When in May, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison’s deputy London head Ramy J. Wahbeh, and partner Kaisa Kuusk left the firm for Sidley Austin, there was much speculation around the future of the firm’s relatively small London office, so rare are exits.

To further compound things, by early August Kirkland & Ellis, of all firms, hired away Paul Weiss’ London head Alvaro Membrillera. It left the London office with just three partners.