Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is delighted to announce the recruitment of Tom Leech QC, a highly regarded silk with extensive advisory and advocacy skills, to its partnership. Tom joins Herbert Smith Freehills from Maitland Chambers, the leading commercial chancery set, as a partner in the firm's Advocacy group in London.

Tom has spent his entire professional career in what is now Maitland Chambers.  His practice encompasses commercial litigation, professional negligence, company and property litigation. It also has a strong offshore focus, which includes Bermuda, Gibraltar, Guernsey and the British Virgin Islands.  Tom graduated from Oxford University with a First in Jurisprudence in, 1986 and the BCL in 1987. He was called to the Bar in 1988 and took silk in 2010.

During his time at the Bar, Tom has been involved in a number of high profile and complex cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords. His professional highlights include the Thyssen Continuity Trust litigation in the Supreme Court of Bermuda, and Target v Redferns, Mannai v Eagle Star and Scullion v Bank of Scotland. He is an accredited mediator and one of the authors of the leading textbook Flenley & Leech on Solicitors' Negligence.

Herbert Smith Freehills is the only global firm with a dedicated Advocacy group. This was established in 2005 to provide a fully flexible in-house approach to the use and instruction of advocates.  It offers extensive trial, appeal and interlocutory expertise as well as specialist advice on strategy across a wide range of practice areas, both contentious and non-contentious. The Advocacy team is used extensively by the firm's Dispute Resolution division, both in London, and other offices around the network. Recent instructions from international offices have come from Beijing, Dubai, Tokyo and Paris.  In addition to the usual High Court work, the Advocacy team services the needs of clients in a wide range of courts and tribunals, including arbitrations.

The Advocacy team currently comprises three partners and four associates. Its founding members - Murray Rosen QC and Ian Gatt QC - joined the Unit from the Bar on its formation in 2005 and have experience not only as Leading Counsel and advocates but also as arbitrators, mediators and judges, bringing significant levels of experience to the preparation and presentation of cases.  Adam Johnson has Higher Rights of Audience and substantial experience of advocacy.  

The recruitment of Tom Leech QC signals an important phase in the development of Herbert Smith Freehills' Advocacy team, which will be further bolstered by his exceptional technical expertise and specialisms in the fields of professional negligence, real estate litigation and offshore trusts and asset tracing.  His strong commercial skillset combined with wide-ranging international experience and ability to act on a broad spectrum of cases, make him a perfect fit for the firm and the Advocacy team.

Tom's arrival will additionally enable the Unit to maintain the high quality of advocates, and breadth of expertise and experience which it can offer.  Murray Rosen QC, who retires from the firm on 30 April 2014, will continue to practise in the legal sector as an advocate, arbitrator and mediator, and in various part time judicial appointments including the High Court, Chancery Division.

Maitland Chambers and HSF have enjoyed a long and successful association over many decades and look forward to that continuing with Tom in the London Advocacy group.

Sonya Leydecker, global head of Herbert Smith Freehills' dispute resolution practice commented: "We broke new ground when we launched our in-house Advocacy Unit in 2005. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength and become an integral part of our disputes practice and our service to clients.

The Unit is now embarking on a new phase in its development and I am very pleased to welcome Tom Leech QC, a formidable advocate and a highly regarded silk, who will be a great addition to our team."
Christopher Pymont QC, Head of Chambers at Maitland Chambers, commented: “Tom is a highly capable advocate at the very peak of his skills.  He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in these Chambers and at the independent Bar.  He will be a credit to the HSF Advocacy Unit.  We are sorry to see him go but would like to wish him every success in his new role.”  

Ian Gatt QC, Head of Advocacy at Herbert Smith Freehills in London commented: "Hiring a QC of Tom Leech's calibre is a real coup for the Advocacy Unit and marks an exciting new phase in our development. Personally and professionally Tom is an excellent fit for our practice and I am delighted to welcome him to the team."

Murray Rosen QC commented: "The HSF Advocacy Unit has been a pioneering market leader from the outset and the addition of another eminent QC, so well suited to our successful approach, will help further enhance our ability to serve our pre-eminent international Disputes practice".

Tom Leech QC said: "I am delighted to be joining Herbert Smith Freehills and the Advocacy team.  After more than 20 happy and successful years at 9 Old Square and Maitland Chambers I am looking forward to embarking on a new phase of my career and to working more closely with the premier Disputes team at HSF."