imagesTwenty three attorneys, including five partners, have jumped from the newly merged firm of 1,600-attorney Squire Patton Boggs, according to Legal Business.

Squire Patton Boggs is now represented in the Middle East by the practice which was affiliated to Patton Boggs before the merger, The Khalid Al-Thebity Law Firm.

The demerging Squire Sanders that left was recently appointed on some 13 privatization projects in Kuwait.

Tensions apparently began after the two Middle Eastern sides of the firm were integrated, following the June merger. The Patton Boggs chief, Khalid Al-Thebity, was then appointed managing partner in Riyadh over the Squire Sanders side.