A 25-strong team has exited Memery Crystal to join Fladgate as the London boutique continues to splinter against the background of its parent company, RBG Holdings, preparing to enter administration. 

The group includes nine partners, four of whom led or co-led practices at Memery Crystal, alongside 15 senior associates, associates, paralegals and administrative staff and a trainee solicitor. 

The move follows the announcement by RBG on 31 January of its intention to appoint administrators. That came on the same day that 40 lawyers, trainees and support staff decamped from RGB-owned Rosenblatt Solicitors to join the newly established vehicle Rosenblatt Law Ltd, which was set up by Rosenblatt’s founder, prominent London disputes lawyer Ian Rosenblatt.

Fladgate’s managing partner, Grant Gordon, said the hires followed “a challenging and uncertain time for Memery Crystal and its people. We are pleased that we have been able to provide some job security at this difficult time for them”.

He added that the hires brought “extensive knowledge and experience in the world of private capital and disputes, further demonstrating the importance of this client base to our firm”.

The partners moving over include Richard Evans, who had been head of the real estate litigation team at Memery Crystal, former joint head of real estate, Nicola Kravitz, and Matthew Lindsay and Rumit Nanji, who had led the firm’s banking and finance practice. 

The other partners moving over include corporate duo Andrew Titmas and Lucie Burniston, real estate litigation specialists Liam Bell and Kelly Seal, and real estate lawyer Tristan Wark. 

Fladgate said the group brought clients from the private capital arena spanning companies in the private equity and venture capital space, real estate investors and developers, private finance, funds and family offices. 

“The swift move to Fladgate will allow them to maintain continuity of service and support for these clients from day one,” the firm added. 

The Fladgate hires follow a Memery Crystal real estate team comprising five directors joining London firm Lawrence Stephens last month, while Keystone Law is set to absorb the firm’s commercial, IP and technology team, led by Carl Rohsler. 

The impending demise of RBG has come against the background of a falling share price, financial instability and strategic missteps that prompted it to offload its litigation funding arm LionFish in 2023. 

The group originally hit the headlines in 2018 when it became the vehicle for the listing of Rosenblatt Solicitors – one of the first law firms to float. RBG went on to buy Memery Crystal in 2021 for £30m, although both London boutiques maintained their trading names.

Memery Crystal did not respond to a request for comment on the moves. The exits will leave the firm with around 20 partners, according to its website.