The Lawyer
Margaret Taylor Editorial

Clifford Chance takes magic circle lead with 27 promos

27-Apr-2012

Clifford Chance has made up 27 lawyers to its partnership, up from 23 last year and four ahead of its nearest magic circle rival.
Lawrence Graham welcomes four lawyers to partnership

18-Apr-2012

Lawrence Graham (LG) is making up four new partners in its 2012 promotions round, double the number that made the grade last year.
Simmons to open low-cost Bristol base

3-Apr-2012

Simmons & Simmons is to open an office in Bristol in a bid to slash its fee rates.
Eversheds holds promotions steady with 22 made up, half in UK

3-Apr-2012

Eversheds has made up 22 lawyers to its partnership, the same number as made the grade last year.
White Hart reign

19 March 2012

After a recent spate of high-profile cases, Spurs director of football administration and barrister Darren Eales is aiming to keep future disputes out of court
Dundas & Wilson chief steps down mid-way through term

8-Mar-2012

Dundas & Wilson managing partner Donald Shaw has stood down from the role with immediate effect.
Chinese checkers

5 March 2012

During an autumn lunch with a magic circle managing partner I was party to a bit of a confession: aside from King & Wood, his knowledge of Chinese firms was seriously lacking.
Stuck in the middle

5 March 2012

The big firms are getting aggressive, the small firms are consolidating. Where does that leave the mid-market?
Folk law: Ruth Daniels, Ancestry.co.uk

20 February 2012

As vice-president of legal at Ancestry.co.uk Ruth Daniels has to keep her eye on privacy and digitisation issues while avoiding international incidents
Herbies’ growing pains

2 January 2012

Herbert Smith’s conservatism stops here, with the firm embracing Allen Hanen’s strategy to catch up to the magic circle on both profitability and international spread
Security guard: David Taylor, Pension Protection Fund

2 January 2012

Pension Protection Fund director of legal services David Taylor is braced for a slump-fuelled boom in work for his organisation
Herbert Smith's European alliance to officially end at close of year

22-Dec-2011

The European alliance between Herbert Smith, Germany’s Gleiss Lutz and Benelux firm Stibbe will officially come to an end on 31 December.
Glencore’s £7bn flotation stands out in modest year for mandates

12 December 2011

The past year may not have been marked by a constant flow of deal activity, but there were still a number of prized mandates to be had.
Herbert Smith slashes equity to attain magic profit figure

12 December 2011

Herbert Smith is to de-equitise around 15 partners, which represents 10 per cent of its equity partnership, as it seeks to attain magic circle-level profitability in the wake of its Project Blue Sky strategic review.
Mergers on the Orient express

5 December 2011

Clifford Chance must be kicking itself. Exactly three years ago we revealed that the magic circle firm had, for the second time, pulled the plug on merger talks with Australia’s Mallesons Stephen Jaques.
Links, Skadden lead as Evraz sets sights on London listing

21 November 2011

Linklaters and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom have taken lead roles on Russian steelmaker Evraz’s London listing.
Angel clocks on at DLA after winning partner backing

8-Nov-2011

Former Linklaters managing partner Tony Angel has today started work at DLA Piper after his hire won the backing of the firm’s partnership.
As easy as ABS

7 November 2011

As George Papandreou sent the eurozone into a frenzy last week, the news closer to home was hardly less bleak.
A&O looks to usurp Linklaters in Singapore joint venture

3-Nov-2011

Allen & Overy (A&O) is holding exploratory conversations with Linklaters’ Singapore joint venture partner as it looks to expand its reach in Asia and Australasia.
Angel ain’t dusty

31 October 2011

Not so long ago a certain law firm chief balked when comparisons were drawn between his firm and DLA Piper.
Dundas and Bircham abandon merger talks after failing to win partner backing

10-Oct-2011

Merger talks between Edinburgh-headquartered Dundas & Wilson and London firm Bircham Dyson Bell have collapsed after partners at the respective firms gave a lukewarm reaction to the proposed deal.
PPF to pilot panel-sharing scheme with 12 regulators

10 October 2011

Cost-cutting measures see PPF’s legal roster touted to Government watchdogs for same fees
McGrigors favours Belfast in six-strong promotions round

7-Oct-2011

Scotland-headquartered firm McGrigors has bolstered its team by making six promotions across its network and adding a Jones Day senior associate to its City partnership.
Brodies makes first foray outside Scotland with Brussels launch

3-Oct-2011

Scottish firm Brodies has opened its first office on foreign soil with the establishment of a base in Brussels.
Thistle down

3 October 2011

Apart from four standout performances, a tough year for Scottish firms was characterised by a static market.
Porter Dodson

26 September 2011

Dorset and Somerset firm Porter Dodson effected two mergers in the last financial year, but did not manage to increase its revenue from the £7.6m it generated in 2009-10.
FBC Manby Bowdler

12 September 2011

It is three years since West Midlands firms FBC Solicitors and Manby Steward Bowdler joined forces and a post-merger restructuring is finally starting to pay off.
Bindmans

5 September 2011

London firm Bindmans has been much in the news this year, winning a number of instructions relating to the News of the World (NoW) phone-hacking scandal and having its contact details passed out to London rioters.
Focus: London riots - Riot angles

5 September 2011

City law firms were left untouched by last month’s riots. But for lawyers in Tottenham and Croydon, it was quite a different story
The Lawyer UK 200 preview: City: Silver circle weathers the storm

15 August 2011

BLP and SJ Berwin shine; Stephenson Harwood in new leap forward.
Burness pays staff bonus after strong set of financials

10-Aug-2011

Scottish firm Burness is awarding all staff members a 10 per cent bonus after posting rises in turnover and profits for the 2010-11 financial year.
Herbies’ remedy

8 August 2011

Is Herbert Smith finally waking up to itself? Long known for its schizophrenic approach to international expansion, the firm appears to be taking decisive action.
McGrigors lays foundations for Sheffield regeneration project

1 August 2011

McGrigors has advised a pair of housing companies on a joint venture with Sheffield County Council that will see 2,500 homes built across 19 sites.
Scotland’s mightiest firms face up to the downturn

25 July 2011

Scottish chiefs put brave face on stagnant figures as deals conveyor belt keeps rolling.
Tube hits Freshfields with £140m-plus negligence claim

25 July 2011

London Underground sues magic circle firm over Metronet advice
Matrix silk to lead group Hackgate claim against News International

21-Jul-2011

As many as 25 phone-hacking cases against News International are to be heard jointly at the beginning of 2012, with five high-profile individuals acting as lead claimants.
Met’s false economy

18 July 2011

You can just imagine the uproar if the Metropolitan Police had assembled a legal panel littered with the City’s elite.
Counsel services

11 July 2011

Axiom’s business model of sourcing contract lawyers to corporations has been a hit with clients, but it still needs to tweak its offering
Anderson Strathern prepares to re-enter top 100 with Bell & Scott takeover

