Linking up with an Australian firm is very much à la mode in the international legal community but, as this week’s cover story explores, it is a challenging task to achieve full financial integration with local firms – and all to secure a launchpad for the Asia Pacific region. Linking up with an Australian firm […]
A decision under the Arbitration Act 1996 s.18(3) appointing a sole arbitrator on the basis that, pursuant to s.15(3) of the Act, there had been no agreement as to the number of arbitrators was caught by the restriction on appeals in s.18(5). Application refused Itochu Corp v Johann MK Blumenthal GmbH & Co KG. [2012] […]
Independent law firms from across Europe will gather at the Hotel Hermitage in Monte Carlo next month to discover which will become The Lawyer’s European Law Firm of the Year The shortlist for The Lawyer’s fourth European Awards features a range of firms, from specialist boutiques to full-service giants, that have all demonstrated excellence in […]
Unpicking fraudsters’ complex methods requires significant but necessary Government resources On 22 August the former head of Polly Peck International (PPL) Asil Nadir was sentenced by Mr Justice Holroyd, sitting at the Old Bailey, to 10 years imprisonment, having been convicted of 10 counts of theft from the company, totalling just under £29m. The news of Nadir’s […]
Better billing is key to winning work from Aussie in-housers As this week’s cover story explains, Australia is an increasingly attractive market for international firms. But to achieve a full financial merger with an Australian firm is challenging for a plethora of reasons, not least the disparity in profitability. It will not be cheering to […]
Proposals put forward by Lord Justice Jackson to reform civil litigation funding and reduce costs have backfired before they’ve even been implemented with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) gearing up for a court battle over the plans. Jackson LJ’s plans included raising settlements by 10 per cent to compensate for successful parties no longer […]
LG misses out on US presence as one-time merger prospect FFW opens in Palo Alto You have to feel a bit of sympathy for Lawrence Graham (LG). Had it gone ahead with its aborted merger with Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW), it would now boast a presence of sorts not just in Europe, Singapore, Dubai and […]
Serena Simmons has been chief marketing officer alongside US-based counterpart Jolene Overbeck since Lovells combined with Hogan & Hartson in 2010. Prior to joining Lovells in 2006, Simmons was head of business development in the sectors of finance and capital markets at Clifford Chance. Please describe the key elements of your role I see the […]
An application to trademark the term ‘social enterprise’ has sent shivers through the sector, but fear not Why has a body promoting the use of profits for the benefit of society been so up in arms over recent trademark applications? Answer: Salesforce, the customer relations management software solutions business, has made three European Community trademark […]
Nav Sunner, senior legal counsel at rising social gaming star Gree, says he is lucky to be able to pursue a career in an industry he finds both challenging and fun Nav Sunner, Gree Position: Senior legal counsel, Europe, Middle East, Latin America Industry: Mobile games and social networking Turnover: £1.3bn Employees: 1,864 […]
Call for wider efficiency drive as Olympics-related cases speed to resolution One of the notable aspects of last summer’s response to the riots was the speed at which the courts processed the unprecedented amount of cases that arose. With a fast-track system agreed for London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics-related cases, criminal courts have been moving […]
Twenty-two down, 167 to go – the ABS revolution is coming, but with more of a rumble than a big bang If the lengthy and complicated alternative business structure (ABS) applications of Irwin Mitchell and Parabis have been a blockage in the SRA pipeline, perhaps there will be a more steady flow of licenses granted […]