Dipti Hunter, formerly head of commercial disputes at Big Four professional services firm PwC, has joined London litigation boutique Keidan Harrison as a partner.  

Hunter has left PwC after just shy of five years, having worked for the firm’s accountancy and consultancy clients across a portfolio of commercial claims slanted towards business contractual, banking and civil fraud matters, as well as investment-related disputes and corporate litigation (including shareholder disputes).   

Having seen PwC’s approach to innovating legal services, she will work closely with Harrison and fellow founding partner Marc Keidan in further developing the firm’s work a year after its launch.  

Keidan said: “We are delighted that Dipti has chosen to join us at the very start of our second year. Dipti has a strong profile in the London litigation market and is the firm’s most senior and significant hire to date, underlining firmly our ambition to improve the depth and breadth of our disputes offering.”  

Hunter brings to Keidan Harrison strong City experience, having practised at Pinsent Masons (as legacy Masons), Memery Crystal and DAC Beachcroft, among other firms. Her client base reflects that broad business background, including acting for closely held family enterprises, high net worth individuals and corporate clients. 

Of particular note is experience in commercial Chancery cases, including civil fraud related claims, contentious trust claims, pensions-related disputes and equitable remedies, including injunctions, asset tracing and freezing orders. This dovetails with her own work in private family business disputes, but also with fellow partner Luke Harrison’s strong insolvency and restructuring practice, as well as Keidan’s own litigation and litigation funding strengths. 

The firm has made successive hires at associate level since launching, with Laura Coad joining the last May followed by Kit Smith in July, with both having strong disputes backgrounds at Debenhams Ottaway and Memery Crystal respectively. India, UK, and US-qualified lawyer Srishti Jain was also added to the ranks in January and Alex Akin joined from Elbourne Mitchell in last month. Hunter’s arrival is the firm’s first partner-level lateral and is unlikely to be its last. 

“Her hire represents an important step towards fulfilling our medium-term ambition to join the leading pack of London disputes boutiques within the next two-three years,” Keidan concluded. 

That same pack of London disputes boutiques grew this week with Seamus Andrew’s decision to set up Velitor Law, focusing on hedge fund litigation.