1-Jul-2011

Edinburgh-headquartered Anderson Strathern has taken over fellow Scottish property player Bell & Scott, giving it a sporting chance of re-entering the UK 100 this year.
Dickie Dees to launch in Leeds with transfer of entire York office

29-Jun-2011

Newcastle-headquartered firm Dickinson Dees is to launch an office in Leeds, transferring everyone in its York base in the process.
A&O launches in US capital with O'Melveny team

29-Jun-2011

Allen & Overy (A&O) is to expand its US footprint with the launch of an office in Washington DC, following magic circle rivals Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer into the American capital.
Shepherd & Wedderburn sees revenue rebound with 6 per cent hike

20-Jun-2011

Scottish-headquartered Shepherd & Wedderburn has posted a 6 per cent rise in turnover for the 2010-11 financial year, representing a turnaround in fortunes on the previous year, when revenues fell by 11 per cent.
Harbottle family chief ups sticks to niche firm

13 June 2011

Harbottle & Lewis family head Tom Amlot has left the firm to join niche family boutique Alexiou Fisher Philipps (AFP) as its sixth partner.
Herd about the country solicitor…

13 June 2011

As a trainee at Lincoln’s Inn firm Wedlake Bell, Nigel Davis acquired a taste for open, green spaces. But there was one thing lacking from nearby Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Gray’s Inn Gardens - sheep.
Blake Dawson's Jakarta best friend bulks up with 14-lawyer team

8-Jun-2011

The Indonesian associated firm of Australia’s Blake Dawson has expanded with the addition of one partner and 13 associates.
Clifford Chance and AAR steer Rio Tinto’s joint venture with Chinalco

6 June 2011

Australian firm Allens Arthur Robinson (AAR) took a place opposite Clifford Chance on a deal that will see mining giant Rio Tinto join forces with Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) to explore mainland China in search of mineral deposits.
Mills & Reeve welcomes three to partnership in latest promotions

1-Jun-2011

Mills & Reeve has promoted three lawyers to partner, boosting its partnership headcount to 97.
Herbies adds to Hong Kong litigation group as local lawyer joins Clifford Chance

1-Jun-2011

Herbert Smith has added a Goodwin Procter partner to its Hong Kong team as a senior consultant quits the firm to join Clifford Chance.
Weil Gotshal builds up City banking practice with Linklaters hire

31-May-2011

Weil Gotshal & Manges has raided Linklaters’ City office for the hire of banking partner Stephen Lucas.
King & Spalding opens in Moscow with hires from HogLove, White & Case

10-May-2011

King & Spalding has opened a base in Moscow after hiring a team of lawyers from Hogan Lovells and White & Case.
Ward Hadaway expands partnership with six Newcastle promotions

20-Apr-2011

Newcastle firm Ward Hadaway has added six to its partner ranks in this year’s promotions round.
Norton Rose promotes 15 to global partnership

20-Apr-2011

Norton Rose has made up 15 new partners, representing its highest level of promotions since 2008.
Nabarro makes up five partners in 2011 round

18-Apr-2011

Nabarro has promoted five associates to its partnership, the highest number it has made up in the last three years.
A senior moment

18 April 2011

Law firm bosses know a thing or two about internationalisation and, if recent manoeuvres are anything to go by, it looks like the quickest wits among them are doing their best to position their firms for the ongoing West-to-East power shift.
LG keeps promotions tight as two make partner

14-Apr-2011

LG has promoted two lawyers to partner, with the corporate and dispute resolution practices gaining one each.
Addleshaws, Freshfields and HogLov among top 50 employers for women

13-Apr-2011

Addleshaw Goddard, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells are the only law firms to feature on The Times’ Top 50 Employers for Women list.
Eversheds favours UK in 22-strong promotions round

12-Apr-2011

Eversheds has welcomed 22 lawyers to its partnership in this year’s promotions round, an increase of three on last year’s number.
McGrigors ups global reach with US alliance

11 April 2011

Edinburgh-headquartered McGrigors has taken a further step into the international market by signing a referral agreement with US firm Husch Blackwell.
Grey areas remain after revision of Bribery Act guidance

30-Mar-2011

Revised guidance on the Bribery Act, which will come into force on 1 July after being delayed due to widespread business concerns, has met with a mixed response from the legal sector.
McGrigors, Pinsents bag regeneration work in North

21 March 2011

McGrigors and Pinsent Masons have advised on a £265m deal that has seen Newcastle City Council partner with a consortium of developers to regenerate the Scotswood area of Newcastle upon Tyne.
McGrigors launches first overseas office in Qatar

14 March 2011

Edinburgh-headquartered McGrigors has opened a base in Qatar, marking its first expansion into international markets.
Howrey suffers yet more departures as Pillsbury swoops for US litigation team

2-Mar-2011

US firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has become the latest to pick at what is left of the Howrey partnership, taking on a six-partner litigation team in the States.
SRA to cut 80 jobs in preparation for ABSs

15-Feb-2011

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is slashing its staff headcount ahead of the introduction of alternative business structures (ABSs), cutting numbers from 640 to 560.
McGrigors hands second term to managing partner

8-Feb-2011

Edinburgh-headquartered firm McGrigors has handed managing partner Richard Masters a second term at the helm.
A class apart

7 February 2011

Herbert Smith’s management team believes elite international status is the firm’s destiny. And with rivals progressing their offerings, the time to prove it is fast approaching
Brodies targets Aberdeen as part of six-partner recruitment drive

21-Jan-2011

Scottish firm Brodies has marked the first phase of its new three-year strategy with the addition of six partners and the launch of an office in Aberdeen.
Maclays names real estate chief as next CEO as Swanson steps down

21-Jan-2011

Maclay Murray & Spens chief executive Magnus Swanson is standing down after three terms and will be replaced by the firm’s real estate chief.
A&O hires co-head of Hogan Lovells' global employment group

21-Jan-2011

Allen & Overy (A&O) has bulked up its Frankfurt office with the hire of the co-head of Hogan Lovells’ global employment practice.
BLP busts lockstep to pay top earner £1.6m

11-Jan-2011

Berwin Leighton Paisner’s (BLP) top-earning partner took home £1.6m during 2009-10, a profit share 60 per cent above that paid to partners on the top rung of the firm’s modified lockstep.
Freshfields anoints Asia chief as Marchant returns to City

10-Jan-2011

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has named Robert Ashworth as the successor to Asia regional managing partner Simon Marchant, who is returning to the firm’s London office.
LSC chief exec named in New Year's Honours list

31-Dec-2010

The chief executive and former commissioner of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) are among the representatives of the legal profession to be named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.
Hadef boosts Dubai partnership with four internal promotions

30-Dec-2010

UAE law firm Hadef & Partners has promoted four lawyers to its partnership, all in its Dubai office.
McGrigors and Slaughters lead on Wood Group's purchase of PSN

23-Dec-2010

McGrigors won the mandate to sit across the deals table from Slaughter and May on the £607m sale of oil services company PSN to Aberdeen-based FTSE 250 company Wood Group.
Annual Secret Santa fest could lead to court, firm warns

