National legal business DWF has announced the strategic appointment of two partners to its corporate and banking team in London. Richard Britain joins DWF’s corporate team from Ince & Co, where he was partner and head of corporate insurance, and Christian Francis joins the firm’s banking team from DLA Piper, where he was a partner in the real estate finance team.

With over 20 years’ experience, Richard has significant expertise in public and private company M&A, equity capital markets and joint ventures for domestic and multinational corporations. As a specialist in the insurance and wider financial services sector, his experience includes transactions for retail and investment banks, insurance companies and brokers, and asset managers, in addition to advising insurance clients on corporate, commercial and regulatory matters and insurers and underwriters on transactional insurance matters.

Christian has over 14 years’ experience in real estate finance, predominantly acting for senior institutional lenders in relation to both investment and development financing arrangements across a broad range of real estate assets from light industrial portfolios, office and retail, to hotel and leisure assets. Christian also has significant experience in the financing of Continental European real estate and, more recently, advising on the development funding of student accommodation and out of town retail parks.

Commenting on his appointment, Christian said: DWF is an exciting and ambitious firm which simply provides the perfect platform for my practice.”

Richard added: “I am looking forward to joining the firm as it continues to build an excellent profile in the City. There are strong synergies with my expertise and with a well-respected and established corporate and corporate insurance practice already in place there is an excellent opportunity and platform from which we can build future growth.”

Alasdair Peacock, head of corporate and banking at DWF, said: “Richard and Christian bring significant experience and sector knowledge that will serve to broaden our team’s expertise and further build our profile in the City, allowing us to continue delivering a first rate service to our clients both nationally and in London.”

Richard and Christian both join DWF in January 2015. The appointments follow a number of high profile hires to DWF’s London office, including real estate finance partners Iain Thomas, John Fox and Simon Elphick; litigation partners Alan Owens and Stefan Paciorek; and energy partner Chris White.