Herbert Smith has bolstered its securitisation practice with the hire of Citi investment banker Michael Poulton.

Poulton is set to join the top 10 City firm as a partner on 15 September after a three-year stint at Citi, where he was a banker within the Europe, Middle East and Africa securitisation team.

Before joining the bank, Poulton was a senior associate within the securitisation group at magic circle firm Clifford Chance (CC).

The hire takes the number of lawyers in London advising on securitisation and structured finance matters to 10, with the firm advising banking clients such as Royal Bank of Scotland, Citi, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley.

Poulton's hire marks the second lateral appointment for Herbert Smith's finance team in recent months. In April the firm recruited capital markets partner Peter Epp from White & Case.

Epp had spent five years with the US law firm, having previously practised with Linklaters in New York and London. Together with fellow capital markets partners Jake Jackaman and Dina Albagli, he will work closely with Poulton.

Finance chief Jason Fox (pictured) said "[Poulton] is unique because he has worked in a leading securitisation group for a law firm and in a leading securitisation group for a bank. His hire is part of a long-term commitment to our practice and we are in ever greater need of additional people.

"We are continuing to look to expand the group and his hire is part of the strategy to do this. We are confident that the markets will come back and when they do we will be well placed."

Other recent hires for Herbert Smith include the appointment of former Linklaters managing associate Richard Nelson, who joined the firm's Singapore energy group as a partner in April.

However, the firm has also lost several partners recently, with investment funds partner Louise Freestone joining FourWinds Capital Management as its first ever general counsel after 11 years with Herbert Smith. Meanwhile, construction partner Tracy London left to join CC in June.