US firm White & Case is looking for a new head of its metals and mining group after losing both co-heads of the group in the last few weeks.

The remaining co-head of the practice, Tanneke Heersche, has left the firm's Johannesburg office to move to the local branch of Canadian firm Fasken Martineau.

Heersche has worked on transactions including Gold Fields' acquisition of Bolivar Gold and its interest in South Deep, one of the world's deepest gold mines.

Her departure followed that of Glen Ireland, the other co-head of the practice, who left White & Case at the start of February as one of 13 partners to join Latham & Watkins around the world.

Heersche told Legal Week: "Fasken is a great platform for my area of work and they have achieved great African coverage in terms of location and language coverage."

Other White & Case partners operating in the mining and metals group include Steve Raney (Johannesburg) and London partners Philip Stopford, Mark Castillo-Bernaus, Evgenia Laurson, Allan Taylor and Peter Finlay.

White & Case said in a statement: "We have yet to formally announce who will take over the role; however, we have a wealth of partners with considerable experience in mining and metals matters."