Jon, Natalie and Alistair

Shoosmiths has hired a three–strong team from Irwin Mitchell into its banking practice.

Partners Jon Bew and Natalie Barnes are making the switch, alongside lawyer Alistair Hayes.

Bew and Barnes spent six and seven years respectively at Irwin Mitchell, according to their LinkedIn profiles, and have been enlisted to help Shoosmiths "drive forward the firm's expertise in the asset-based lending industry", it said in a statement.

Rebecca Mauleverer, head of Shoosmiths' national banking and finance team, said in a statement: "Jon and Natalie's appointments as partners represent a massive opportunity for the firm and the team to take advantage of a growing ABL market, and they will have great support in Andrew and Alistair.

"With their vast experience and industry knowhow, we are confident they will build on their existing reputation as the market-leading ABL team."

The firm has recently made several partner hires, including Ince Gordon Dadds corporate restructuring partner Lee Sennett last month.

Meanwhile, the team exit represents the latest in a handful of recent departures for Irwin Mitchell, and follows 10 partners being cut following a review earlier this year.

In July, Shoosmiths reported a rise in its revenue, climbing up to £137.6 million from £128.5 million, while earlier this week, it appointed Benedict Bennett as its first ever chief operating officer.