Two highly rated energy partners have left Eversheds Sutherland to join Hill Dickinson's commodities team, in what the firm describes as a "strategic acquisition".

Mark Aspinall and Paul Sinnott were both founding partners of boutique commodities law firm Arbis, which they set up in 2009. Five years later, the firm combined with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan to form Arbis Sutherland, where the two became co-partners in charge of the London office.

After the subsequent merger with Eversheds in 2016, both stayed on as partners in the commodities practice.

Sinnott specialises in the physical and derivatives markets, focusing on transactional and regulatory matters, as well as dispute resolution. Aspinall meanwhile focuses on the midstream and downstream oil sector and associated tanker markets, specialising in dispute resolution and transactional matters.

Their appointment follows Hill Dickinson's promotion of Claire Messer to its partnership last month within the firm's commodities team, bringing the total number of commodities partners to nine.

Marine, trade and energy work constitutes one third of Hill Dickinson's turnover.

The departures are the latest example of churn at Eversheds. In April this year, two employment law partners – Martin Hopkins and Ana Cid Velasco – left Eversheds for Seyfarth Shaw. However, the firm also appointed three partners from Pinsent Masons in the same month.

Eversheds declined to comment.