17-Dec-2010

Manchester firm Lewis Hymanson Small has issued a timely reminder to office workers to exercise caution over when choosing their Secret Santa presents.
Web heads: the rise of the machines

13 December 2010

The last year has been TheLawyer.com’s best ever, with figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations showing that the site now has 235,425 unique users.
Ashurst loses another partner to Clifford Chance

25-Nov-2010

Ashurst corporate partner Steven Fox has quit the firm to take up partnership at Clifford Chance.
German silver

15 November 2010

Linklaters’ German partners must have rubbed their hands with glee when the firm broke its lockstep to effect the 2007 hire of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer stars Ralph Wollburg and Achim Kirchfeld.
Wright Johnston

8 November 2010

For Scottish firm Wright Johnston & Mackenzie (WJM) clients are at the centre of everything it does - so much so that it has developed a strategy it dubs ’ClientCentric’.
Paul Weiss successfully defends Citi against Guy Hands' EMI action

5-Nov-2010

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison partner Ted Wells has sealed victory for Citigroup in a court action brought by the founder of private equity group Terra Firma.
Macfarlanes, Sackers advise as EMI hikes pension fund to tune of £200m

25 October 2010

Macfarlanes and Sacker & Partners have advised on a pensions deal that has seen record company EMI agree to pay almost £200m into its pension scheme.
Thorntons

25 October 2010

While most leading Scottish firms view an Edinburgh office as a prerequisite for success, Dundee-headquartered Thorntons Solicitors has only had a presence in the capital since 2004.
McGrigors to cut 40 jobs in UK-wide redundancy round

20-Oct-2010

Edinburgh-headquartered McGrigors has launched a redundancy consultation with the aim of cutting 40 jobs across its UK network of offices.
Camerons, Travers drive 3i’s parking company sale to ACC

4 October 2010

CMS Cameron McKenna and Travers Smith have won roles on 3i’s secondary sale of NSL Services Group to ACC Capital Partners.
Freshfields’ election: the more things change, the more they stay the same

4 October 2010

In restructuring its management team, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has brought its management system in line with those adopted by its magic circle peers, while at the same time ensuring there will be practically no change to the way the firm is run.
Hogan Lovells secures ENRC mandate for Brazil acquisition

4 October 2010

Hogan Lovells has landed a role advising Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), a client close to Herbert Smith, on the acquisition of a Brazilian minerals company.
Maclay partner takes up GC role at Wood Group

4 October 2010

Maclay Murray & Spens corporate partner Robbie Brown has left the firm to take up an in-house role at global energy business Wood Group.
Lawes wins Freshfields senior partner race

30-Sep-2010

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has elected former financial institutions co-head Will Lawes as its next senior partner, replacing incumbents Konstantin Mettenheimer and Guy Morton as the sole holder of the role.
Expansion prompts McGrigors to appoint sole senior partner

27 September 2010

McGrigors has done away with the dual senior partner role, naming erstwhile Scotland senior partner Kirk Murdoch as the sole holder of the post.
You pays your money…

27 September 2010

College of Law (CoL) chief executive Nigel Savage is intractable in his refusal to refund prepaid fees to LPC students who, by dint of securing a training contract, are obliged to complete the course at a rival institution.
Mcclure Naismith

13 September 2010

Scottish firm McClure Naismith’s heavy exposure to the transactional markets continued to prove problematic in the 2009-10 financial year, with turnover falling by 11 per cent, from £15.6m to £13.9m.
Boutique firm Starr advises on acquisition of Connaught's assets

10-Sep-2010

Niche City firm Starr & Partners has won a role on the administration of property group Connaught, advising building company Morgan Sindall on its acquisition of the group’s assets.
Former Clifford Chance partner rejoins after year as Future Group legal chief

9-Sep-2010

Former Clifford Chance partner Michael Dakin is returning to the firm after a one-year stint as chief legal officer at Dubai-based investment company Future Group.
Bakers, Hammonds and Herbies scoop Boots pension transfer

6 September 2010

Baker & McKenzie, Hammonds and Herbert Smith have worked on a pensions deal that has seen Alliance Boots offload the liabilities on the smaller of its two pension schemes to insurer Pensions Insurance Corporation (PIC).
Firm Profile: Harper Macleod

6 September 2010

When the financial crisis hit in 2008 Scottish firm Harper Macleod took swift action to prepare its business for the worst.
CC, DLA and Simmons lose out as Jumeirah revamps legal panel

1-Sep-2010

Clifford Chance, DLA Piper and Simmons & Simmons have missed out on spots on Jumeirah Group’s revamped legal panel after the hospitality company’s legal chief slashed the roster from 12 firms to five.
McGrigors beefs up in City, Manchester and Aberdeen with raft of hires

26-Aug-2010

McGrigors has bolstered the Manchester team it hired from Hammonds earlier this year with the addition of seven lawyers at the same time as bulking up its Aberdeen and City practices.
Brodies wrests top four Scot spot from Shepherds

2 August 2010

The line-up of the so-called big four Scottish firms altered in the past financial year, with Brodies usurping Shepherd & Wedderburn in fourth place and McGrigors regaining the top spot after a four-year hiatus.
Robust financials allow Sackers to bring office move forwards

2 August 2010

Pensions boutique Sacker & Partners posted a strong set of financials for the last reporting year, although the firm expects its profits for the current year to be hit by an impending move to new premises.
Birmingham set No5 names new chambers head

28-Jul-2010

No5 Chambers has named Paul Bleasdale QC as the set’s new head following the death earlier this month of Ralph Lewis QC.
Slow start for Integreon as offshoring proves less popular

19 July 2010

Legal process outsourcer (LPO) Integreon is making a 26 per cent greater loss than anticipated in its Bristol operation, with firms’ reluctance to send work overseas understood to be impacting on its bottom line.
Why too much onshoring could create a headache for LPO providers

19 July 2010

Earlier this year (22 March) The Lawyer published a report that suggested that domestic outsourcing could eclipse offshoring as a means of cutting legal costs, with law firms’ conservatism preventing them from sending any large-scale projects overseas.
Links and Slaughters advise on Diageo’s liquid pension strategy

12 July 2010

Linklaters and Slaughter and May and have advised on an innovative deal that will see drinks company Diageo use maturing whisky to help plug its £862m pension deficit.
Brodies sees turnover drop while PEP dips to £323,000

9-Jul-2010

Scottish firm Brodies has posted marginal drops in turnover and average profit per equity partner (PEP) for the 2009-10 year while maintaining its profit margin at around 25 per cent.
Pensions are fun

30-Jun-2010

Pensions, it has to be said, could bore even the most committed of geeks.
RBS litigation head takes on Virgin Money general counsel role

28-Jun-2010

RBS’s litigation chief Stephen Pearson is leaving the bank to take on the newly created general counsel position at Virgin Money.
Herbies alliance firm Gleiss Lutz launches in Hamburg

28-Jun-2010

Herbert Smith’s German alliance partner Gleiss Lutz has taken over Hamburg corporate boutique Rittstieg Rechtsanwälte to launch its sixth German office.
Brick Court Chambers barrister wins transsexual pension appeal

