Mr Allen has 15 years' experience as a litigator and dispute resolution lawyer, specialising in complex, multi-party disputes involving government.

Gadens’ head of litigation John Dalzell said the firm was looking to grow its disputes practice in response to increased scrutiny from regulators.

“We’re seeing increased attention by the authorities in the areas of anti-bribery and white-collar crime, and it’s great to also be able to provide our corporate clients with market-leading risk and compliance advice on these issues, especially with the truly global capabilities of Dentons in this area,” he said.

“Ben is an important strategic hire for the firm and will help to position Gadens as a market-leader in litigation and dispute resolution.”

Gadens is set to merge with major global player Dentons later this year, a move that will position it as part of the world’s largest firm.