Brobeck Phleger & Harrison has expelled its former chairman Tower Snow in the wake of the failed attempt to lead 35 partners from the US technology giant to Clifford Chance (CC).

In a statement, Brobecks' chairman Richard Odom said: "[This is] an extraordinary step for the firm to take and it is unfortunate that events progressed to this point. The policy committee and the partners of the firm believe that this is in the best interests of the firm."

The highly-unusual move comes in the wake of the dramatic collapse of a deal brokered by Snow to lead 35 partners from the firm to set up a Californian practice for CC in what promised to be the biggest raid on an established US practice by a UK firm.

CC announced the end of talks on Thursday (16 May), just two days before the leading UK firm was due to vote on the hires.

A partners' vote at Brobecks on Friday (17 May), secured the backing of the firm to expel Snow from the firm.

Snow's fall from grace follows him standing down as chairman after a three-year tenure, to be replaced by Odom on 15 November 2001. Snow focuses on securities litigation and has been a member of the firm's policy committee and chair of securities litigation group.

Snow is known to be a fiercely opposed to the round of job cuts – which have so far claimed 171 fee earners – that Brobecks has announced in the last six months to cope with the slowdown in its core technology market.

It is believed that Snow has approached a number of firms with a view to leading a substantial team of lawyers out of Brobecks.

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