A group of nine partners are set to leave DLA Phillips Fox ahead of the Australian firm's full merger with 'best friend' firm DLA Piper.

DLA Piper has confirmed that nine Brisbane-based partners are leaving the Australian alliance firm, with the group understood to be joining domestic firm Thomsons Lawyers.

The departing partners include four from DLA Phillips Fox's corporate department (Philip Byrnes, James Daniel, Philip Dowling and Eugene Fung), three from real estate (Ron Eames, Michael Marshall and Chris O'Shea), one in finance and projects (Andrew Kelly) and one in intellectual property and technology (Tony Conaghan).

DLA Piper joint chief executive and managing partner Nigel Knowles told Legal Week: "I'm assuming that this small number of partners would prefer to be part of a smaller domestic firm and have decided to use this opportunity to rebase themselves. We wish them the best of luck for the future."

The firm has also issued a statement, saying: "DLA Piper can confirm that nine Brisbane partners at DLA Phillips Fox have disclosed that they will not join the integrated firm, and will leave before the integration completes on 1 May 2011. We believe they will be joining Thomsons Lawyers, a domestic firm in Australia with 350 people based in three offices."

"The overwhelming majority of partners at DLA Piper and DLA Phillips Fox are fully supportive of the integration between DLA Piper and DLA Phillips Fox but these nine partners believe that joining a global law firm is not the right decision for them as individuals."

Partners at DLA Piper and DLA Phillips Fox voted in favour of a merger in February, with both firms now set to fully financially integrate on 1 May this year. Following the integration, the best friend firm will become part of DLA Piper's international limited liability partnership.

The two firms have had an exclusive referral relationship since 2006, but decided to take the relationship to the next stage as part of a global strategy to strengthen the firm's presence in G20 economies.