A total of 18 lawyers have left Mishcon de Reya for international firm Greenberg Traurig ahead of the London firm’s plans to float on the stock exchange.

The hires, said to be one of the largest non-merger moves among London law firms, creates ‘an expanded litigation, regulatory and white collar hub’ at Greenberg Traurig, the firm said.

Former Mishcon partners Kathryn Garbett, Jo Rickards, Claire Broadbelt, Annabel Thomas, Martin Shobbrook and Hannah Blom-Cooper, together with legal director Matt Hancock, joined Greenberg Traurig as ‘shareholders’, a role that is similar to partner, late last year.

A further 11 lawyers have also moved to the firm from Mishcon, three of them this month, to join a 20-strong disputes team built by Masoud Zabeti and Mohammed Khamisa QC – who themselves left Mishcon in 2020.

Greenberg Traurig’s executive chairman, Richard A. Rosenbaum, said the firm ‘is now able to marshal a team which matches and, in many cases, exceeds what others in the market can bring to bear’.

Rickards, who is chair of the firm’s London white collar defence and investigations practice, added that Greenberg ‘expect to announce additional hires this year, because there has been a great deal of interest in joining from the London white collar community’.

The 18 are among the latest to depart Mishcon de Reya since its proposals to float on the London Stock Exchange passed a major partner vote in September.

Karel Daele, head of Mishcon’s international arbitration practice, joined Taylor Wessing in December while dispute resolution partner Madalina-Andreea Dumitrescu left for Charles Russell Speechlys the previous month.

According to financial statements for the year ending 31 March 2021, profits at Greenberg Traurig’s UK LLP rose 28.5% to £21.6m on turnover up 22% to £44.9m.

The UK LLP continues to be funded by Greenberg Traurig PA, which is established in the US and is considered to be the ultimate controlling party. Greenberg also received just over £160,000 in relation to the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, according to its accounts.