New York IP boutique Darby & Darby has lost two partners to McDermott, Will & Emery. The departures of Joseph Robinson and Robert Shaffer were announced Wednesday. Robinson said the move would allow the pair to provide their clients with a full-service international practice. “I don’t think we could have that at Darby,” he said.
Robinson was one of Darby’s top revenue generators and counted pharmaceutical company Novozymes A/S as a client. A former partner described his departure as “a significant blow” to Darby. Robert Sullivan, president and managing partner at Darby, said in a statement the departures were not unexpected. The firm released a statement saying it did not expect a significant loss of revenue. In a memo leaked to gossip blog Above the Law and confirmed by the firm, Sullivan said Darby regretted their departures but had been “working on several strategic opportunities to grow the partnership ranks of the firm and enhance our revenue base.”
