Ex-Ashursts star joins Nörr

Nordhues, who was also the head of Ashursts' Frankfurt office, left the firm last month, after what German managing partner Wolf Murkel termed an "amicable settlement".

He joined Nörr's Frank-furt office last week, considerably boosting the finance practice, an area in which the firm, best known as a corporate outfit, was perceived to be relatively weak.

Nordhues said: "Norr was a unique opportunity and given market conditions, I didn't want to let that opportunity pass for an unstable outlook at Ashursts."

Nordhues is the second German finance partner to leave Ashursts since last December, when Rainer Eicholz left. Eicholz was at the firm for only six months.