Ashurst has appointed London securities and derivatives partner Stephen Edlmann, who relocated to Italy last year, as managing partner of its Italian offices as it emerges the current managing partner is moving to DLA Piper.

In October, DLA Piper hired a team of nine lawyers from Ashurst in Italy.

On Monday Italian legal publication legalcommunity reported that current Italy manaing partner Domenico Gullo, who Edlmann has replaced, is planning a move to DLA Piper which would see him reunite with his former colleagues.

The team that moved in October was spread across Rome and Milan and included one  partner and eight lawyers, with all nine joining the restructuring and litigation practices.

Prior to DLA Piper rebuilding with the Ashurst team, Dentons raided DLA to launch its first Italian arm with an office in Milan.

Edlmann, who was previously a partner at Linklaters for 24 years, told Legal Week: "It's clear that the Italian market has changed over the last 12 months from a position where people were relatively static to one of greater movement.

"Many firms are looking to expand and take a bigger share of the market and many individuals are looking for different opportunities. Once one domino starts to fall that causes other movements in the market."

He added that Ashurst has "no plans to grow for growths sake" but that the logical areas for the firm to boost its Italian capabilities in are infrastructure, energy, banking and M&A.