A 22-strong group of partners from Bingham McCutchen – comprising the bulk of the firm's London and Frankfurt offices, and two partners from Bingham's Hong Kong base – are to join Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

The move, which was announced by Akin Gump earlier today (17 September), is set to come into effect "over the coming weeks", and is also likely to include additional junior lawyers from the offices. The addition of the Bingham lawyers in Frankfurt effectively launches a German practice for Akin.

Earlier this month, Legal Week revealed that Bingham was in merger talks with Morgan Lewis & Bockius which the London office was opposed to, with the practice looking to split should the tie-up go ahead.