Clifford Chance (CC) is relocating two high-profile corporate partners within its international network of offices.

City partner Guy Norman (pictured) is taking on a brief to develop the magic circle firm's Middle East corporate practice from October after the current head, Dubai-based partner Simon Clinton, moves to Singapore at the start of 2011.

Clinton, who has headed the Middle East corporate practice since relocating there from London in 2006, will continue to lead the firm's global sovereign wealth sector group from Singapore.

Norman had been pegged among the favorites to be named City corporate head, the role which was taken by Simon Tinkler earlier this month. However, it is understood that Norman instead wanted to focus on his client relationships.

He has led on a number of key recent CC M&A mandates including advising Kraft Foods on its £10.2bn Cadbury takeover and Babcock on its £1.1bn bid for VT Group.

The two partner relocations come amid a number of recent international transfers for CC, including those of corporate partner Nigel Wellings and finance partner Tim Plews to Dubai and Riyadh respectively, and litigation partner Nick Munday and corporate partner Nick Rees to Moscow.

Matthew Layton, who heads up CC's 160-partner global corporate group, said the moves had come in response to the growing importance of emerging markets in the global economy.

He said: "As a practice, it is essential that we focus our resources to reflect the evolving demands of the global market. This underlies our increasing emphasis on partner mobility."

"Dubai and Singapore continue to gain importance as economic hubs and that has created robust client demand in those regions for experienced partners with strong connections across international markets."

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