A Massachusetts judge Wednesday dismissed much of a legal recruiting firm’s suit against Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer that alleged the firm cut it out of a placement fee for partner Ethan Klingsberg’s move.

In dismissing four of the five counts against Freshfields, U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns of the District of Massachusetts faulted the lack of a written agreement between Freshfields and the plaintiff, Boston Executive Search Associates, known as ESA. The surviving claim was distinguishable from the others, the judge said.