2 January 2012
The Lawyer
Admiral mulls ABS after referral fees ban
FTSE100 insurer Admiral is considering a move into the legal sector following the ban on personal injury referral fees implemented by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last year.
Analysis: OFT slated over tobacco fines
After a series of failed appeals, the role of the competition regulator needs redefining
Cads’ new City boss to lead hiring spree
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft is to kick off the New Year with a fresh recruitment drive in the London market, spearheaded by a new City managing partner.
Case of the week: Contracts
City analysis: Freshfields and Linklaters take turns on Goldman’s top deals
The magic circle duo dominate the list of Goldman Sachs’ ECM advisers - and when they’re not acting for the banks they’re likely to be found on the issuer side instead.
Cooley opens first non-US outpost in Shanghai
Silicon Valley-based firm Cooley has launched an office in Shanghai, marking the firm’s first move into an international jurisdiction.
Domestic bliss?
Local firms rule in Romania, but that may change if the economy takes an upturn. By Dale McEwan
Enter Story Headline
Faulty powers
Fighting online piracy has been a hot issue for several years. Do we need a new Copyright Act? Four leading in-house lawyers have their say
Feature: Herbies’ growing pains
Herbert Smith’s conservatism stops here, with the firm embracing Allen Hanen’s strategy to catch up to the magic circle on both profitability and international spread
Gleiss in government negligence case
Advice for a previous German federal state government comes back to haunt Gleiss
Grimaldi hits the rocks, lawyers’ fates unknown
Italian independent Grimaldi e Associati dissolved at the end of 2011, with the fate of its 60 lawyers and 40 staff unknown at the time of going to press.
Job Watch: Employment
With so many businesses grappling with retirement, unfair dismissal, discrimination and immigration issues, employment lawyers have never been busier. But what are their career prospects?
Judgment call: Our new Pages
Welcome to The Lawyer’s new-look litigation pages. Responding to increased demand for broader litigation coverage, each week The Lawyer will be publishing a selection of leading cases in which judgment has been handed down. This comes in addition to the regular litigation news and analytical coverage online and in print.
Move On Up: Weightmans
Laterals are favoured over internal promotions, especially in London and Manchester. And women are in luck - unless they’re aiming for equity
Moves
Tax investigations lawyer Maurice Martin has joined Withers’ London office as a partner. He comes from Irwin Mitchell, where he was also a partner and headed the business and personal tax investigations team.
Mubarak adviser’s timely UK retreat
Link with former Egyptian president prevents Bakers’ Cairo head from going home
Number crunching: Numis Securities
Mid-market equity capital markets brokers tend to spread their mandates quite evenly, so it is hardly surprising that no single firm stands out on inspection of City investment bank Numis Securities’ recent deal list.
Opinion: All present and correct
Political lobbying laws are on the horizon
Opinion: Life and hard times
There’s no quick fix for the New Year economic hangover
Opinion: New Year career resolutions
Is it time to assess all your post-partner Christmas futures?
Opinion: Small firms can walk tall
Smaller independent firms can offer good career prospects and better value for money for clients
Opportunist knocks SJ Berwin
Reed Smith’s corporate hires signal renewed City push
Salans adds muscle to Paris insolvency team
Salans has continued its growth in Paris by bolting on restructuring boutique Sonier & Associés.
Security guard: David Taylor, Pension Protection Fund
Pension Protection Fund director of legal services David Taylor is braced for a slump-fuelled boom in work for his organisation
SNR Denton shake-up sees nine quit Paris
Three partners and six associates are set to leave SNR Denton’s Paris office as the firm pushes forward with its interim strategic review.
The Lawyer Management: Allen & Overy
My job title is finance and operations director. I was chief information officer, then finance and IT director, so my responsibilities are for finance, business and IT, but we thought that was too long for a job title.
Top 20 cases 2012
For the past three years the courts have been bristling with recession-related claims. As every year passes, however, the disputes become more complex, the sums get bigger and the legal teams involved swell.
Tulkinghorn: Why are Pinsents lawyers portly?
Tulkinghorn offers his most sincere congratulations - which he usually reserves for when his most influential friends announce news of their firstborn, or when one of his scribes manages to make it into the office in the morning without reeking of gin and self-loathing - to Pinsent Masons chef Matt Petit, who made it through to the semi-finals of MasterChef: The Professionals in December 2011.
US firms lead march on South Korea
Trade agreements with the EU and US prompt Western firms to look at Seoul
We’ve got the look
Don’t worry - this is still The Lawyer. Let me give you a whistle-stop tour.
Work Life Quiz: Isabel Hudson, Carter-Ruck
