Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has ended its hunt for a German ally after agreeing on a one-way 'exclusive' relationship with German independent Beiten Burkhardt.

The compromise move will see BLP focus its national referrals on the 230-lawyer firm, despite previous hopes of securing a formal German member for its alliance with New York's Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel.

The top 20 London firm had been in talks with Beitens since last year, after the German practice formally split from the fracturing KPMG law alliance in March 2004. Last October the German firm announced it was rejecting a formal tie-up, despite talks with BLP and national UK giant Eversheds.

BLP managing partner Neville Eisenberg told Legal Week: "The firm [BLP] is not in talks with any other German firms and, as far we are concerned, we have an exclusive 'best friends' relationship with Beitens from our end."

Eisenberg added that although the German firm was free to work with other firms, he hoped that the two firms would formalise their relationship in the near future, after they had proved "to have worked successfully together".

Beitens management committee member Jack Schiffer told Legal Week that co-operation with BLP was "progressing very well on a non-exclusive basis", but he also cited recent work with Eversheds and top 50 UK firm Dickinson Dees.

BLP will now focus on building links with a Spanish law firm, with BLP senior partner Harold Paisner and Eisenberg this year going out to meet and greet national firms in that jurisdiction.

The firm currently works with respected corporate firm Cuatrecasas and smaller commercial practice Mullerat.

"We are in the early stages of discussions at the moment, but in the next few months we may install a working group to look into a strategic alliance in Spain," Eisenberg added. "But we are prepared to be flexible, as in the case of Germany."