Nic Hart, managing partner of Duane Morris’ London office, previously told FN that he is looking to add between five and eight London partners and more associates to its 21-lawyer office. “You could say that we haven’t been aggressive enough in our attitude to recruitment,” he said.

“You could put it as simply as that. And I think we’ve got more aggressive, more ambitious.”

The employment lawyer said he would be “very pleased” if the office can grow to around 30 lawyers by the second quarter of 2027.

“I don’t think that’s pie in the sky,” he said. Hart, who became managing partner in 2023, said he is targeting team hires, particularly from boutique law firms which already rely on partners’ individual books of business rather than institutional clients.

The solicitor advocate also said Duane Morris typically targets lawyers at US firms because their notice periods are shorter and will have fewer post-termination restrictions, including noncompete clauses.

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