Six partners are in the process of leaving Ince & Co as part of a restructuring of the firm's partnership.

Three partners have already left the firm and a further three will leave in due course.

It is understood that the six partners departing are in the firm's shipping, insurance, aviation and energy practices.

A spokesperson said the partnership had "unanimously" voted through the restructure that resulted in the departure of the six partners.

He said: "No other fee earners will be affected by this restructure and we have recently announced the appointment of four new partners."

The firm has also made 10 of its secretarial team redundant, though it has also created six new roles in its support team.

The spokesperson said the secretarial changes formed part of an ongoing business services change programme and would "improve the service delivered to partners, other fee earners and ultimately our clients".

The departures of the partners and support staff come after the firm slashed 16 roles last spring. In that round of redundancies the firm cut 10 fee earners across its insurance and shipping practices as well as six business services jobs, which comprised a mix of secretarial and support staff.

At the time Ince said that the consultation was a result of an assessment of economic conditions in the firm's core sectors and a review of its resourcing requirements.

Last week the firm announced that it had made up three lawyers to partner as part of its promotions round for 2015 and that it had hired Bird & Bird Middle East aviation practice leader Anna Anatolitou to a partner position in London.