Troubled US tech specialist Brobeck Phleger & Harrison is this month facing fresh doubts over its stability after Dewey Ballantine secured an 11-partner team from the firm’s core IP practice.

The move is a massive boost for the New York-based Deweys’ national IP practice. The team, which includes head of IP Jim Elacqua, is expected to include a number of Brobecks associates, with current estimates that Deweys could hire more than 30 additional lawyers.