Simmons & Simmons is to close down its Padua office as a 15-lawyer team defects to Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners.

Corporate partners Paolo Brugnera and Marco Malipiero and litigation and insolvency partner Paolo Gnignati are set to join Gianni along with a team of 12 associates. Their start date at the Italian firm is as yet undecided.

Brugnera and Gnignati have been partners at Simmons since 2002, while Malipiero joined the UK firm in 2004 and made partner last year.