The London branch of US litigation leader Shook Hardy & Bacon has lost three senior litigation partners to US IP specialist Howrey Simon Arnold & White – the first partner departures from the firm since its transatlantic merger with UK firm Arnander Irvine & Zietman (AIZ) last summer.

The three – former name partner James Irvine, Charles Pugh and Geoffrey Gauchi – were all from the AIZ side of the merger, leaving the firm with just seven legacy UK partners.

The hires are a coup for Howrey Simon's six-partner London office, which has also just recruited the highly-rated former head of IP at UK national firm Eversheds, Isabel Davies.

The firm has just launched a local law practice in Amsterdam and is now expected to expand across Europe with France, Germany and Sweden top of the list for new openings.

It is anticipated that Howrey Simon's three new London partners will join the firm officially by the beginning of May.