Top UK firm Clifford Chance (CC) has thwarted a multi-million dollar raid by US rival Weil Gotshal & Manges for its two top London-based private equity stars, James Baird and Matthew Layton.

Legal Week understands that the pair – who were offered more than $2m (£1.1m) each to join the US firm’s London office and had informed clients that they were leaving – were persuaded to stay after CC agreed to shake up its private equity department.