Clifford Chance (CC) is set to see another two litigation partners leave in New York, Legal Week has learnt. 

Securities litigators Joel Cohen and George Schieren have both decided to exit the firm's US arm, with the departures leaving the firm with four litigators in New York.

The news, which has been announced internally within CC, follows a stream of exits from CC's New York litigation practice.  Global litigation and dispute resolution chief Mark Kirsch announced he was planning to leave little more than a week ago, with securities litigation head Mark Holland also quitting to join Goodwin Procter. It is unclear where Cohen, Schieren and Kirsch are heading. 

All four departures come as the firm prepares to reshape its litigation strategy in the US. The firm will shift its focus towards regulatory, investigations, antitrust, commercial disputes and international arbitration – moving away from the securities litigation work the firm inherited through its merger with Rogers & Wells in 1999. 

The practice overhaul is expected to result in a number of associate redundancies, with the firm currently reviewing 29 positions. 

However, CC maintains that it is still dedicated to its litigation practice in New York and Washington. 

One litigation partner commented: "We are refocusing the litigation practice in New York and it is an ongoing process of making sure we get it right. We are establishing our priorities going forward and shaping our business to the size we need it to be." 

A replacement for Kirsch in his global role has yet to be decided, with the firm expecting to hold elections at the end of the summer. Washington DC disputes partner Juan Morillo has replaced him as head of the US litigation and dispute resolution practice.