28 June 2010

A Brick Court Chambers barrister has successfully appealed an earlier decision which found that a male-to-female transsexual should not receive a pension from the age of 60.
Eversheds and Linklaters pave the way for BA and Iberia deal

28 June 2010

Eversheds and Linklaters have advised on a crucial pension recovery agreement between British Airways (BA) and its two final salary pension funds that should clear the way for the airline’s merger with Iberia.
Ashurst's revenues fall 3 per cent as PEP nudges up

24-Jun-2010

Ashurst has reported a turnover drop of just under 3 per cent for the 2009-10 financial year, with the total falling from £301m in 2008-09 to £293m.
Legacy Hogan London chief quits Hogan Lovells for King & Spalding

16-Jun-2010

The London office of Hogan Lovells has suffered its first high-level departure since the 1 May merger of Hogan & Hartson and Lovells, with partner Garry Pegg set to join US firm King & Spalding.
Scotland's Harper Macleod posts growth in turnover and PEP

9-Jun-2010

Scottish firm Harper Macleod saw revenues rise 6.5 per cent in the last financial year, up from £14.1m in 2008-09 to £15m.
Bakers gives Senior third term as London head

19-May-2010

Baker & McKenzie London managing partner Gary Senior has been reelected for a third term at the helm.
Brodies promotes three and reelects managing partner and chair

13-May-2010

Scottish firm Brodies has boosted its partnership with the promotion of three lawyers, while also reelecting its managing partner and chairman for further terms.
Hogan Lovells, Slaughters lead stellar cast at Lawyer Awards

3 May 2010

The newly merged Hogan Lovells and Slaughter and May could both win the greatest number of gongs at this year’s Lawyer Awards, having been jointly shortlisted in the most categories.
Lovells Beijing chief quits for role at alliance firm

29-Apr-2010

The head of Lovells’ Beijing office has left the firm on the eve of its merger with Hogan & Hartson to join China’s AllBright Law Offices.
Channel 4 turns to Travers for HD advice

26 April 2010

Travers Smith has advised new client Channel 4 on a deal that will see it broadcast Channel 4 HD on Freeview.
Eversheds handed £450m Qatar skyscraper project

26 April 2010

Eversheds has advised Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance Company (QGIRC) on a QAR2.5bn (£450m) project to construct four skyscrapers in Qatar.
Scottish law agents undone over ABSs

26 April 2010

The Scottish Law Agents Society (SLAS) has arguably paved the way for alternative business structures (ABSs) to be introduced north of the border despite orchestrating a vote to oppose them.
Scottish solicitors vote against ABSs two weeks after backing them

21-Apr-2010

Scottish solicitors have voted against the introduction of alternative business structures (ABSs) despite the profession giving them their backing two years ago and again in a referendum earlier this month.
Former HBJ partners cleared of involvement in Da Vinci theft

21-Apr-2010

Two former HBJ Gateley Wareing partners have been found not guilty of trying to extort money for the safe return of a stolen Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.
Chair of Institute of Barristers’ Clerks to prioritise ABSs

19 April 2010

The incoming chairman of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks (IBC) has put dealing with alternative business structures (ABSs) at the top of the agenda as chambers grapple with ways of adapting to the new structures.
Kobre & Kim’s QC hire bestows English nous

19 April 2010

Trial lawyers firm Kobre & Kim has hired Serle Court silk James Corbett QC for its nascent City office.
The Lawyer’s party piece

19 April 2010

Politicians are a disparate bunch. But if there’s one thing they’ve got in common it’s their love of a long-winded debate.
Lovells promotes 21 ahead of Hogan merger

15-Apr-2010

Lovells has promoted 21 lawyers to its partnership in its largest promotions round since 2007.
I'm a celebrity...

14-Apr-2010

There’s something about a good libel case that makes all other litigation look, well, just a little bit boring.
Scottish referendum gives narrow backing to ABSs

7-Apr-2010

Members of the Law Society of Scotland (LSS) have voted narrowly in favour of alternative business structures (ABSs) being introduced in Scotland.
Lewis Silkin promotes five to partnership

7-Apr-2010

Lewis Silkin has expanded its partnership by five in the latest promotions round.
Lovells promises post-merger push in spite of closure

5 April 2010

Lovells US managing partner Marc Gottridge has vowed to continue building the firm’s New York presence following its May merger with Hogan & Hartson, despite the UK firm closing its Chicago base last week (TheLawyer.com, 30 March).
Scottish big four to defect to England over ABS row

5 April 2010

Top firms’ ultimatum escalates regulatory crisis north of the border
The Scottish showdown

5 April 2010

It’s all kicking off north of the border. Just as the Scottish government was getting tantalisingly close to enacting an amended Legal Services Bill, a massive spanner has been rammed in the works, with the Scottish Legal Agents Society (SLAS) demanding that the Law Society of Scotland (LSS) drop its support of the bill.
Lovells to shut Chicago after Hogan merger goes live

30-Mar-2010

Lovells is to close its seven-partner Chicago office after it underperformed for a number of years.
Jack Straw moots end to UK libel tourism

23-Mar-2010

The eradication of libel tourism will be a key concern for the next UK parliament, with Justice Secretary Jack Straw today announcing a range of libel reforms.
Dyson LJ named as final Supreme Court justice

23-Mar-2010

Appeal Court judge Lord Justice Dyson has been named as the final justice of the Supreme Court, ending months of speculation over who would fill the role.
Lovells’ junior partners face Hogan-style pay

8 March 2010

Lovells is revolutionising the way it pays salaried partners ahead of its merger with Hogan & Hartson, abolishing a profit-linked portion in favour of a performance-related bonus to mimic the US firm’s model.
Pensions lawyers emerge from the shadows with hike in longevity deals

8 March 2010

Advisers bet on hedging as trustees, employers go all-out to cut risk. By Margaret Taylor
RBS posits Mexican wave model to cut legal outlay

8 March 2010

New legal chief Campbell to reassess external legal work; favours pairing advisers over LPO
BLG, LG and Norton Rose set to shift BMW pension liabilities

1 March 2010

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG), LG and Norton Rose have won roles on the transfer of £3bn of pension liabilities from BMW’s pension scheme to Abbey Life Assurance Company.
Herbies beefs up pensions practice with Freshfields partner

26-Feb-2010

Herbert Smith has bolstered its pensions practice with the hire of a partner from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
RBS legal chief McLean announces retirement as bank posts £3.6bn loss

25-Feb-2010

RBS group general counsel and group secretary Miller McLean is retiring from the state-backed bank at the end of April with his deputy Chris Campbell set to step into the lead legal role.
Wild in the country

22 February 2010

Public sector poster boy Geoff Wild is at it again. Not content with generating a £1.42m profit for Kent County Council (KCC) in 2008-09 - which was used to fund frontline services and allowed the authority to set the lowest council tax rise in its history - the legal chief has teamed up with regional firm Geldards to punt out services to public bodies across England and Wales.
CC and Slaughters score main roles on New Look’s £650m IPO

