Last week’s departure of a further three partners from DLA Piper’s Asia Pacific office sums up what has been a difficult 18 months for the firm.

The trio – which included one 15-year veteran and another partner whose tenure lasted just 12 months – bring the total number of departures this year to seven, according to Legal Week‘s count, added to the round dozen who left the UK outfit in 2013. Of these, three were Singapore office managing partners and one was the firm’s head of corporate for the region.