The fallout from the embattled City office of US firm Edwards Wildman continues as it emerges that corporate partners Eero Rautalahti and Stuart Blythe have resigned, with Blythe set to join CMS Cameron McKenna. It was not known at the time of going to press where Rautalahti is headed.
A trio of litigation associates are also understood to have resigned last week, including Rhys Davies, who is set to join recently-departed insurance heavyweight Francis Mackie to Weightmans.
The US top 100 firm has been in talks with disgruntled London partners following a string of exits, amid accusations that resentment has been building over three years due to the City site being ‘neglected’ by its Boston headquarters. Located at Old Broad Street, corporate partner Niall McAlister and insurance and reinsurance partner David Kendall are the final two partners understood to still be in talks with management.
The formerly five-strong splinter group first saw the departure of Shawn Atkinson, who served as co-chair of Edwards Wildman’s venture capital group and who resigned two weeks ago to go to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.
Last week, Legal Business revealed that partners at the firm were in potential breakaway talks with UK firm, RPC, California-headquartered Cooley and top 55 Global 100 US firm Foley & Lardner.
Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk