Beachcroft Wansbroughs is celebrating after winning the largest single test case in employment tribunal history. The Court of Appeal decided on Friday (2 July) to uphold an earlier Employment Appeals Tribunal decision, ruling in favour of Kent & Medway Fire Authority in a claim brought by retained firefighters under the Part-time Workers Regulations 2000. The […]
After three months of discussion, the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitutional Reform Bill today announced it was unable to agree on the two major aspects of the proposed reforms – the abolition of the office of the Lord Chancellor and the creation of a Supreme Court. The Bill will now return to […]
Baker & McKenzie (B&M) has reorganised its partnership structure becoming the first international law firm to operate as a Swiss Verein. B&M was an Illinois partnership, reflecting the firm’s roots, but not its status as an international law firm. Rather than reorganising as a limited liability partnership, as chosen by many firms including Allen & […]
Jones Day is boosting its burgeoning European operation with the launch of a base in Moscow. The office, which was officially launched today (1 July), will be headed up by Washington-based corporate partner Vladimir Lechtman who is due to relocate to Russia.
An independent report out today slams the way senior judges are appointed. The Commission for Judicial Appointments (CJA) is reporting after an exhaustive audit of the appointment of high court judges, during which they had access to every stage of the process. The commissioners, led by Nottingham University’s vice-chancellor Sir Colin Campbell, found that the […]
Duane Morris has plucked two more partners from Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps, this time to boost its corporate practice. Rated-corporate partners Robert Copeland and Stuart Sorenson are joining Duane Morris’s San Diego office which the firm opened in July last year with a haul of seven former Luce Forward lawyers. The new laterals will […]
Charles Russell has appointed a former Allen & Overy (A&O) associate as head of its EU and competition group. Emanuela Lecchi takes on the newly created role after practising within A&O’s antitrust group, its communications, media and technology area and the energy practice. At Charles Russell Lecchi will advise on the full range of EU […]
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood has bolstered its international finance practice by taking on the former head of Baker & McKenzie’s London-based derivatives and structured finance group. Matthew Dening is joining Sidley Austin’s London office as a partner. His move coincides with the recent promotion of international finance lawyers Partha Pal and Matthew Duncan to […]
Slaughter and May is closing in New York and Singapore as it ramps up its relationship in Asia with Australian firm Allens Arthur Robinson (AAR). The two lawyers in the firm’s New York office will be returning to the UK, while one Singapore-based partner will be relocating to Hong Kong. Slaughters’ Singapore work is now […]
Coudert Brothers is in the final stages of talks with Cleveland’s Squire Sanders & Dempsey to create a merger of equals. The New York firm is about to embark on due diligence on Squire Sanders after nearly five months of discussions which have been led by Coudert Brothers’ chairman David Huebner. According to German magazine […]
Legacy Gouldens IP stalwart Charters Macdonald-Brown is leaving Jones Day to set up his own practice. Macdonald-Brown, who has been head of IP at Gouldens since 1977 which then merged with the US’s Jones Day last year, is leaving the firm today (30 June) and will begin his new specialist IP practice, entitled Redd, tomorrow. […]
Hammonds is making a play for the Latin American market with the launch of a referral alliance throughout the region. The initiative, dubbed the “Latin American Desk” will be run out of Hammonds’ Madrid office and managed by Rafael Alonso, partner and member of the firm’s international board. David Armitage, Hammonds’ head of international, said […]