and the team to offer a deeper, broader platform in the payments, financial regulation and fintech space."