31 January 2011
The Lawyer
Barlow Robbins
Last September Barlow Robbins converted to an LDP, making chief executive Ray Black a full equity partner in the process. The move was intended to make the firm a slick operation commercially with a focus firmly on the profit margin.
Breaking the ice
Canada’s law firms have so far avoided the temptations of globalisation. Will Norton Rose’s merger with Ogilvy spark a new interest in the market?
Bristol Uni’s Innocence smoothies
More than four years ago the University of Bristol (UoB) Innocence Project decided to fight the conviction of a man accused of a brutal murder.
Clifford Chance splits City corporate group into three
Clifford Chance has shaken up its London corporate practice, splitting the group into three sector-based teams.
Dewey, Linklaters and Slaughters handle Eskom’s $1.75bn bond offer
Dewey & LeBoeuf, Linklaters and Slaughter and May have all advised on South African state-owned electricity utility Eskom Holdings’ $1.75bn (£1.11bn) bond offer.
DLA Piper seals ‘unique’ Aussie merger
DLA Piper CEO Nigel Knowles is known for making categorical pronouncements.
Double-digit PEP rise, revenue flat: a year in the life of your average US firm
Early indications are that cost controls are having the desired effect.
Eversheds scores sale of AH Medical to Assura Group
Eversheds has acted on a major deal in the healthcare property sector, winning the instruction after original adviser Hammonds was conflicted out.
Finisterre appoints first GC with Altima capture
Finisterre Capital has become the latest hedge fund manager to build up its in-house legal capability after appointing its first-ever general counsel in the shape of Altima Partners legal chief Ursula Newman.
Focus - Environmental law: Force of nature
One day after ClientEarth and TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall unveiled their Fish Fight campaign, Tesco announced major changes to the way it sources tuna. CEO James Thornton reveals the new arsenal in environmental campaigning - the force of law
Get well soon
The Iraqi oil industry has faced many challenges in recent years, but Greg Hammond says the prospects are fast improving.
Gold sets up post-Herbies consultancy for complex litigation
Former Herbert Smith senior partner David Gold will set up on his own as a strategic litigation consultant when he leaves the City firm next month after 37 years.
Herbies, SJ Berwin win main roles on Boparan’s Northern Foods punt
Herbert Smith and SJ Berwin have taken the top mandates on the £342m recommended offer by Boparan Holdings for Northern Foods, as a bidding war continues for the UK food group.
Hogan Lovells and SH star in LoveFilm acquisition
Hogan Lovells and Stephenson Harwood took the key mandates on the £200m sale of the remaining shares in LoveFilm to Amazon.
Howrey chair rallies the troops as Winston circles
The latest twist in the ongoing Howrey saga last week saw Winston & Strawn enter the fray, with the Chicago-based outfit reportedly in talks to acquire some parts of the firm.
Olswang partners to throw cash at overseas network
TMT central strategic plank once more as real estate is relegated
Olswang’s middle aged spread
Olswang spent its teenage years alternately wanting to be accepted by the City establishment and cocking a snook at it. Always best known for its hip (well, by law firm standards) media brand, its decision to go all-out for corporate, private equity and real estate seemed like borrowing another girl’s lipstick.
On the move
Linklaters has named Brussels-based partner Henk Vanhulle (left) as its global head of tax.
Opinion: BBC case highlights broad spectrum of discrimination
The Employment Tribunal decision in favour of Miriam O’Reilly in her claim against the BBC is a high-profile example of an organisation that expresses clearly its commitment to diversity but which was found to have discriminated unlawfully.
Revealed: the gender pay gulf dividing UAE counsel
?Gulf-based male in-house lawyers can earn twice as much as their female counterparts, with top-earning men pocketing as much as £34,000 each month, according to a recent survey conducted by Elizabeth Williams Search.
SRA puts kibosh on Kaplan’s aptitude test for admissions
Kaplan Law School’s plan to introduce an admissions test for the LPC has been dashed after the SRA blocked the move.
Top Scottish QC joins Blackstone
Scotland’s leading barrister Richard Keen QC is set to take up membership with Blackstone Chambers.
Tulkinghorn: Buffalo lawyer
It’s nothing new to hear about a top corporate lawyer making sacrifices to climb the greasy pole.
Tweet shop: Melanie Hatton, Latitude
Latitude GC Melanie Hatton has gone from social media innocent to online aficionado since joining the digital marketing specialist, says Joanne Harris
UK-Indian firms’ relationships in stasis as liberalisation remains a pipe dream
UK law firms are refraining from strengthening relationships with Indian firms as liberalisation of the country’s legal market remains distant.
Why BLP’s push into high-end corporate needs more of a shove
Can BLP find its way out of the AIM ghetto to challenge the top tier?
Work Life Quiz: Michael O’Kane, Peters & Peters
What time do you usually leave the office? Between 7pm and 8pm, but phone calls and emails can go on late into the night with US clients.