8 February 2010

Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May have been handed the mandates to advise on New Look’s IPO in a deal that is expected to raise £650m for the company.
Hogan Lovells to choose between Murdoch and ITV

8 February 2010

Merged firm’s global executive kicks off high-stakes conflicts probe
Hitching takes over Herbies' finance practice after contested election

5-Feb-2010

Herbert Smith finance partner Malcolm Hitching has beaten off competition from partner Ewen Fergusson to take on management of the firm’s global banking practice.
Candover GC takes on wider COO role

4-Feb-2010

Candover Partners general counsel Philip Price’s role has been expanded to include the remit of chief operating officer.
Discrimination blames

3-Feb-2010

Eversheds has come in for some serious stick this week, with readers of TheLawyer.com venting their collective spleen after we reported that the firm cleared one of its partners following an investigation into potential discrimination
A&O names corporate chiefs as Cranfield steps into ambassadorial role

2-Feb-2010

Allen & Overy (A&O) global co-head of corporate Richard Cranfield has stepped into the role of chairman of the practice, with London corporate chief Andrew Ballheimer taking his place in the firmwide role.
Clifford Chance and Slaughters lead on New Look IPO

2-Feb-2010

Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May have been handed the mandates to advise on New Look’s IPO in a deal that is expected to raise £650m for the company.
Old Square and Devereux back in court for BA contracts dispute

2-Feb-2010

Old Square Chambers silk John Hendy QC is back in court this morning trying to overturn changes to employment contracts introduced by British Airways (BA) last year.
Ropes raids Weil for restructuring hire

29-Jan-2010

Weil Gotshal & Manges restructuring partner Tony Horspool is leaving the firm to join Ropes & Gray less than two years after defecting from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft.
CC snubbed as KKR turns to Simpson Thacher on Pets at Home deal

27-Jan-2010

Clifford Chance has lost out to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett on Kohlberg Kravis Roberts’ (KKR) £955m buyout of retailer Pets at Home, with partner Adam Signy giving M&A advice to the US private equity house.
MoFo bags HMRC, NPIA and Tata sourcing work

25 January 2010

Morrison & Foerster’s (MoFo) London global sourcing group has advised on a trio of deals, one apiece for clients HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the National Policing Improvements Agency (NPIA) and Tata Consultancy Services.
WorldSpreads brings home Bacon as counsel

25 January 2010

CMC Markets’ former group director of legal Dominic Bacon has joined spread-betting company WorldSpreads as general counsel and group head of compliance.
Herbies prepares for further elections with top finance job up for grabs

20-Jan-2010

Herbert Smith will unveil new corporate and finance practice heads next months as the partnership gears up for a further round of elections.
Reed Smith spin-off Hill Hofstetter bags ex-chief

18 January 2010

Reed Smith’s former UK head Tim Foster has quit for Birmingham-based Hill Hofstetter, which was spun out of Reed Smith at the end of 2008.
We can work it out

13-Jan-2010

When is a litigation not a litigation? When the opposing sides agree to work together to find a resolution to the matter in hand.
13 Old Square’s Warren Lee: 50 years at Lincoln’s Inn and still going strong

11 January 2010

When 13 Old Square Chambers clerk Warren Lee celebrated 50 years at Lincoln’s Inn last year, Lord Justice Munby, who Lee clerked for when both were at 1 New Square, hailed the occasion as “splendid and memorable”.
Iceland crisis: what Ashurst and Mishcon advised

6-Jan-2010

Weeks after asking Ashurst and Mishcon de Reya about the legal consequences of delaying or rejecting a deal to repay the UK and Netherlands almost €4bn (£3.6bn) lost in Icelandic bank Icesave, the country’s president has chosen to hold a referendum on the matter.
Dundas partners give Shaw second term at helm

4-Jan-2010

Partners at Scotland-headquartered firm Dundas & Wilson have elected Donald Shaw as the firm’s sole managing partner after his co-chief Alan Campbell stood down from management.
Old Square and Devereux silks prepare for BA court battle

16-Dec-2009

John Hendy QC of Old Square Chambers is facing Bruce Carr QC of Devereux Chambers this morning as British Airways (BA) heads to court seeking an injunction to stop its workers striking over Christmas.
Hogan Lovells merger gets backing of firms' partners

15-Dec-2009

The merger between Lovells and Hogan & Hartson will go ahead at the beginning of May after the two firms’ partnerships voted in favour of the union.
Bakers adds ‘listening ears’ to diversity facility

14 December 2009

Baker & McKenzie has launched a diversity contact network aimed at allowing potential recruits to grill people within the firm about any diversity-related issues.
Veale Wasbrough Vizards hires insolvency litigation chief

7 December 2009

Newly merged firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards has hired a barrister to head its insolvency litigation team after the previous holder of the post was named managing partner of the firm.
Childs reelected for second term at helm of Clifford Chance

3-Dec-2009

Clifford Chance global managing partner David Childs has been reelected for a second term after standing unopposed for the position.
Amarchand flies in UK talent as Mumbai COO

23 November 2009

Indian firm Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co has turned to the UK legal market for the hire of a chief operating officer (COO) for the Mumbai region.
Linklaters sees half-year turnover drop by 9.5 per cent

20-Nov-2009

Linklaters’ turnover is down 9.5 per cent at the half-year stage, with the firm attracting £591m compared with £653m during the same period last year.
Burness scoops sole Gala employment role

16 November 2009

Scottish firm Burness has been appointed as sole employment law adviser to gaming company Gala Coral Group.
Lovells partners in line for post-merger windfall

16 November 2009

Partners to scrutinise fine print of deal ahead of key merger vote
New Zealand lawyers launch outsourcing team

16 November 2009

A new legal process outsourcing (LPO) company has entered the marketplace, offering law firms and in-house counsel the services of UK-qualified lawyers based in New Zealand.
Hackney legal teams merged into two sections

09 November 2009

The Legal chief at the London Borough of Hackney has restructured her legal department to create better-defined career paths for her lawyers.
Links sees through Goldshield purchase for HgCapital-led MBO

09 November 2009

Linklaters has guided private equity client HgCapital to success in a convoluted battle to buy generic drugs company Goldshield Group.
The In-house Interview: Local hero

09 November 2009

With huge changes underway at the London Borough of Hackney, legal chief Gifty Edila is working hard to help improve the outlook for residents.
UK firms eye opportunities down under as Aussie quartet muscle in

09 November 2009

The region has been pushed into the spotlight with a host of UK related deals. By Margaret Taylor
UK still wants bite of American pie

09 November 2009

For a while there it looked as if the passion had gone from the UK legal world’s love affair with the US. After years of outrageous flirting, punctuated by the odd failed romance, it seemed as if the Brits had begun shifting their affections towards Australia.
CC predicts profit points will bounce back after fall in PEP

02 November 2009

?Partners at Clifford Chance are anticipating a profit per point uplift of around 25 per cent at the half-year stage following a year when average profit per equity partner (PEP) at the firm slumped by 37 per cent.
Independents’ day

