Despite having commercialisation thrust upon it, the bar lags almost every other profession in terms of modernity – and it is extremely proud of the fact. Many see the Inns of Court as a selling point, symbolic of and synonymous with quality. Not everyone agrees. The exit of criminal set 6KBW from the Inner Temple […]
Taking his Silicon Valley expertise to Chinese internet giant Tencent, GC Brent Irvin is helping the company take on the digital status quo with the likes of WeChat Although based in Shenzhen, a technology hub in southern China, Tencent’s general counsel Brent Irvin finds himself travelling frequently, as the Chinese internet giant flexes its muscles beyond […]
There’s plenty of work in resources-rich Angola and Mozambique but non-domestic lawyers and investors find it hard to get a piece of the action As two of the world’s fastest growing economies and driven by a wealth of natural resources, both Angola and Mozambique are booming, but not everyone is invited to the party. In […]
Could the small matter of pay be behind the delay in filling the GC role at TSB? Knock knock. Who’s there? Not a general counsel at TSB, that’s for sure. The bank split from parent group Lloyds last Monday in what was one of Britain’s biggest banking shake-ups, but behind the curtain the general counsel […]
While the law and technology tussle for the upper hand, there is much people can do to protect themselves Privacy is now part of the national consciousness. We talk about our ‘privacy settings’ on Facebook and are suspicious of how cold callers got our mobile number or email address. We wonder what companies do with […]
Political hysteria over zero-hours contracts is unhelpful and misplaced as safeguards already exist The disclosure over the summer that as many as a million people could be on zero-hours contracts by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development as well as confirmation that a well-known retailer, Sports Direct, is being challenged in court over its […]
Ruthlessness rules at DLA in Singapore, rubbing up against more subtle local ways DLA Piper is yet to make its fortune in Singapore after losing out on the city-state’s Qualifying Foreign Legal Practice (QFLP) licence for the second time in February. It has seen the exit of three partners in recent months, most recently global […]
Rumbles of discontent over high rents and poor facilities at Inner Temple American fans of Dan Brown’s Christian pulp thriller The Da Vinci Code come over all wistful at the mention of London’s Inner Temple. They see it as the exotic home of Temple Church, where the Harvard professor protagonist rummaged for clues to a […]
Autumn heralds a worldwide corporate fight-back, led by telecoms sector What a difference a month makes, if the M&A market is to be believed. After a dismal last week in August, when the value of worldwide deals dropped to its lowest value this year, the first week in September racked up a staggering $163bn (£103bn) […]
Footie and telecoms dominate our regular round-up of recent M&A activity, as the threat of rising interest rates kick-started activity among organisations. After a slow start to the summer, telecoms-mania and football-mania – or Gareth Bale-mania, anyway (see Deal of the Month) – hit the M&A markets. Hefty deals took place as the threat of […]
Singapore retains distinctive Asian characteristics, so stop saying it’s like Switzerland Singapore has enjoyed a meteoric rise as a wealth management centre and has been termed ‘the Switzerland of Asia’ in some quarters. While flattering, this downplays the differences between the jurisdictions and overlooks the complementary roles they play. Singapore has maintained a strong focus on Asian […]
TUPE regulations are in line for refinement, but not fundamental change, which is a good thing On 5 September the Government announced proposals for changes to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (better known as TUPE). These regulations and their predecessors – the 1981 regulations with the same name – have been […]