Clifford Chance star associate resigns in wake of funds team exit to Weil Gotshal

Readers' comments (10)

• Anonymous | 4-Jul-2011 2:35 pm

  To quote a poster on today's top article on this site: 'The firm's on the right track.'

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• Former PFGer | 4-Jul-2011 3:50 pm

  Senior associates leave CC on a weekly basis with barely anyone battering an eyelid, but this is a very different matter. Their only hope of keeping the department meaningful post-Gander and co was by hanging on to the senior associates like Fox. Now you can forget it. The department is on its knees.
  
  Hatfield can plod on with a few mid-level and junior people but there is no way they can continue to be a major player without imitating Weil and making some serious lateral hires. And how likely is that? Not going to happen. The decent associates will go to Weil; the rest will probably go elsewhere. Half of CC's associates seem to end up at Kirkland at the moment anyway.
  
  It is a really big blow to them. The team was phenomenally successful at its peak.

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• Peter Olds | 4-Jul-2011 5:08 pm

  There is no doubt that some very talented partners and associates have left PFG in the last 12 months. However, with Nigel Hatfield and many great associates still there, plus the CC private equity powerhouse alongside it, there is no reason to think that the group is "on its knees". Nigel will do a great job of stabilising the group and getting it through this difficult time.
  
  It's fine to disagree with these but how about some of the brave ex-PFG people posting nasty and immature comments about these stories start putting their names to them.
  
  Peter Olds

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• Hugey | 5-Jul-2011 7:25 am

  Nasty and immature? This is hilarious. The department has lost its senior ranks. When times were good it traded on them. Since they have now gone it follows there is nothing left on which to trade.
  
  Tuff luv but u have 2 eat it. Chiz.

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• daniel | 5-Jul-2011 9:21 am

  once loyalty was a virtue... then the yanks came in with their medetaranian attitudes where money can corrupt anyone... one all of north western europe has become decadent and lacks any virtues (both on partner and associate level, both firms and lawyers), progress is a great thing. regression and decadence disguised as progress will destroy us. but hten this is exactly what the babyboom generation that rules now was forcefed by their lefty professors in the 60s, 70s and 80s... talk left steal right and focus on the big bonanza

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• Anonymous | 5-Jul-2011 9:31 am

  Good luck with the "promise" from Weil. They have an awesome track record with that.

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• Anonymous | 5-Jul-2011 10:30 am

  There are some fools - with their own agendas - out there. Of course this is a blow for CC. No-one there is denying that. But within a year it will all be forgotten when, by then , a couple of quality partners will have joined from elsewhere and integrated. I feel sorry for the associates who have taken the yankee dollar, who will have no partnership prospects: if CC peaked at 4/5 partners in this team, how many do you think Weils will need?

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• Hugey | 5-Jul-2011 11:19 am

  Perhaps the departing associates thought CC was full of tools.

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• Anonymous | 5-Jul-2011 12:23 pm

  If so hughey, it's a case of out of the toolbox, into the B&Q...

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• The inside scoop | 5-Jul-2011 12:55 pm

  I heard that when they all left Hatfield said 'There can be only one!' and was then surrounded with crackling blue lightning.
  Oh and that Fox and Irvine have actually been decapitated.

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