02 November 2009

While independent law firms are growing in popularity in Germany, making the move is not without its risks.
Lovells, Hogan leaders give green light to tie-up

02 November 2009

The merger between Lovells and US firm Hogan & Hartson looks almost certain to go ahead after the two firms’ management teams unanimously backed the union.
Ogier advises fund focused on female-friendly companies

02 November 2009

Offshore firm Ogier has won a mandate to advise on the launch of one of the first funds to focus on investing in companies with a high number of women in senior roles.
Hogan Lovells one step closer as merger wins full support of both firms' management

29-Oct-2009

Management teams at Lovells and Hogan & Hartson have unanimously backed the firms’ proposed merger and will recommend that their respective partnerships back the union.
Hackney to re-examine barristers panel

26 October 2009

London Borough of Hackney legal chief Gifty Edila is reviewing the authority’s barristers panel in a bid to cut down its £6m annual legal spend.
Baker & McKenzie revamps management committees

22-Oct-2009

Baker & McKenzie London partner Beatriz Pessoa de Araujo has been elected to the firm’s international executive committee, freeing a space on the London management committee.
CC chief Childs plans to take a scythe to management layers

19 October 2009

The victor in the race to become Clifford Chance’s next London managing partner could have a short-lived reign, if plans being drawn up by global chief David Childs are actioned.
Clifford Chance real estate head wins further term in office

16-Oct-2009

Clifford Chance global real estate head Cliff McAuley has been re-elected to a further four-year term in the role.
Stewart, Bickerton battle for Clifford Chance London MP job

14-Oct-2009

Clifford Chance London finance head Mark Stewart and London capital markets chief David Bickerton are set to go head-to-head in a battle to become the firm’s next City chief.
Clifford Chance offers training courses to Indian best friend AZB

12-Oct-2009

Clifford Chance’s Indian best friend AZB & Partners is sending four associates for training at the magic circle firm’s European training centre.
Legal outsourcing trend gains momentum as clients get tough

12 October 2009

Outsourcing, it would seem, is the new black, but the fact that ultra-stylish, super-conservative Slaughter and May is bang on trend with this is more than a little surprising.
Lovells will axe lockstep to push through Hogan tie-up

12 October 2009

US firm’s merit-based system hailed as selling point for merger.
Mayer Brown revisits Pompey merry-go-round

12 October 2009

Mayer Brown corporate partner Rob Hamill has led a team advising on the sale of Portsmouth Football Club, just six weeks after advising on its purchase.
Lovells eyes transatlantic merger with US firm Hogan & Hartson

8-Oct-2009

Lovells is in merger talks with US firm Hogan & Hartson with the aim of creating a transatlantic player with a combined turnover of £1.1bn.
Mayer Brown advises on latest sale of Portsmouth FC

6-Oct-2009

Mayer Brown corporate partner Rob Hamill has led a team from the firm advising on the sale of Portsmouth Football Club - six weeks after advising on its purchase.
CC outsources 300 deals to Indian service centre

1-Oct-2009

Clifford Chance passed 12,000 hours of work to its Indian service centre in the last financial year, the equivalent level that would be done by seven London associates at 100 per cent utilisation.
SRA to establish first regulatory panel

23-Sep-2009

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is looking to establish its first-ever roster of external regulatory advisers and is currently asking firms to tender for places.
A&O loses German corporate heavyweight to Oppenhoff & Partner

21-Sep-2009

Allen & Overy (A&O) star German corporate partner Rolf Koerfer has left the firm for partnership at Linklaters spin-off Oppenhoff & Partner.
Lehman: the day the financial world changed

16-Sep-2009

Twelve months after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the aftershocks are still being felt in the legal world.
Eversheds gets wrist slapped in Rover report

14 September 2009

Eversheds has been mildly rebuked in an otherwise damning report into the collapse of MG Rover.
Former Freshfields man snaps up top legal job at pensions body

14 September 2009

Pensions body the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (Pada) has named a former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner as its general counsel.
T-Mobile, Orange call on CC and Norton Rose for merger advice

14 September 2009

Competition teams at Clifford Chance and Norton Rose are striving to make a tie-up between Orange UK and T-Mobile UK work as their European parents try to create the UK’s largest mobile phone operator.
Eversheds' hasty due diligence exposed in MG Rover report

11-Sep-2009

Eversheds has been mildly rebuked in an otherwise damning report into the collapse of MG Rover.
Lovells enters tie-up with France's Kuntz

8-Sep-2009

Lovells has formed a co-operation agreement with Paris-based insolvency boutique Kuntz & Associés.
Norton Rose joins CC on Orange's T-Mobile merger

8-Sep-2009

Clifford Chance and Norton Rose are advising on the potential merger of T-Mobile UK and Orange UK in a deal that would create the largest mobile phone operator in the UK.
Body overseeing pensions personal accounts names GC

8-Sep-2009

Pensions body the personal accounts delivery authority (PADA) has named a former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner as its general counsel.
Off-kilter

UK200 2009

Every sector has provided Scotland’s law firms with challenges, but projects lawyers have been feeling the recession most keenly. By Margaret Taylor
The power of 10

UK200 2009

The past decade has brought recession, consolidation and a cultural revolution to the legal sector in the UK. Catrin Griffiths and Margaret Taylor assess how the top firms have evolved and defined the changing times
Vexed in the city

UK200 2009

The London large peer group has had a tough time of it, but management is looking to international growth to offset disappointing financials. By Margaret Taylor
2Birds joins forces with Chinese IP boutique

31 August 2009

?Bird & Bird has formed an alliance with Beijing IP boutique Xiang Kung Law Firm, with the aim of strengthening its contentious capabilities in China.
A&O and Linklaters take on Schaeffler debt restructure

31 August 2009

Allen & Overy (A&O) and Linklaters have played key roles in the restructuring of German company Schaeffler’s debt, paving the way for the ball-bearing producer to merge with auto-parts manufacturer Continental.
Engaged tone

31 August 2009

What a difference a year of mass job cuts makes. A year ago YouGov’s first legal sector employee engagement survey revealed a chasm between the level of engagement felt by lawyers and business services staff, with the latter feeling undervalued, underpaid and out of the loop.
Hewitsons cuts salaries to stave off job cuts

31 August 2009

?Fee-earners across Cambridge-headquartered firm Hewitsons’ offices have had their pay cut, but their hours have been reduced by a disproportionate amount.
Profession takes a deep breath as fears of Armageddon are put to bed

31 August 2009

?With the catastrophic predictions of the economic downturn failing to fully materialise, Margaret Taylor reflects on firms’ past, present and future strategies
2Birds seals alliance with Chinese IP firm

21-Aug-2009

Bird & Bird has formed an alliance with Beijing IP boutique Xiang Kung Law Firm, with the aim of strengthening its contentious capabilities in China.
Herbies strengthens Dubai disputes practice with London partner

21-Aug-2009

Herbert Smith is bolstering its Middle East disputes practice by relocating London partner Stuart Paterson to Dubai.
A&O, Linklaters lead on €12bn Schaeffler debt restructuring

