The message from Herbert Smith Freehills boss Mark Rigotti to the 10 partners in his firm who have jumped ship to rival firm, White & Case? Settle in, because ain't no one getting an early mark to go nowhere.

Back on the front foot after headlines this week that his firm was hemorrhaging high-end legal expertise with the defection of 10 of its partners, Rigotti told Rear Window that while it was disappointing to lose good people (especially when $30 million is the size of the practice they look after), the firm still had 482 other partners, a loyal client base that seemed unruffled by the exodus and, rather fortuitously for him, some pretty handy notice periods written in to most partners' employment contracts.

"The longest [notice period] I have heard of in a law firm is seven years, that was a firm in Hong Kong," he said. "And the shortest I have ever heard of is one month. Let's just say ours is somewhere in between."

Herbert Smith Freehills CEO Mark Rigotti, CEO is ready for whatever White & Case thinks it can throw at him. Arsineh Houspian

Being remarkably sporting about the staff loss to an emerging competitor (US firm White & Case has announced its intention to open up shop here in Oz), Rigotti said he was untroubled by the spectre of more competition, that it would take the new kid on the block a while to set themselves up locally and, at the end of the day, no-one (including, magnanimously enough, himself) was indispensable.

Let the games begin ...