Herbert Smith adds partner to financial regulatory team with Lloyds hire

Herbert Smith has bolstered its financial regulatory practice with the hire of Lloyds Banking Group's head of group regulatory.

Jenny Stainsby is set to join the top 10 City firm as a partner in the financial services regulatory (FSR) and bank litigation teams in May. She will work closely with the firm's FSR head Martin Hopper and disputes head Sonya Leydecker.

The hire marks a return to Herbert Smith for Stainsby, who trained at the firm and was a senior associate at the time of her departure to HBOS on secondment in 2007.

At HBOS she became head of group litigation and regulatory counsel prior to taking on her current role in March 2009 after Lloyds TSB's takeover of HBOS.

Stainsby will focus on regulatory advice, investigations and litigation for the retail banking industry and retail insurance companies at Herbert Smith, where she will sit within the broader disputes practice.

Hopper commented: "We are as delighted to welcome Jenny back to the fold as we were sorry to lose her when she left to join HBOS. She is a very talented lawyer and her in-house experience has given her a specialist understanding of what retail financial institutions seek from their legal advisers that few of our competitors have at partner level. With the current focus of regulators on retail markets and products, her recruitment is also very timely."

Last year Herbert Smith boosted its specialist civil fraud practice in the City with the hire of highly-regarded partner Robert Hunter from Allen & Overy where he headed up the trust, asset tracing and fraud group.

In addition, the firm added to its corporate crime practice with the hire of fraud specialist Graham More who joined the firm as a consultant in August from the Serious Fraud Office.

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