Debevoise & Plimpton's City disputes group is slashing the work it sends to the Bar ahead of a drive to handle the majority of its advocacy in-house.

In an unusual move, the US-based law firm's disputes department is set to conduct the bulk of its advocacy in the UK High Court without external counsel.

The move was first developed after Peter Rees – Norton Rose's former head of global dispute resolution – joined in 2006 but was expanded with the addition of former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, who joined the firm last September as European chair of litigation.