Latham & Watkins' Italian arm has seen a six lawyer defection to Italian domestic Gattai Minoli & Partners.

Leading the move are corporate finance partners Riccardo Agostinelli (an IFLR1000 Leading Lawyer) and Lorenzo Vernetti and the team also includes counsel Marco Leonardi and associates Andrea Taurozzi, Daniele Migliarucci and Marta Pradella.

The move will also see the Italian firm change its name to Gattai Minoli Agostinelli & Partners. It now has 15 partners and 48 lawyers in total.

Formed in 2012 by former Dewey and LeBouef partners Bruno Gattai and Luca Minoli, the firm has expanded its practice and now offers corporate, finance and litigation work.

The departures leaves Latham with 19 partners in its Milan office.