Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer executive partner Michael Lacovara is set to join Latham & Watkins in New York only six months into his term on the UK firm's four-person management team.

Lacovara, who took up a five-year post as Freshfields' executive partner in January this year, will join Latham as a partner in the firm's litigation and trial department.

Latham chair and managing partner Bill Voge said:

"Michael is one of a small cadre of trial lawyers in New York who combines the qualities our clients value most. He is very smart, highly experienced, a fierce advocate and exactly the kind of lawyer you would want leading your trial team."

His exit, a rare example of a partner with leadership responsibilities quitting directly for a rival, will be seen as a blow to the magic circle firm as it attempts to ramp up its presence in the competitive New York market.

He joined Freshfields in late 2012 and has since worked in both New York and London, specialising in commercial litigation and antitrust cases, with a particular focus on the financial services and technology sectors.

Before joining Freshfields he held a number of roles outside the legal industry including director of US consulting business Analysis Group, president and co-founder of broker Cortview Capital Holdings and chief executive of holding company Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group.

Before that, he spent seven years at Sullivan & Cromwell and was one of four Sullivan partners chosen in 2000 to establish that firm's office in Palo Alto, California.

Since January, Lacovara has been responsible for managing the operational side at Freshfields, including the firm's global business services functions and driving the enhancement of its client-service delivery.

Part of his remit has included planning Freshfields' new Vancouver service centre, which is due to open by the end of 2016. The new centre will work alongside Freshfields' existing base in Manchester, which is set to grow to up to 700 staff.

Lacovara was appointed to Freshfields' leadership committee alongside Ed Braham as senior partner and Chris Pugh and Stephan Eilers as co-managing partners.

The quartet replaced Will Lawes as senior partner, Eilers as executive partner and David Aitman as interim managing partner.

It is understood that Lacovara is not going to be replaced in his role, with his work to be redistributed among the management team.

Commenting on his exit, Pugh said:

"We thank Michael for his contribution to the firm."

It remains rare for partners in leadership positions to move directly to rival firms.

There have, however, been a handful of examples of former law firm leaders joining rival firms including former Ashurst senior partner Charlie Geffen joining Gibson Dunn in London in 2014, while in 2011, DLA Piper hired former Linklaters managing partner Tony Angel as co-global chairman and senior partner of its business outside of the US.

Freshfields itself hired former Fried Frank senior partner Valerie Ford Jacob for its New York office in 2014 as part of a three partner capital markets team from the US firm.