Ashurst’s head of securities and structured finance Erica Handling is leaving the firm to take up a new role as EMEA general counsel at Barclays Capital.

Handling, who joined Ashurst in 2000, has significantly contributed to the development of the firm’s global finance practice, and was part of the team that led the firm’s surprise US law launch in February last year with the hire of a 10-partner structured finance team from US ally McKee Nelson.