Ashurst has been rocked by the news that top-rated banking partner Jonathan Nabarro is quitting the firm’s Paris branch. Nabarro, one of France’s leading acquisition finance specialists, is leaving the top 20 UK firm’s Paris office after eight years with the firm.

His headline instructions in Paris included advising on Europe’s largest leveraged buy-out, the e3.7bn (£2.52bn) acquisition of Legrand from Schneider in 2002.