Tite & Lewis, Bird & Bird and Taylor Joynson Garrett last week moved to hire partners from Garretts’ disintegrating City practice, with the three firms between them hiring four partners within days.

Tite & Lewis, the tied practice of accountancy giant Ernst & Young, has already secured an agreement to take on litigation partner Fiona Walkinshaw. The firm is also looking to hire several more
Garretts lawyers, with indications this week that offers could be made to five other partners.