Wragge & Co's 15-strong private client team is to transfer to the Birmingham office of law firm Mills & Reeve.

The move will double Mills & Reeve's existing private client team in the city, headed by partner Matthew Hansell, and underlines its ambition to become the first choice for high net worth individuals seeking legal advice.

The move reflects Wragge's concentration on corporate clients and its exit from the private client side follows similar moves by rivals.

Wragge senior partner Quentin Poole said the team had been given the option of remaining but felt the Mills & Reeve approach was the right move.

The former Wragge & Co team is led by Gary Barber.

A partner at Wragge, Mr Barber will join Mills & Reeve as a partner, along with nine further fee earners and five support staff.

The entire team will take up their new desks on May 3.

Mr Barber specialises in tax planning, wills and trusts and the administration of estates. He and colleague, Susan Taylor, are also widely regarded as leading charities advisers in the region.

The expanded department in Birmingham will complement Mills & Reeve's national private client practice, already one of the biggest outside London.

Mills & Reeve appointed Mr Hansell, a former Martineau Johnson partner, last year to spearhead the expansion of the private client team in Birmingham. His clients have a total wealth of more than £3 billion.

Mr Hansell will head the expanded team of four partners, 15 other lawyers and 12 support staff.

He said: "Gary is a highly respected private client lawyer and heads a very successful team. Their appointment has allowed us to fast-track our expansion plans."

Mr Barber said: "This is a natural, obvious and intuitive move. Mills & Reeve are renowned for their private client work, it is a substantial part of their practice and we have an established relationship."

Guy Hinchley, managing partner at Mills & Reeve in Birmingham, said: "Over the past five years our private client group has gone from strength to strength and now accounts for 20 per cent of the firm's fee income.

"The acquisition of the Wragge & Co team is a significant boost not just for Birmingham, but for the firm nationally."

Mr Poole said most big firms had progressively ceased to do private client work over the last ten years - it represented just two per cent of Wragge's business.

While the firm had been more than happy to keep the team they had been told it would be difficult to invest in that side of the operation.

"When Mills & Reeve asked about our private client practice I informed Gary about the approach and said 'shall I tell them no'?

"But Gary asked for a conversation with them and I told him it was his call.

"I am sad that they are going but it is in everyone's best interest."