A law firm has poached its latest new partner from a high-profile international practice based in London.

Thomson Snell & Passmore has hired Gina Bicknell from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where she was a senior associate in its intellectual property and IT group.

Ms Bicknell is qualified as both an English solicitor and US attorney-at-law and will bolster the corporate and commercial team at her new employer, which has offices in Dartford and Tunbridge Wells.

Senior partner James Partridge said: “Her expertise and years of experience working in industry and in very highly regarded law firms in the US and UK will be key to the expansion of our IP and IT offering.

“A steady increase in requests for advice in this area shows that more and more businesses are realising that their IP has great value and needs to be both protected and exploited.”

Ms Bicknell added: “I am excited to be joining the corporate and commercial Team at Thomson Snell & Passmore, a firm with such a unique legacy.

“I am looking forward to the new challenge of growing the firm’s IP and IT practice.”