Lovells has lost its sole Chicago-based intellectual property (IP) partner as Mark Halligan joins US firm Nixon Peabody.

Nixon Peabody has hired Halligan as a partner in its IP group, where he will continue to focus on IP litigation, in particular the protection and enforcement of trade secrets.

Halligan had spent only two years with Lovells, having been recruited from US firm Welsh & Katz in January 2007.