4-5 Gray's Inn Square has confirmed that it will continue to exist as a set despite suffering a mass defection of more than two-thirds of its members in recent weeks.

The chambers will continue to operate with around 10 members, including at least three silks, with plans to re-build the set to between 20 and 25 members by the end of 2013.

The remaining silks include Timothy Straker QC, Richard Clayton QC and Robert Griffiths QC. It is currently unclear whether head of chambers Richard Spearman QC is remaining with the set.

The news comes after 4-5 Gray's Inn suffered a walk-out of 24 members including seven QCs to 39 Essex Street last month, following discussions understood to relate to a possible combination of the two chambers.

The defection came shortly after four silks: Paul Brown QC, Philip Coppel QC, Tim Corner QC and John Hobson QC all left for Landmark Chambers alongside a handful of barristers, while seven other members moved to 11 King's Bench Walk and two members joined Matrix Chambers.

Prior to the departures, 4-5 Gray's Inn had around 57 members.

Straker told Legal Week: "4-5 Gray's Inn will be continuing with all practice areas currently offered and we are in the process of finalising numbers going forwards.

"We do have plans to grow over the next year, but ultimately we have arrived at the view that a smaller number provides a very efficient model for a set of chambers without the problems of larger sets."

4-5 Gray's Inn focuses on commercial law, planning, public law, human rights and administrative law, with local government and election work expected to be a more central plank of the chambers following the departures.