When national firm Pinsent Masons convened meetings in July 2009 to offer staff the opportunity to take extended leave in return for 80 per cent pay, commercial property associate Paul Kenny and corporate associate Eleanor Tinnelly jumped at the opportunity. The couple, who met at Pinsents and who are due to get married this year, […]
It was Boris bikes all round last week as the London cycling revolution got into gear. Legions of lawyers could be spotted taking their lives in their hands by braving the rush hour on two, admittedly stonkingly heavy, wheels. Notably those sterling chaps over at Kemp Little, who’d picked up a role advising on the […]
UK firms have reorganised, changed focus, sacked lawyers, merged and closed offices. But innovation is dead. Here’s a question: where are all the fresh ideas? And another: what’s the Turkish word for innovation? For the answers head to Berlin in September, to the marbled halls and fountains at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, where one of […]
Banco Santander has launched a revamp of its external legal advisers with the introduction of a series of ’soft panels’ to sit underneath its main legal roster. The new appointments, which are part of a preferred firm approach to legal services procurement rather than a formal panel arrangement, include the formation of a group to advise on corporate […]
Ashurst has made the first hire into its City corporate department since 2008 with the capture of Nabarro financial services regulation head Rob Moulton. Moulton joined Nabarro as a partner in 2005 from Linklaters, where he had been a senior associate. He will work alongside international regulatory group head James Perry to grow Ashurst’s non-contentious […]
For the UK’s top corporate practices 2009-10 was very much a case of plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, with dealflow still in decline and competition for the work that remains as tough as ever. Linklaters” src=”Pictures/web/q/s/y/parr_150.gif” /> Jeremy Parr, Linklaters Revenues for the top 20 corporate practices dropped by an average of […]
The age discrimination regulations came into force in October 2006, but contained a significant carve-out, the default retirement age (DRA), which allows employers to dismiss employees when they hit 65. The DRA was contentious from the off. Age Concern challenged it all the way to the European Court of Justice and back (known colloquially as […]
There has been little revenue growth among Midlands firms over the past financial year, with four out of the five major Birmingham players reporting a fall in income. The region’s biggest outfit, Wragge & Co, reported a fall in turnover of 7 per cent, from £103.4m to £96.2m. This was despite the addition of 45 lawyers, including 10 […]
Investors stick to what they know rather than backing law firms. Taylor Wessing” src=”Pictures/web/s/u/e/tim_eyles_150.gif” /> Tim Eyles, Taylor Wessing Ever since it was announced that outside investors would be able to buy a stake in law firms, debate has raged about the potential impact of the Legal Services Act. But with just months to go […]
Southwark Council is to radically overhaul how it uses the bar by teaming up with Lambeth Council to create a chambers panel. The neighbouring London authorities have agreed a four-year deal that will see them share the cost of instructed counsel. Southwark has budgeted to spend £1.5m on barrister instructions over the next financial year, with Lambeth […]
Clifford Chance has offered training contracts to the two London-based first-year trainees left jobless after Halliwells went into administration last month. Clifford Chance has offered training contracts to the two London-based first-year trainees left jobless after Halliwells went into administration last month. The firm took on the pair after a ex-Halliwells partner got in touch […]
SRA comes down on Optima-Capita deal despite leading counsel giving green light to investment strategy Volume powerhouse Optima Legal Services has been told to sever links with outsourcing giant Capita after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) found their relationship breached rules governing non-lawyer investment in firms. Optima had been under investigation by the SRA since […]