28 February 2011

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Focus: Pinsent Masons and Salans – Ever the twain?

If Pinsents’ and Salans’ relationship was ever intended as a courtship leading to merger, the lack of mutual attraction now makes a wedding unlikely Is the relationship between Pinsent Masons and Salans officially the legal world’s most underwhelming alliance? When it was established the tie-up looked to be a canny way of providing the UK-concentrated Pinsents with the […]

Paul Bugingo

SNR Denton’s Africa capability extends to 22 states with Portuguese alliance

SNR Denton has added 10 firms to its Africa ­network, bringing its total number of tie-ups on the continent to 21. Including its own Cairo office, the firm now has a toehold in 22 of Africa’s 54 countries. Five of the 10 new ­relationships have come via a new alliance between SNR Denton and Portuguese player F Castelo Branco & Associados Sociedade de […]

Greg Nitzkowski

Paul Hastings credits resurgent real estate for revenue hike

Paul Hastings has reported a 1.5 per cent increase in global revenue to $902m (£559m) for 2010, with managing partner Greg Nitzkowski citing real estate as a major driver behind the growth. Profit per partner was also up, by 6.1 per cent, from $1.88m to $1.99m, while revenue per lawyer (RPL) rose by 2 per […]

Trevor Soames

Howrey lawyers leave in droves with remainder kept in the dark

Latest flurry sees high-profile departures on both sides of the Pond. Another week, another raft of departures from beleaguered firm Howrey. While the firm’s US office has borne the brunt in recent weeks, last week there were more departures from its dwindling European network too. With a deadline for offers made by Chicago firm Winston […]

Antonio Suarez-Martinez
2

Opinion: Prevent confidential leaks as there may not be a cure

Following the media storm caused by the publication of thousands of US diplomatic cables, Wikileaks’ ’whistleblowing’ ­campaign appears to be focusing on private entities. Founder Julian Assange has ­indicated that he intends to publish further explosive material that he says may even “take down a bank or two”. In addition, in a very public handover, […]

Speechly woos DLA partner to lead PE team

Speechly Bircham has hired DLA Piper partner Malcolm ­MacDougall to head its private equity practice. McDougall, who was based in DLA Piper’s London office, is the second partner to leave the firm’s corporate practice in recent weeks, with partner Kiran Sharma heading to Ropes & Gray. McDougall worked on two of the biggest private equity […]

Joseph Flom, 1923-2011

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom name partner Joseph Flom passed away last week (23 February) at the age of 87. Flom was considered one of the world’s leading corporate lawyers, with a career spanning more than six decades. Skadden executive partner Eric Friedman said: “Joe led significant change in the practice of corporate law […]

3

Muckle compounds Watson Burton exit woes

Watson Burton insolvency chief Andrew Cawkwell has joined Newcastle firm Muckle to lead its restructuring and insolvency team, becoming the third practice head to leave the firm for a North East rival in the past year. Watson Burton has been hit by 10 partner defections in the past year. Real estate chief Simon Scougall left […]

Revenue hike sees Edwards Angell vie for elite US status in City

The London office of US outfit Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge (EAPD) saw its London turnover rocket by almost 50 per cent in 2010, putting it on course to break into the top 30 US firms in the City. The firm’s London ­revenue rose from $20.6m (£12.76m) in 2009 to $30.3m in 2010, an increase of 47 […]

Deborah Dalgleish
6

Freshfields adds socio-economic background to census questions

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is to ask partners and employees to disclose details of their socio-economic backgrounds under plans to extend its national firm census. Head of diversity and inclusion Deborah Dalgleish said: “It’s been in one’s eyeline for some time; we need more transparency around who we’re taking on.” The firm already quizzes staff on gender, age, ethnicity, […]

62

Ilex rebuts study saying legal execs get raw deal

Legal executives remain the underdogs of the profession despite a push by the Institute of Legal Executives (Ilex) to make the role the third legal career path. A study by Keele University senior lecturer Dr Andrew Francis found that individual experiences paint a more complicated picture than Ilex claims is the case. Speaking at an […]

Diamond in the rough

As firms continue to chase revenues around the globe, there appears to be no consensus on which region holds the golden ticket to a lifetime’s supply of cash-cow work. Magic circle rivals Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance are hedging their bets on Australia and the Asian launchpad they think it will be. Norton Rose […]