DLA Piper is pulling out of Georgia, with Dentons set to take on all of its lawyers in Tbilisi and move into its premises in the city.

The 11-lawyer team, which will join Dentons on 1 May, includes two partners – litigator Otar Kipshidze, who heads up the office, and corporate partner Avto Svanidze.

The rest of the team in the Georgian capital comprises one of counsel, two legal directors, three associates and three paralegals.

DLA first moved into Georgia in 2005, via a deal that saw it take over EY Law Europe's 80-lawyer CIS network, handing it bases in Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev and Tbilisi.

In a statement, DLA Piper said: "The firm has had a successful presence in Tbilisi since 2005. However, we have since concluded that our respective interests and strategies can be better delivered separately in future. We are confident that we can continue to support our global clients who operate there in an efficient manner, and wish the team every success for the future."

Dentons global chairman Joe Andrew said: "Georgia is a real economic success story. Over the last decade it has implemented market reforms to attract more foreign investors. As the link between western Europe and central Asia, it holds a strategic geographic location that is important to many of our clients."

DLA's move comes after news emerged earlier this week that the firm will shut its Berlin base this April and transfer its office there – along with the majority of its team – to DWF.

DWF will take over the office on 3 April and launch with eight lawyers, including three partners.