Osborne Clarke (OC) German managing partner and former head of its European alliance Adrian Taylor has resigned in the latest of a string of senior departures from the firm.

The firm issued a statement today (3 December) thanking Taylor for his work in building up its German practice after his resignation last month.

Taylor, who has yet to finalise his next move, was also the chief executive of the firm's network of allied European firms, known as Osborne Clarke Alliance (OWA).

He has been replaced as German head by Cologne-based partner Stefan Rizor, who was elected last week.

OC claimed that his departure marked a "renewed focus by [OWA} firms on developing business together".

Rizor's appointment completes a dramatic shift in OC's German strategy begun in 2001 when the firm launched its own national practice with the appointment of a group of partners from its then ally Graf von Westphalen Fritze & Modest.

Commenting on his departure, Taylor said: "I have played my part in building [the] German operation. I feel that my part in this is now completed and have agreed with Osborne Clarke that this is a good time to move on."

Taylor becomes the 11th partner to this year leave OC, which has been battling with the slowdown in its core corporate technology market.

The firm in September also announced it was to make four partners and five assistants redundant from its UK practice in response to the slowdown in corporate activity.

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