Mr Kirchner includes Siemens and various private equity houses among his clients. Last night he was still listed as a partner on the Latham & Watkins website. His move is yet another example of the instability within the partner ranks of German law firms. Latham & Watkins has won and lost other partners in recent months, as two Clifford Chance partners joined the practice in February and another left for Weil Gotshal & Manges in June. 

German media background

The Latham website says of Mr Kirchner: 'Before joining Latham & Watkins, he was practicing at a German media company and at law firms in Germany and Washington, D.C. At Latham, he advises clients on private equity and M&A matters, handling both cross-border and national transactions, including LBOs, minority investments, joint ventures and carve-outs.' Sources: The Lawyer and Latham & Watkins