Linklaters has made its first lateral hire in London since November 2007, Legal Week reports.

LINKLATERS has made its first lateral hire in London since November 2007, Legal Week reports.

The magic circle firm brings in litigation partner Christa Band from Herbert Smith. Band leaves Herbert Smith after 16 years, where she has been a partner since 1996 and has worked on litigation matters including Enron, Barings and BCCI.

Legal Week reports that Band is due to join the firm on 1 December, where she will be a rare breed, having been the only London-based lateral partner hire since late 2007. Finance partner Brian Gray followed David Ereira from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Linklaters has been recruiting international partners in recent months, however. Last month it boosted its German operations with a former Clifford Chance local insolvency lawyer, Kolja von Bismarck.