Clifford Chance (CC) has lost its last dedicated intellectual property (IP) litigator in London with the departure of Peter Taylor to Baker Botts.

Taylor joined the US firm's London office in November after serving more than a decade as a partner at the magic circle giant.

Taylor will head up Baker Botts' London IP team and will help to develop the new practice area for the firm.

His practice focuses on patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret disputes and brings the US firm's London partner headcount to eight.

Taylor's departure leaves Vanessa Marsland as CC's only remaining full-time IP partner in London.

A CC spokesperson said that the firm maintains an ability to service clients' IP litigation needs and that the IP team – which historically sat within litigation but is now part of the corporate practice – will work with the litigation and dispute resolution practice as appropriate.

CC added that although Marsland predominantly advises on transactional matters, she does also advise on IP disputes.

CC's IP practice came under pressure last year after the firm lost out to Lovells for Mars' high-profile trademark work.

Mars was once of CC's largest IP clients, but opted to instruct Lovells instead amid CC's IP restructuring.