20-Aug-2009

Allen & Overy (A&O) and Linklaters have played key roles in the restructuring of German company Schaeffler’s debt, paving the way for the ball-bearing maker to merge with auto-parts manufacturer Continental.
FoxMandal pays Delhi salaries after two-month hiatus

18-Aug-2009

Indian firm FoxMandal Little has paid the salaries owed to Delhi fee-earners after cashflow difficulties led to a two-month delay.
Departing GKN legal chief joins Competition Commission

18-Aug-2009

The former head of legal at technology and engineering company GKN has been appointed to the Competition Commission’s strategic management board.
Brodies’ growth in single figures as PEP returns to 2006-07 level

10 August 2009

Scottish firm Brodies has ended its eight-year run of double-digit turnover growth after posting a turnover rise of 5 per cent for 2008-09.
Chambers overtake law firms in pay battle for junior talent

10 August 2009

Barristers’ chambers hike pupil pay by a third, but newly qualified solicitor salary cuts spread across the UK
Shepherd & Wedderburn results reflect tough times

10 August 2009

Edinburgh-headquartered Shepherd & Wedderburn’s turnover fell by 7 per cent in the 2008-09 financial year, with average profit per equity partner (PEP) dropping 26 per cent.
Raleys appeals SDT decisions on miners case

6-Aug-2009

North-east firm Raleys Solicitors is appealing two Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) decisions relating to the firm’s role in handling compensation claims from sick coalminers.
CC looks to global growth with City promotions down

3 August 2009

Clifford Chance has made up 17 lawyers in its delayed promotions round, with its London headquarters gaining just three of the new partners.
Lindsays dispenses with investment arm

3 August 2009

Edinburgh-based firm Lindsays has disposed of its investment management arm to focus purely on providing legal advice.
Pinsents, Eversheds scoop lead roles on Viking deal

3 August 2009

Eversheds and Pinsent Masons have lined up on opposite sides of a rare private equity deal, with the former advising the vendor and the latter the buyer of offshore oil and gas company Viking Moorings.
Lee & Thompson wins libel damages for Peter Andre

31-Jul-2009

Media boutique Lee & Thompson and 5 Raymond Buildings have secured libel damages for Peter Andre in a case against People newspaper.
CC shuns London in delayed promotions round

27-Jul-2009

Clifford Chance has made up 17 lawyers in its delayed promotions round, with its London headquarters gaining just three of the new partners.
CC's Indian ally merges with Bangalore firm

27-Jul-2009

Clifford Chance’s Indian ally AZB & Partners has extended its presence in India via a merger with the Bangalore firm of Anup Shah.
Maclays' PEP slides at end of "disappointing" year

24-Jul-2009

Scotland-headquartered firm Maclay Murray & Spens saw average profits per equity partner (PEP) fall 32 per cent over the last financial year on the back of a turnover drop of 9 per cent.
Lovells advises on Babcock & Brown fund sell off

24-Jul-2009

Lovells has been instructed by a group of former Babcock & Brown staff who have bought out the failed firm’s €2.2bn (£1.9bn) European infrastructure fund.
Battle to become Freshfields’ global corporate head begins in earnest

20 July 2009

Will the young guns push Rawlinson out of pole position? Margaret Taylor investigates
Silver circle tarnished as financials slide

20 July 2009

?Equity partners at firms in the silver circle will be taking home a significantly lower share of profits following the 2008-09 financial year, with profit per equity partner (PEP) falling by an average of 34 per cent.
UK firms dig in their heels

20 July 2009

There’s nothing like a bit of protectionism for stirring up ill-feeling. As our lead story details, what started out as a group of Bulgarian firms marking their territory against an influx of foreign competition has turned into a full-scale battle, and each side is utterly incensed at the other’s actions.
Wilberforce silk wins appeal on key pension benefits ruling

20 July 2009

Brian Green QC of Wilberforce Chambers has won a Court of Appeal case that will have implications for the raft of pension schemes currently grappling with equalisation issues.
Orrick and Slaughters advise as Venture rejects Centrica's takeover bid

14-Jul-2009

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and Slaughter and May are advising as talks continue between Centrica and North Sea gas producer Venture Production.
Glasgow athletes’ village builder turns to Burness

6 July 2009

Scottish firm Burness has won a choice mandate to advise the preferred bidder for the development of the athletes’ village for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Linklaters’ financial results herald new world order

6 July 2009

Magic circle redrawn; Clifford Chance relegated to third place while its PEP plummets to half of rivals’
TwoBirds rolls out bursary scheme

6 July 2009

Bird & Bird has launched a bursary scheme to give students from underprivileged backgrounds financial assistance to study law.
Clifford Chance's PEP slides to £733,000 at end of turbulent year

1-Jul-2009

Clifford Chance’s average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure plummeted by 37 per cent in the last financial year, down to levels last seen at the firm eight years ago.
Clifford Chance spins off Hungarian office

30-Jun-2009

Clifford Chance is to pull out of Hungary, with the lawyers in its office there set to form a standalone firm.
Hard nut to craic

29 June 2009

The Irish legal market is notoriously hard for foreign firms to break into. But this hasn’t stopped some from trying. Margaret Taylor reports
Norton Rose signs tie-up with Australia's Deacons

23-Jun-2009

Norton Rose is to merge with Deacons Australia, giving the combined entity a turnover of more than £420m and 12 offices across Australasia.
UK firms become Cape crusaders

22 June 2009

As a topic for conversation, legal outsourcing is as close to yawn-inducing as you can get, but if the IT speak is stripped away it’s clear that there’s something of a quiet evolution going on in the legal market
Hammonds debt collection spin-off Drydens bought by ex-DLA partner

15-Jun-2009

The partners of Hammonds’ debt collection spin-off Drydens have sold the business months after another Hammonds spin-off, Hammonds Direct, went into administration.
Long and winding road for law firms as GM creates legal production line

15-Jun-2009

GM’s crash and US govt rescue throws up some tricky issues on both sides of the Atlantic. By Margaret Taylor
Harper McLeod’s PEP tumbles in spite of improved turnover

15 June 2009

Scottish firm Harper McLeod has seen its average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure drop by 10 per cent over the past financial year, despite posting a marginal rise in turnover.
Herbies senior partner calls time on position

15 June 2009

Herbert Smith senior partner David Gold will not seek a second term in the role, meaning the firm will begin the process of finding a successor in November.
Herbies’ international revenues offset City dip

15 June 2009

Herbert Smith’s international offices continued to grow turnover share over the 2008-09 financial year, with London accounting for 70 per cent of total revenue compared with 77 per cent last year.
Addleshaws wins key mandate on West Brom deal

12-Jun-2009

Addleshaw Goddard has advised the West Bromwich Building Society in a deal with its bond holders designed to bolster its financial position.
Herbies' PEP plummets while revenue inches up to £444m

8-Jun-2009

Herbert Smith’s average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure has dropped below the £1m mark for the 2008-09 financial year after smashing the financial landmark for the first time last year.
CMC Markets legal director departs

