Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is set to see at least eight partners leave for US rival Winston & Strawn, with the exits following the recent departure of New York partner Jeffrey Stern to Winston.

Eight partners have quit Pillsbury for Winston across New York, Washington DC and San Francisco, with the managing partner of the firm's Abu Dhabi office, Stephen Jurgenson, and London partner James Simpson also understood to be moving over. 

Both Jurgenson and Simpson moved to Pillsbury in 2012 from the now defunct Dewey & LeBoeuf in the midst of Dewey's wind down.

In Washington DC Winston has hired Chris Zochowski as co-chair of M&A and securities, while M&A and private equity partner James Kelly joins in New York alongside finance partners Peter Alfano and Anthony Schouten, corporate trust partner Bart Pisella and employee benefits and executive compensation partner Scott Landau.

Winston has also hired two investment management partners in San Francisco from Pillsbury: Jay Gould and Michael Wu. Gould will co-chair Winston's financial services and investment management practice.

Winston declined to confirm the departures of Jurgenson or Simpson, both of whom are still listed on Pillsbury's website.

In a statement on the other hires firmwide managing partner Tom Fitzgerald said: "We are placing an emphasis on strategically expanding our corporate practice in key markets including Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington DC."

In a statement Pillsbury said it had had "excellent partner retention in recent years" but that it was "a fact of life that partners come and go at all firms".

It added: "We are very sorry to see any partner leave us. We wish these partners nothing but the best in their new endeavour."

Stern joined Pillsbury in 2012 and headed up the firm's structured products team. Prior to joining he was a partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan for eight years.

Winston & Strawn has 18 offices after opening an office in Taiwan in April last year.