Another Slaughter and May London partner is set to leave the firm, less than a week after the exit of a corporate partner emerged, two people with knowledge of the situation have told Law.com International's Legal Week.

Corporate restructuring and insolvency partner Richard de Carle is set to leave the Magic Circle heavyweight to join Ashurst, in a major coup for the firm, two people with knowledge of the hire told Legal Week.

Another person with knowledge of the situation said de Carle had been due to retire from the Slaughters partnership on 30 April.

De Carle joined Slaughters in 1984 and was promoted to partner in 1993. During his time at the elite outfit, he advised BHP Billiton on U.K. matters for the acquisition of its U.S. onshore petroleum assets by oil and gas giant BP for £8 billion in 2018, and also advised Iceland's banks on insolvency proceedings following the global financial crash ten years previously.

He is the second London corporate partner exit to emerge within a week after Law.com International revealed Susannah Macknay is set to join Australian firm Gilbert + Tobin.

Slaughters rarely sees partners leave and seldom adds lateral hires.

Last year disputes partner Mark Hughes quit the firm's Hong Kong office to join Eversheds Sutherland in a blue-moon departure for Slaughters.

In 2017 the firm made history with its second-ever lateral partner hire, with the addition of Herbert Smith Freehills pensions head Daniel Schaffer.

The hire was its first lateral recruit for London after it recruited Hong Kong corporate partner John Moore in 2014 from Morrison & Foerster.