UK regional firm Pinsent Curtis has head-hunted a senior litigation partner from international firm Linklaters & Paines. Graeme Brister replaces Paul Downing as managing partner of the London office after Downing left to join Price Waterhouse last month. Says Christopher Styles, a litigation partner at Linklaters who has worked with Brister for 17 years: "To an outsider this move to a regional, domestic firm must look jolly odd. The key is that he wants to get out of the bigger jobs for international clients and move into management." It is said that Brister wanted to become managing partner at Linklaters, but Styles explains: "This is not sour grapes. He no longer wanted to spend so much time in practice."
November 01 1996