Clifford Chance, the international law firm, will sever ties with five of its Italian partners, after several months of wrangling.

In 2000 Clifford Chance and Grimaldi e Associati, an Italian firm founded by Vittorio Grimaldi, sealed their fate by merging, seven years after forming a venture, Grimaldi e Clifford Chance. However, there has been mounting speculation over the past few months that the relationship was souring.