Sidley Austin Brown & Wood’s take-out of the majority of Denton Wilde Sapte’s property finance practice in the summer has left the market braced for a plethora of similar partner moves in the coming months.

The hires, which saw Sidleys land high profile partners Debbie Carslaw and Mark Menhennet, concluded an 18-month search by the US firm for a top-tier property finance capability to complement its London securitisation offering.