Withers’ bid to form a global private client powerhouse has received a knock with the decision of two senior partners to jump ship to form their own firm.

High-profile divorce law specialist James Harcus and tax and trusts partner Keith Bruce Smith are due to leave the firm in January, days after the firm’s official merger with New York firm Bergman Horowitz & Reynolds. The pair are likely to be accompanied by a team of Withers assistants.