DWF has raided Big Four firm PwC's data protection practice for the second time this year, hiring another data specialist as a partner and its U.K.head of privacy and cyber security. 

James Drury-Smith, who has been at PwC since 2016, was previously the U.K. leader of the Big Four firm's non-contentious data protection legal practice as well as the UK leader for the financial services data protection legal practice, according to a statement by DWF.

Prior to this, Drury-Smith worked at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe where he assisted in establishing its data protection and cyber security business. He has also spent time at  DLA Piper and Barclays Bank. 

The move means Drury-Smith joins global head of data protection and cyber security, Stewart Room, who left PwC in February. Room left the Big Four firm after a five year stint as a partner and leader of its data protection and cyber security practice, which he helped set up when he joined in 2014. 

DWF has previous form hiring from professional service firms' legal practices. Last year, it added Grant Thornton associate director Darren Fisher and BDO partner Andrew Jacobs as lead directors of its new regulatory consultancy business, DWF Regulatory Consulting.

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