Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed partner Andrew Hart as global head of dispute resolution and created a new role of London dispute resolution head.

The magic circle firm has appointed partner Sarah Parkes as its new London dispute resolution leader in a move to "provide additional focus for the substantial London practice group".

Hart replaces David Scott in the global role, who steps down after completing his four-year term. Scott will return to client-facing work. 

Hart has been a partner at Freshfields since 1997 and has acted on a number of big-ticket cross-border litigations for clients such as Deloitte, Rothschild and Deutsche Bank, and also helped build out the firm's US litigation team.

Parkes has been a partner at the firm for more than 10 years and specialises in complex financial services litigation, investigation and regulatory enforcement proceedings.

She was previously co-chair of the firm's associate engagement group.

Freshfields senior partner Edward Braham said: "Andrew and Sarah bring a wealth of experience to leading our dispute resolution team.

"Our market-leading team delivers unparalleled services to clients across the globe, effectively managing risks to get the outcomes they want on their most complex matters."

Freshfields has seen several heavyweight departures from its London ranks in recent months, including private equity star Adrian Maguire in January and corporate heavyweight Ashar Qureshi last year.