Law firms circling the troubled US West Coast giant Brobeck Phleger & Harrison are predicting another rash of partner defections as the date beyond which departing partners can claim their full annual pay looms nearer.

Brobecks’ D-Day date is 1 December – the time when partners wanting to leave the firm traditionally hand in their 30-day notice, bringing their departure to beyond 31 December, when partners receive their annual remuneration.