Simmons & Simmons has called off its annual partner conference in Monaco amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus.

The firm's two-day conference was set to start tomorrow (March 5), according to an app created especially for the conference and released on the Apple App Store. However, it has now been cancelled as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase in Europe, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The news follows a similar move by Magic Circle firm Linklaters, which cancelled its partner conference that was set to take place in Berlin at the end of April and will now take place electronically. 

U.S. firm Latham & Watkins also called off its global partner meeting, which was scheduled to take place in New York this week.

Last week, an employee in the London office of Baker McKenzie reported feeling unwell after recently returning from Italy, which led the firm to closed its London office for a day.

Monaco sits near the Italian border with France. Several cases of coronavirus have been reported in cities and towns in Northern Italy in the last few weeks, with a large number of international law firms with Milan offices adopting special measures to combat the spread of the virus.

A spokesperson for Simmons said in a statement: "In response to the ongoing outbreak of Coronavirus across parts of Europe and Asia, Simmons & Simmons has regretfully decided to postpone its partner conference until a later date. The firm believes that this decision will safeguard the health of employees across its international network."