All five partners in Mishcon de Reya’s highly rated fraud defence and business disputes group are to leave ahead of the top 40 UK firm’s planned listing on the London Stock Exchange, along with three other disputes partners, it has emerged.

Mishcons confirmed the departures of Claire Broadbelt, Kathryn Garbett, Annabel Thomas, Hannah Blom-Cooper and Martin Shobbrook today. Also leaving the firm are Jo Rickards, head of the white collar crime and investigations group, competition partner Rob Murray and private client partner Madalina Dumitrescu.

The destinations of the partners is yet to be revealed. They join Karel Daele, Mishcon de Reya’s head of international arbitration, in quitting the firm before its flotation, GLP having revealed last month that Daele is moving across to Taylor Wessing.

James Lisbon, Mishcons’ managing partner, said: “We are sad that these partners, who have given so much to the firm, have decided to leave. We are extremely grateful for the contribution they have made, the constructive way that they have come to their decision and the manner in which they are leaving.” 

The fraud defence and business disputes team is headed by Broadbelt, who joined the firm in 2004 from London white collar crime specialists Peters & Peters along with Garbett, who heads up the fraud defence group.

Last year, Broadbelt became a founding board member of the London Chamber of Arbitration and Mediation, which uses blockchain technology to provide a confidential and secure process. Garbett’s recent cases, meanwhile, include acting for the first defendant in Public Institution for Social Security of Kuwait v Man Group & Ors.

The plans for Mishcon’s IPO gained traction in April when the City firm brought in JP Morgan to advise on the possible listing, which at the time it said could take place ‘as early as the fourth quarter of 2021. Last month, at least three quarters of the partners gave the green light to the flotation, which has been valued at £750m. The figure would make it easily the most valuable listed UK law firm. 

Although still a rare move, IPOs are gaining traction among UK law firms. Sheffield-based full service firm Irwin Mitchell is also believed to be gearing up for a stock market float at a hoped-for valuation of £500m.