The future of Clifford Chance's IP practice in Germany is in jeopardy after two senior lawyers decided to leave the firm, with a third one still in final negotiations on his future.

Thomas Reimann, one of the firm's most respected patent lawyers, will leave the Düsseldorf office, together with his associate Klaus Haft. Christian Osterrieth, the firm's second German IP pillar, may follow soon, but his departure has not been confirmed.

Though a final exit date for Reimann and Haft has not yet been set, Reimann said they will leave sometime this year and open a new IP boutique in Düsseldorf.

The reasons for his and Haft's departures are personal, he said. He declined to comment on the future of Clifford Chance's German IP practice, especially given the possibility of another big loss in the person of Osterrieth.

Osterrieth told MIP Week last week that a decision on his position has not yet been made. His exit would leave Clifford Chance in Germany with two IP partners, Thorsten Vormann and Jürgen Kicker, and one counsel – Claudia Milbradt – in Frankfurt.

Reimann has worked as a partner since 1974 when he was at Clifford Chance predecessor firm Axster & Partners. Osterrieth has been a partner since 1989. Both lawyers count among the most respected patent specialists in Germany with Haft having built a reputation as a promising new talent in Clifford Chance's patent practice.

The loss of two, and possibly three, highly regarded IP lawyers will hit the firm hard, especially as it has already lost Joachim Feldges, managing partner of its Munich office, in April. After more than two years in the post Feldges decided to leave, for personal reasons, and set up his own IP boutique on May 1.

The London office has also suffered departures, with former head of IP David Perkins moving to Milbank Tweed last year, and head of trade mark prosecution Jeffrey Parker leaving to set up his own firm.

In December 2003, the firm's US practice lost its IP head Leora Ben-Ami, who went with partners Patricia Carson and Thomas Fleming to Kaye Scholer. In the same month, partner Eric Lobenfeld moved to Hogan & Hartson, followed in January by eight more Clifford Chance lawyers, including patent litigator Jonathan Sobel.

Fabian von Schlabrendorff, head of Clifford Chance's litigation and dispute resolution practice in Germany, denied that the latest departures signalled the end of the firm's IP practice: "IP has traditionally been an important practice area for us and will remain so."

The immediate plan is to fill the gaps with new hires and internal promotions. "In particular we are hoping to boost our biotechnology and pharmaceutical practice, which has suffered from the loss of Joachim Feldges," said Schlabrendorff. Other areas that the firm will focus on include its media and IT as well as the engineering and automotive practices.

"We will mainly focus on hiring new people for our Düsseldorf and Frankfurt offices where an IP presence is essential. In the short to medium term we hope to have new partners in each office," he said.

The reasons behind the departures of the Munich and Düsseldorf partners are unrelated, explained Schlabrendorff: "Their departures are down to different personal reasons. What is clear is that they are all highly specialized IP partners who prefer the flexibility of a small boutique to the benefits of a larger platform."

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