DLA Piper has confirmed that it has taken four trainees and nine support staff as part of a team joining from King & Wood Mallesons (KWM).

They start today, along with a team of 23 former KWM lawyers led by partner William Naunton and also including Cornelius Medvei, Bryan Pickup, Ed Page, George Burrha, Jeremy Brooks and Omer Maroof, who joins as a new partner.

Reed Smith has also confirmed that it will be taking three KWM trainees, while Greenberg Traurig told Lawyer 2B that it will taking five: one first-seater, one second-seater, one third seater and two in their fourth seats. The firm is also looking to take future trainees and has taken two trainee secretaries. 

White & Case will also take at least one trainee. Partner Justin Benson said: “One current KWM trainee is joining our London trainee programme on 30 January. Around ten current and future KWM trainees are currently being assessed as potential candidates to join the programme, and we’re also reviewing a number of other applications from KWM trainees.”

King & Wood Mallesons went into administration at the start of this week after a drawn out process in which it failed to find a merger partner to save it.

The KWM trainee diaspora: confirmed so far

Ashurst: expecting to take ‘at least three‘ trainees

Baker McKenzie: taking three

Covington & Burling: expecting to take two

DLA Piper: taking four

Fieldfisher: currently interviewing for one role

Freshfields: taking three

Fried Frank: taking three

Goodwin Procter: taking five

Greenberg Traurig: taking five, and looking to take future trainees and trainee secretaries.

Hogan Lovells: expecting to take two

Macfarlanes: taking two

Osborne Clarke: taking two

Reed Smith: taking three

Stephenson Harwood: has taken one, and talking to others

White & Case: taking one current trainee, and assessing a number of other current and future trainees