Simmons & Simmons, Gowling WLG and Scots firm Brodies have pushed back against the Big Four accountancy firms’ encroachment into the legal market, by making senior hires from EY.

Simmons has launched a technology, media and telecoms (TMT) VAT consultancy practice with the hire of EY director Joanna Crookshank, who spent 13 years at the accountancy giant. In her most recent role at EY she led its TMT indirect tax team, and she joined Simmons as a non-lawyer partner this month.