Latham & Watkins has hired a corporate partner from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, in the latest partner departure from a Magic Circle firm to join a U.S. rival in London.

Samuel Newhouse has been a partner at Freshfields since 2013, having joined the firm as a trainee in 2003.

His departure marks the latest in a series of exits from Freshfields, with several moving to join U.S. heavyweight Kirkland & Ellis.

Jay Sadanandan, managing partner of Latham's London office, said in a statement: "Sam has a stellar track-record advising on market-shaping deals across a number of our core industries. His talents play to the firm's global strengths, and his arrival represents another step-forward for our thriving London practice."

Commenting on the departure, a Freshfields spokesperson said in a statement: "We thank Sam for his contribution to the firm and wish him well in the future."

The latest departure from Freshfields follows a run on several senior names at the Magic Circle firm since 2018. In January last year, Freshfields private equity partner Adrian Maguire left to join Kirkland just one year after fellow Freshfields partner David Higgins made the same move, becoming the co-managing partner of Kirkland's London office.

Earlier departures included corporate and capital markets partner Ashar Qureshi, who joined Fried Frank in September 2018, and high yield partner Ward McKimm who joined Shearman & Sterling in July that year.