The High Court would not be required, under the Equal Pay Act 1970 s.2(3), to strike out a claim in respect of the operation of an equality clause if the claimant failed to provide a reasonable explanation for her failure to present her claim in time to the Employment Tribunal. For the purpose of s.2(3), […]
Imagine no head office: it’s easy if you try. No boss in London, management on the fly. Imagine all the lawyers living life in peace… Such is the utopian refrain suggested by the declaration last week by SNR Denton, Salans and Canada’s Fraser Milner Casgrain (FMC) that the merged firm would be “truly polycentric” with […]
Having to appoint arbitrators from a fixed panel was a daft idea – we must ensure the system stays flexible Certain things are just not good ideas: combovers, socks with sandals or anything tie-dyed. I had a similar reaction when it was suggested that, contrary to the longstanding tradition of party-nominated arbitrators in commercial arbitration, […]
39 Essex Street/4-5 Gray’s Inn link-up could be a sign of things to come It is difficult to pinpoint what triggered talks between London sets 4-5 Gray’s Inn Chambers and 39 Essex Street Chambers, but the result will be the creation of London’s largest civil set. We can’t call this one a merger because, technically, […]
In-demand Botswana firm flips allegiance as UK firms get serious about Africa Africa may not be experiencing the same invasion of UK firms that Australia is, but activity levels there have definitely stepped up. After years of largely empty rhetoric over the continent’s promise, firms are now putting their money on the line. Following the […]
In 14 months Orrick boss Ralph Baxter will move on after 23 years in the job. Is his legacy at risk of derailment by a strategically stalled final few months?
Eversheds under fire for taking a tough line with rate swap mis-selling claimants The involvement of Eversheds in interest rate swap mis-selling cases is becoming a sore point among claimant lawyers. The firm has been brought in by Barclays to audit claims selected for the FSA’s redress scheme. With Matthew Arnold & Baldwin and Simmons […]
The latest instalment in a small but significant trend slotted into place recently when Allen & Overy (A&O) private equity specialist Derek Baird upped sticks for the London office of elite US firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. At the start of this year fellow US firm Davis Polk & Wardwell made waves when it launched […]
There is more to FFW’s corporate practice than prominent client BBC Worldwide to make it an attractive partner for Osborne Clarke. A deal could create a serious mid-market contender It would be going a bit too far to say that Osborne Clarke’s attempts to merge with Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) are all about one client, […]
Steve Rowan has been deputy chief operating officer for Edwards Wildman’s Europe and Asia offices since 2011. Prior to this he was director of finance and administration at Kendall Freeman, which merged with Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge in 2008. What are the key elements of your role? I aim to keep all the […]
A Spanish ‘bad bank’ may be a good idea but it has arrived too late to fix the real estate problem Following the lead of the US and Ireland, the Spanish government is about to pass a law that will regulate the transfer of toxic real estate assets from Spanish financial entities to a so-called […]
Israel is a growing power in IT and energy, and law firms should be aware of the opportunities Israel, only 64 years old and home to just 7.9 million people, has produced a staggering number of start-ups, earning Tel Aviv a reputation as a centre of technological innovation. With a small domestic market, Israeli entrepreneurs […]