LeBoeuf London gains from latest Dewey losses

Dewey Ballantine's London office has become the latest victim of its failed merger with Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, with two capital markets partners defecting to a US rival.

Camille Abousleiman, who previously headed up the firm's City capital markets offering, and Louise Roman Bernstein have both quit Dewey to join the London arm of LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae.

The duo are the latest in a string of senior departures from the New York outfit and follow the collapse of its merger talks with West Coast giant Orrick at the beginning of this month.

Dewey has now seen more than a dozen partners head for the exits in recent months, including New York restructuring head Alan Gover and global energy chief Earle O'Donnell, who both quit for White & Case at the end of last year.

The move brings the number of partners at Leboeuf's City arm to 33, with a trio of partners arriving from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer last summer.

LeBoeuf chairman Steven Davis said in a statement: "We are delighted that Camille and Louise have chosen to join our London office. Their expertise in emerging markets such as the Middle East and the CIS is a great fit with the firm's existing capabilities and our international strategy."