Ashurst Abu Dhabi managing partner Alastair Holland has exited the firm for US firm Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle

Holland was made up to partner at Ashurst in 2011 and was promoted to the role of Abu Dhabi managing partner just months later after energy partner David Wadham moved back to London.

He first joined Ashurst as an associate in 1999, subsequently working in London, Frankfurt and Dubai.

Corporate lawyer Holland will become a partner in Curtis Mallet-Prevost’s Dubai office, working on M&A and joint venture transactions in both the Middle East and North Africa.

Ashurst has two offices in the Middle East, as well as an associated office in Jeddah.

One partner is based permanently in Abu Dhabi, while Middle East head Joss Dare and dispute resolution head Dyfan Owen split their time between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Holland’s departure comes as Ashurst has witnessed a wave of departures in both London and Asia.

Finance partners Michael Smith, Diala Minott and Cameron Saylor are the latest to leave the firm, joining Paul Hastings in London earlier this month.

Other recent departures include: restructuring partner Simon Baskerville and financial regulatory partners Rob Moulton and Nicola Higgs for Latham & Watkins; litigation partner Mark Clarke and corporate partner Jonathan Parry for White & Case and financial regulatory partner James Perry for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.

In Asia, Ashurst restructuring partner Bertie Mehigan is leaving the firm’s Hong Kong office with a team of three lawyers to join independent firm Howse Williams Bowers (HWB), while finance partner Doo-Soon Choi joined Mayer Brown’s Hong Kong office.