Law firm HBJ Gateley Wareing in Birmingham has expelled two of its leading lawyers.
However, the pair in question, Andrew Jones and Alistair Young, both partners in the construction department, said they had handed in their resignation notices a month before the expulsion decision.
Both have now moved to SNR Denton in London.
It is understood the expulsion was triggered in a bid to stop other employees leaving the department in the wake of their resignation.
An HBJ spokesman said they had “breached the terms of the partnership”.
In a separate development, HBJ is facing legal claims from former staff at Halliwells, the collapsed Manchester law firm it bought part of last year.
A statement from HBJ read: “On February 8 the partners of HBJ Gateley Wareing resolved to expel Andrew Jones and Alastair Young from the partnership. Both Andrew and Alastair were partners in the firm’s construction unit based in Birmingham.
“Peter Davies continues to head up the firm’s real estate department and David Lloyd Jones heads up our construction team within that department which comprises of eight partners and another 20 fee-earners mainly in our Birmingham and Manchester offices.
“The team also has a significant presence in our other office locations.”
But Mr Jones and Mr Young responded by saying they resigned a month before they were expelled.
“On the January 6, 2011, Andrew Jones and Alastair Young gave notice resigning from HBJ Gateley Wareing Partnership,” they said.
