DLA Piper has hired two highly rated London construction litigation partners from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Caroline Pope and Bob Maynard, two of BCLP's best-known partners in construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes, are on a six-month notice period but it is not yet known whether they will be held to it.

The pair leave after nearly 20 years in which they have acted for a range of major clients. Pope advised Balfour Beatty Engineering Services on a dispute with a major contractor in relation to delays on a hospital project. Maynard was part of the bid team that helped the firm retain its place on National Grid's legal panel last week.