Taylor Wessing loses 12 Paris partners to Nixon Peabody
Taylor Wessing loses 12 Paris partners to Nixon Peabody" />Taylor Wessing's embattled French office has lost the majority of its partnership, with 12 non-equity partners resigning to join US firm Nixon Peabody.
Eight partners, six of whom are in the equity, remain at Taylor Wessing France (TWF) after the resignations.
TWF and Nixon Peabody are involved in two New York legal battles after the US firm allegedly poached TWF's partners in violation of a non-disclosure agreement after merger talks between the firms fell apart (as reported 11 August).
In the defence to Nixon Peabody's motion for a preliminary injunction, which was filed on Monday 18 August, TWF said: "Last week, [12 TWF] non-equity partners provided TWF with their notices of intent to leave."
The defence adds that the non-equity partners are on three and six month notice periods and that the 12 non-equity partners and TWF's former managing partner Arnaud de Senilhes (pictured) have already accepted offers of partnership from Nixon Peabody.
TWF salaried partners Alain de Foucaud and Paul-Albert Iweins have accepted the offer to enter TWF's tight equity partnership (as reported 7 August). Two other non-equity partners who had also been offered equity have now resigned.
In a statement Nixon Peabody said: “Nixon Peabody's venture into France furthers its global initiative to build a substantial presence outside the United States. The firm is expanding its London and Shanghai offices and is building strong capabilities in key European Union markets and in the rest of the world.
“We look forward to working with this talented group in Paris.”
Taylor Wessing declined to comment.
TWF non-equity partner resignations:
Olivier de Chazeaux
Gilles de Poix
Claire Deléris
Anne-Laure Fonade
Pascal Guinot
Jérôme Henry
Anne Perrin
Emmanuelle Porte
Noro-Lanto Ravisy
Marc Schuler
Isabelle Vendeville
Remaining TWF partners:
Gilles Amsallem (equity)
Alain de Foucaud (recently made up to equity)
Christophe Flaicher (equity)
Philippe Glaser (non-equity)
Paul-Albert Iweins (recently made up to equity)
Claudia Jonath (equity)
Laurence Lapeyre (non-equity)
Christian Valsimidis (equity, managing partner)
