Clifford Chance (CC) has lost its Americas head of litigation and dispute resolution, with Juan Morillo joining Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in Washington DC.

The departure will be seen as a blow to the magic circle law firm, which heavily restructured its US litigation practice two years ago.

Morillo, who had been a partner at CC since joining from Sidley Austin in 2007, became head of CC's US litigation practice in 2009, when the firm lost global practice head Mark Kirsch. Kirsch's departure followed a string of partner exits and associate layoffs.