A divergence of strategies is emerging in the Middle East, with some international firms expanding their presence in the region as others pull out. In the past week Addleshaw Goddard, Eversheds and SNR Denton have all announced plans to bulk up in the region. Meanwhile, Trowers & Hamlins, which closed its Jeddah base recently, is understood to […]
Mayer Brown’s Spanish alliance partner Ramón y Cajal has landed the lead role on the first IPO to take place on the Madrid Stock Exchange this year. Ramón y Cajal managing partner Francisco Palá is advising Telefónica and its call centre subsidiary Atento on the proposed 13 June listing of Atento, which values the company […]
Law firms in Cyprus are building on the country’s tradition of stability, although some feel the government has missed a chance to enhance the attraction of the jurisdiction. For years the Republic of Cyprus has been the gateway to Europe for thousands of Russian investors – and the gateway to Russia for many European investors. […]
Speechly Bircham has made its first foray into overseas markets, opening offices in the financial services centres of Zurich and Luxembourg. The moves, which were announced last week (TheLawyer.com, 1 June), mark a new stage in Speechly’s development following its 2009 merger with West End firm Campbell Hooper. That tie-up propelled Speechly into the UK top 50, boosting a number of practice areas, including […]
What was your first-ever job? Stacking cartons in a yoghurt factory. What was your worst experience as a trainee? Failing to recognise the senior partner, thinking he was an intruder and offering to escort him off the premises. Where’s the best place to go if you want to find out what’s really going on in […]
Changes to the Government’s policy on philanthropy are in the spotlight as the Big Society agenda takes shape, say Christopher Groves and Alana Lowe-Petraske With a new philan-thropy strategy in place and the Government’s ’Giving’ green paper released in December 2010, followed by the Budget in March this year and the ’Giving’ white paper on 23 May, […]
A recent pension law upgrade could be a game-changer in terms of advising clients on how their wealth is transferred. By Julie Hutchison The alterations to pension law that came into effect on 6 April have changed the game when it comes to estate planning advice for clients. Pension wealth can now be inherited more […]
Shamefaced head-hanging at Tulkinghorn Towers last week after a sharp-eyed and popular music-conversant diary story consumer pointed out what appeared to be a horrendously slipshod mistake in a tale about DLA Piper and Trett Consulting’s LawRocks band, The Acquired. “I was dismayed to read in this week’s Tulk the reference to a cover of Kula […]
Steven Holmes, general counsel at Inspired Gaming Group, has seen the company through tough times into a new era of expansion, says Caroline Butcher Steven Holmes is the first to admit that his career has followed a unique trajectory. The general counsel and company secretary at gaming technology company Inspired Gaming Group was already 11 years into a contract-negotiating […]
At the heart of the battle between the right to privacy and freedom of expression sits Hugh Tomlinson QC. The Lawyer talks to Mr Anonymity about his feelings on the matter The storm is at its calmest at the centre, which is something Hugh Tomlinson QC can attest to. The Matrix Chambers silk sits at the heart of the […]
Professional trustees can no longer rely on the Hastings-Bass principle as a cure-all for their mistakes. Michael Alden and Sue Savill report Professional trusteeships can be a very lucrative area of work. Many solicitors advising on trusts and estate planning encourage clients to appoint a professional in the role of a trustee or executor, knowing […]
The Lawyer Awards 2011 shortlist contains some outstanding pitches from in-house lawyers.By Joshua Freedman In-house lawyers pride themselves on being critical to their organisations, so it is little wonder that the shortlist for The Lawyer Awards 2011’s In-house Commerce & Industry Team of the Year shows the legal department becoming less of an advisory arm and more […]