Macfarlanes has turned to Speechly Bircham for a rare partner hire, with the reappointment of Charles Gothard to its private client practice.

Gothard, who heads Speechlys international private client practice, left Macfarlanes in 2005. He will rejoin the firm in the first half of 2013, bringing the total number of private client partners at Macfarlanes up to 13.