Withers has launched a tax investigations practice in London with the hire of Irwin Mitchell's business and personal tax investigations head Maurice Martin.

Martin joined the firm on 
1 December after five years at Irwin Mitchell, and will lead the tax investigations team at Withers, which will sit within the firm's wealth planning group.

The firm is planning to add a team of junior lawyers to the group over the coming months.

Martin specialises in advising high-profile individuals and corporations on tax investigations conducted by HM Revenue and Customs.

Withers managing partner Margaret Robertson said: "Tax litigation is on the increase across all of our offices, and the opportunity to recruit someone of Maurice's calibre was just too good to miss. With Maurice working in tandem with our experts in the US and Asia, we expect to see our London team expanding rapidly."

The news follows Withers' hire of a family team from Dawsons Solicitors in May this year, led by practice head Suzanne Kingston. The team included two assistant solicitors and two secretaries.

Withers saw revenues rise 9% to £101m in 2010-11, up from £93m in 2009-10, while profits per equity partner fell 10% to £323,000, down from £357,000 the previous year.

Irwin Mitchell is currently gearing up to convert to an alternative business structure (ABS) in the New Year, with the firm set to outsource 81 support staff as part of a five-year deal to offload its facilities operations to business process outsourcing company OCS.