Corporate partners across the legal industry received a shock on Monday with the news of Travers Smith private equity head Paul Dolman’s planned move to U.S. behemoth Latham & Watkins.

Dolman, as a Travers lifer of 22 years, has been a stalwart of the firm’s successful private equity team and his exit marks yet another departure from a U.K.-centric firm to a U.S. giant in the London legal sphere.