Halliwells is to lose a heavyweight corporate trio to Davies Arnold Cooper (DAC), leaving the national firm with just one corporate partner in London.

Former senior partner Clive Garston – currently a consultant at the top 40 firm – is set to join DAC in September alongside London corporate partners Ian Brent and Steven Raize. They will be joined by Halliwells corporate solicitor Melissa Needham.

Brent will take on a role as head of corporate at DAC, replacing Simon Walker, who left the firm earlier this year. Raize also joins as a partner, with Garston joining as a consultant.

The departures leave Halliwells with Catherine Moss as the sole corporate partner based in London.

Brent commented: "This move provides us with an opportunity to build a high quality corporate practice at a firm which is performing very well and has a strong reputation in the legal market."

The exits follow a number of partner departures from the firm, including commercial litigation partner Michael Mulligan who is set to join Field Fisher Waterhouse in September.

Halliwells said in a statement: "We are grateful to Clive for his many years of service to the firm. Halliwells' corporate group comprises 28 partners and a staff of 100 overall. Our corporate partners work on a national basis, with a number spending a significant amount of their time in London in support of the team."

Separately, it has emerged that Halliwells has asked fee earners and staff to work a four-day week on 85% pay in order to reduce its overheads by 15%. The firm wants to see 75% of its fee earners and staff working a four-day week as part of the scheme, which will run from August for an eight-month period.

Halliwells' managing partner Ian Austin commented: "Given the market conditions affecting the transactional side of the business, this is a necessary and sensible step.

In March Halliwells announced its fourth redundancy consultation, with up to 30 jobs under threat, while previous redundancy rounds had resulted in the loss of 40 jobs at the firm.