13 June 2011
The Lawyer
BLP scraps special deals for one-size-fits-all pay culture
Shift away from guaranteed deals for high-profile lateral hires
Brick Court QC seals Ryanair victory in Gatwick ground charges face-off
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has ruled that Gatwick Airport’s baggage handling and check-in charges are unfair, forcing it to revise the fees.
Bureaucracy-busters offer all-round value
Competition teams are vital to companies of all types, as The Lawyer Awards 2011 shortlist shows, says Joshua Freedman
City quartet guides brand-led TUI Travel pensions revamp
Herbert Smith, CMS Cameron McKenna, Linklaters and Stephenson Harwood all landed roles on TUI Travel’s cost-cutting pension schemes revamp.
Clifford Chance loses four-partner funds team to Weil Gotshal
Weil Gotshal & Manges has raided magic circle firm Clifford Chance for a four-partner funds team.
Cultural resolution
Understanding local customs is crucial to the success of cross-border e-disclosure exercises, say Alex Dunstan-Lee and Kathy Taylor
DLA Piper and BLP act on final White Tower sale
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and DLA Piper landed roles on the sale of the last property in the White Tower portfolio, Aviva Tower, to an unnamed purchaser for £288m.
Exchange Chambers pioneers litigation funding
Northern set Exchange Chambers has become the first barristers’ chambers to move into the litigation funding market through a tie-up with legal insurance broker Maxima - with both clerks and barristers expected to encourage take-up among clients.
Farrers becomes latest UK firm to target Zurich
Farrer & Co has become the third UK firm this year to establish a presence in Zurich, as private client practices seek to take advantage of the city’s growing strength in the area.
Firestone boss runs Moscow practice from London as partner death probed
The managing partner of a US law firm in Russia is being forced to run his firm from London after continuing to speak out against the authorities he believes are responsible for his former partner’s death.
Freshfields freshens up Asia operations
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is shaking up its Asia management team, as the former US managing partner relocates to Hong Kong to add firepower to the capital markets practice.
Harbottle family chief ups sticks to niche firm
Harbottle & Lewis family head Tom Amlot has left the firm to join niche family boutique Alexiou Fisher Philipps (AFP) as its sixth partner.
Herd about the country solicitor…
As a trainee at Lincoln’s Inn firm Wedlake Bell, Nigel Davis acquired a taste for open, green spaces. But there was one thing lacking from nearby Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Gray’s Inn Gardens - sheep.
Hit the tech
The prevalence of electronic documents means those involved in the disclosure process need to employ the latest technological techniques, says Phil Beckett
Lex Caribbean
Lex Caribbean was launched in 1997 in Barbados, but it is only since 1 July 2000, when the firm merged with Trinidad and Tobago’s De Nobriga Inniss & Co, that it really hit its stride.
Lex Caribbean
Lex Caribbean was launched in 1997 in Barbados, but it is only since 1 July 2000, when the firm merged with Trinidad and Tobago’s De Nobriga Inniss & Co, that it really hit its stride.
Links hauls in 21 associates in Oz recruitment spree
In one of the biggest recruitment coups of recent times Linklaters has hired 21 associates from Australia and New Zealand, just two years after it cut more than 200 jobs in London.
NCH’s £18k-a-year private law degree sparks new battle of the law schools
College of Law (CoL) chief executive Nigel Savage has hit out at the UK’s newest private university, which plans to offer a law degree costing £18,000 per year.
On the move
Liverpool-headquarted insurance specialist Silverbeck Rymer has boosted its team with the appointment of Robert Fielding as its first-ever managing director.
Qatar sovereign developer bulks up, set for panel rejig
Middle East sovereign property developer Qatari Diar has added two senior lawyers to its Doha-based legal team and is also preparing to launch a panel review.
Reed Smith has its eye on Shanghai
Reed Smith is set to give its international practice a boost by opening a Shanghai office, as the firm eyes further opportunities in Europe and other parts of Asia.
Role with IT
The job of Jonathan Smith, GC of Fujitsu UK&I, has grown in line with the massive structural changes at the IT giant, says Matt Byrne
Rules and exceptions
The financial reporting season usually reveals a few surprises, but new levels of boggling were reached a fortnight ago when Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) announced its results.
Shoesmith won’t stop companies taking quick action
Employers could be forgiven for being confused by press coverage of the Court of Appeal’s (CoA) decision on the claim by Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of children’s services at Haringey Council.
Skadden banking counsel set for September switch to BLP
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has given its growing banking and capital markets team a lift with a hire from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.
The battle over German LLPs - Kultur Klub
A coalition of German professional bodies and firms is mounting a spirited fightback against the march of the Anglo-Saxon LLP. The battle has barely begun
Trying times
The Balkan economic climate continues to be stormy, but the arrest of Ratko Mladic and Serbia’s modernisation drive as it bids for EU membership are signs of better days to come. Joanne Harris reports
Tulkinghorn: There's a plaice for us...
There always seemed to be something fishy about SJ Berwin’s managing partner election last autumn, and now Tulkinghorn can reveal what it was.
Work Life Quiz: James Maxey, Express Solicitors
What was your first-ever job? Summer work organising a nature learning centre.
