Ropes & Gray London finance partner Matthew Cox has left the US firm to join Baker McKenzie, becoming the latest in a series of exits from the firm's City base.

Cox, who was the fifth partner to join Ropes' London base when he moved from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 2010, where he was a counsel, is set to join Bakers next month.

With a practice focusing on leveraged and acquisition financing and restructuring, Cox has worked with clients including Bain Capital, Goldman Sachs European Special Situations Group and Hellman & Friedman during his time at Ropes.

His hire comes as Bakers has also brought in Linklaters senior associate Megan Schellinger from Linklaters as a partner in the City capital markets practice.

Commenting on the hires, Bakers London managing partner Alex Chadwick said: "We continue to strengthen and enhance our global transactional practices organically and through key lateral hires. Megan and Matthew's appointments mark the next phase of our growth strategy, as we seek to achieve greater critical mass and bench strength in our corporate, private equity, tax and banking and finance practices."

Ropes saw a number of partner walkouts from its London base in 2017, including funds partners Anand Damodaran, Michelle Moran and Monica Gogna to Kirkland & Ellis, K&L Gates and Dechert respectively.

However, it boosted its ranks in London this week (15 January) with the hire of white-collar crime partner Judith Seddon from Clifford Chance, as co-head of its London international risk practice.

In 2016, Seddon was named as one of Legal Week's litigation rising stars, with her key cases to date including advising Barclays on the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into alleged LIBOR manipulation, and representing individuals in relation to the SFO's investigation into accounting issues at Tesco.

Following Cox's departure and Seddon's arrival, Ropes' London office will consist of 28 partners, following the promotion of finance duo Anna Lawry and Alex Robb in its latest promotion round.

Ropes said: "We thank Matt for his contribution to the firm and wish him all the best in his new role."