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Fielder, the group media director, and McClean, the finance director,

are thought to be negotiating with lawyers over the terms of their

departure. It is not known whether they will take other jobs in

advertising.

Both are major shareholders in the agency; according to data at

Companies House, Fielder owns a 16 per cent stake and McLean owns a 9 per cent stake.

Fielder and McClean were part of the original management team that

bought Leagas Delaney back from the parent company, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, in 1998. This team also included the former chairman, Bruce Haines, the planning director, Margaret Tully, and the chief executive and creative director, Tim Delaney.

Both Fielder and McClean have worked at Leagas Delaney for much of its

22-year history. Fielder spent eight years as the chairman before Haines

took the role in 2000. He became group media director, handling the

agency's US and European media tasks, in 1998.

Their departures would come barely a month after the resignation of

Haines, who left before Christmas amid reports of a deteriorating

relationship with Delaney. Delaney said at the time that a new chairman,

if one was hired, would come from outside the agency.

Fielder denied he was leaving: "I'm sitting here doing a media plan, and

have no plans to leave." McClean also denied a departure was imminent.