8 June 2009

CMC Markets group director of legal Dominic Bacon has left and started a three-month period of gardening leave.
LSC chief exec: contracting shift is not to blame for agency closures

8 June 2009

The chief executive of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has hit out at claims made in The Lawyer by the head of the London Legal Support Trust (LLST).
Pensions time bomb threatens A&O, Eversheds

8 June 2009

Welter of litigation predicted as pension trustees eye legal actions over alleged bad advice in the 1990s
Justice of the lease

1 June 2009

What is it with Hammonds and convoluted partner disputes?
Lovells reaps rewards of poor pound as rivals toil

1 June 2009

The first financial results from firms in the top 10 have started trickling out, with the massive impact of sterling’s decline against the euro and the dollar helping bolster Lovells’ 2008-09 revenue figure.
Scottish Equity Partners brings in Maclay associate as first GC

1 June 2009

Venture capital house Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has appointed its first-ever general counsel, after hiring Maclay Murray & Spens associate Andrew Buchan.
Pound weakness helps Lovells report turnover rise of 11 per cent

27-May-2009

The massive impact of sterling’s decline against the euro and the dollar has helped bolster Lovells’ 2008-09 financial results, with the firm posting a rise in revenue of 11 per cent over the past financial year.
Virgin hires ex-SJ Berwin partner

25 May 2009

Former SJ Berwin partner Charlotte McMillan has joined Virgin Media in the newly created role of assistant general counsel.
The Transatlantic Elite 2009: International rescue

The Lawyer Transatlantic Elite

With the recent demise of so many financial institutions, Margaret Taylor takes a look at the firms that have benefited from the ensuing flood of work
Freshfields, Links lead way on Heineken-Globe Pub debt deal

27 April 2009

Magic circle firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have lined up to advise on brewing giant Heineken’s surprise investment in Globe Pub Company’s senior debt.
High-flyers get wings clipped as UK bears the brunt of promotion caution

27 April 2009

With the 2009 promotions season well under way, the theme so far is that generally fewer partners are being promoted.
Scottish arbitrators expand in anticipation of new bill

27 April 2009

THE?SCOTTISH Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators has set up a new north of Scotland section ahead of the Arbitration (Scotland) Bill.
All being fair and equal…

20 April 2009

The legal profession has come a long way in recent years, with many - but not all - lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people no longer having to fear that their chance of partnership will be jeopardised if lunchtime conversations turn to discussions about weekend activities.
CC restructuring plans put promotions on hold

13 April 2009

Senior associates at Clifford Chance will have a longer-than-normal wait to discover whether they have made partnership this year with the firm postponing its promotions round until its global restructuring has been taken care of.
Firms ramp up Brussels regulatory teams

13 April 2009

A range of firms have boosted their Brussels offices with new hires.
Hammonds head of construction joins Reynolds Porter Chamberlain

13 April 2009

Hammonds head of construction Jeff Brown has left the firm to join Reynolds Porter Chamberlain as a consultant.
Happier endings?

13 April 2009

Maybe it’s an end-of-year lull, but the sense of panic that characterised the post-Christmas period seems to have finally abated. For now.
White & Case’s canny African move could prove a catalyst

13 April 2009

WHITE & Case’s decision to deploy a number of London-based lawyers in Africa is a useful way of dealing with some of its issues in the City, but it is also a good strategy in a wider context.
White & Case’s canny African move could prove a catalyst

13 April 2009

White & Case’s decision to deploy a number of London-based lawyers in Africa is a useful way of dealing with some of its issues in the City, but it is also a good strategy in a wider context.
Linklaters gains 18 new partners, six in London

6-Apr-2009

Magic circle firm Linklaters has promoted 18 to its partnership, favouring London on a regional basis and corporate on a practice group basis.
Kirkland, Maitland gain clarification of client money liquidation process

6 April 2009

Kirkland & Ellis and Maitland Chambers have secured a High Court ruling that has clarified the position for creditors of Financial Services Authority (FSA)-regulated companies that deal with client money.
Sackers posts profit dip despite turnover stasis

6 April 2009

Pensions boutique Sacker & Partners maintained its turnover during the 2008-09 financial year, although profit dipped slightly.
Lovells freezes salaries and cuts 79 jobs

2-Apr-2009

Lovells is the latest firm to freeze salaries at this year’s levels with all lawyers, support staff and legal PAs affected.
Lovells revamps partnership council

1-Apr-2009

Lovells has elected five new members to its partnership council with five existing members coming to the end of their terms at the end of April.
Ashurst corporate head joins Competition Commission

1-Apr-2009

Ashurst’s former corporate head Roger Finbow has joined the Competition Commission as a reporting panel member along with Linklaters partner Tony Morris.
Freshfields leads on partner promotions

30 March 2009

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has led this year’s promotions round, making up a total of 14 to its partnership.
SJ Berwin secures Whitehall Capital fund advisory role

30 March 2009

SJ Berwin has won a mandate from the Government to advise on the establishment of its Capital for Enterprise fund.
Tods Murray’s bid to scotch ‘damaging’ rumours

30 March 2009

Market gossip in an upmarket is little more than a gentle annoyance. In a downmarket, on the other hand, it can be extremely damaging.
Turcan Connell promotes non-lawyers to partner status in readiness for ABSs

30 March 2009

Scottish private client firm Turcan Connell has promoted two non-lawyers to partner-equivalent status in preparation for the introduction of alternative business structures (ABSs) to the legal market.
Olswang triples Berlin office with Freshfields hires

25-Mar-2009

Olswang has tripled the partner headcount in its Berlin office by hiring a real estate team from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
CC restructure given green light by partners

23-Mar-2009

Clifford Chance partners have voted in favour of amending their partnership agreement to allow management to forge ahead with a partnership cull.
Freshfields leads promos with 14 new partners

23-Mar-2009

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has promoted a total of 14 to its partnership, a significant drop from the 25 who were made up in last year’s round.
BSI brings in former Symantec legal head

23 March 2009

Former Symantec Corporation head of legal Romny Gray has joined BSI Group as director of legal affairs and company secretary, replacing Richard Catt.
Cutbacks continue as 2,751 legal staff reach end of line

23 March 2009
Dentons helps raise cash for African power projects

23 March 2009
Dentons signs up Glyn Marais to African roster

23 March 2009
Ex-Coca-Cola counsel emerges at Aids charity

23 March 2009

The Former legal chief at The Coca-Cola Company Paul Meadows has taken the top legal role at the International HIV/Aids Alliance two years after leaving the soft drinks giant.
Is Norton Rose’s four-day week just staving off the inevitable?

23 March 2009
Tods Murray chief slams insolvency rumours

23 March 2009

Tods Murray executive partner David Dunsire (pictured) has publicly defended his firm in a letter to a Sunday newspaper in an unprecedented attempt to scotch damaging rumours about the legal industry, and his firm in particular.

The LawyerMargaret Taylor Editorial

The Lawyer
Margaret Taylor Editorial