Analysis
Market force
Russia is an attractive proposition for institutional investors at the moment, with a boom in bond issuances
Magic realism
International firms are jostling for position with local players in a packed legal market, but the UK magic circle still dominates
Abroad-minded
UK associates may have to move out if they want to move up, as firms look to add strength in growing economies
When the numbers don’t add up anymore
Redundancies are sweeping the legal industry as firms of all sizes adjust to a world of permanent price pressure - and partners are no longer secure in ivory towers
System change
Budget tracking has become a core part of many in-housers’ roles, and delegates at our recent Portugal summit considered the hi-tech approach
All eyes on energy
The arrival of Texas firm Andrews Kurth in the UK proves how busy the oil and gas market has become. But the sector’s high level of activity has caught the eye of the European Commission
The known unknowns
A surprising number of UK associates haven’t even heard of the top US firms in London. Our survey reveals their attitudes
Tonic for the troops
Law firms often appear to focus their training efforts on the newbies to the legal profession, but increasingly programmes target mid-level associates
Look both ways
Chinese firms are pushing ahead with international expansion as equally important internal changes are being played out
In it to win it
Firms shortlisted for The Lawyer Awards upped their game in a grim market, with imagination and hard work the watchwords
Getting the balance right
New rules governing international arbitration have lawyers hotly debating how much regulation is required
Pressure group: analysis on retention rates
The trainee intake model has reached critical point with shrinking business opportunities compounded by high training costs
Offshore: Corporate and litigation roundup
A round-up of some of the most prominent mandates that have been keeping offshore lawyers busy
Shining through
Offshore firms are not letting proposed regulatory changes to the legal profession put them off opening offices in the British Virgin Islands
Hire plains drifters: how the top US firms are doing in London
US firms are on a hiring drive to gain clout in London and boost their English law capabilities, and the tactic is paying off
Intelligent design
Access to sophisticated business intelligence is critical in a fast-changing market, but at many firms the technology is not up to the job
M&A plus
Deals are on the up in Switzerland, while measures to shed light on the country’s mysterious banking system also herald work for lawyers
High anxiety: how the new financial regulatory regime will affect lawyers
Nerves are mounting over the ‘twin peaks’ financial regulation regime which could see accountants grabbing top-end advice work
In for the count
Forensic accounting is now big business and a major part of litigation. Could this lead to merged legal and accountancy firms?
Feature: Out of practice
Herbies rainmaker Ted Greeno is the latest in a line of top litigators packing their bags for the lure of the mighty dollar. But the firm insists their departures have nothing to do with the Freehills merger
Autofocus
Pensions auto-enrolment is about to hit medium-size businesses. Employers are clamouring for advice - as are the law firms themselves
Power block
Energy work has long powered Nigerian law firms, but slow progress on legislation is holding up the sector’s growth
Scotland feature: Saltire in the wounds
While Scottish banks prospered law firms lived like lairds, moving into modern, high-end premises. But then came the crash
Middle CEE
With domestic stability but uncertainty in the surrounding region, Austria’s law firms are looking at fresh ways of managing the financial crisis
Peter Kalis interview: All clear
Clarity is K&L Gates boss Peter Kalis’s not-so- secret weapon in putting clear blue water between his firm and others’ opaque financial reporting
Set fair
Legislation to break up the concentration of economic power in Israel will spark a business upsurge, say panellists at our London event
Battlegrounds
Hong Kong and Singapore are becoming important international disputes hubs, and moves are afoot to further open up their court systems
21st century silk: the facts, the figures and six personal stories from this year's round
Just 84 QCs were made up this year. It’s an expensive game, so we ask some of the chosen few why it’s worth it
Feeling the heat: how Spain's big four firms are coping with the economic crisis
Spain’s big four law firms are serious players on the European scene, but tough times have called for tough coping strategies
Sum people
A third of partners hired in London don’t stick - and the finger of suspicion points at the hiring system itself
In the pipeline
Prospects of domestic shale gas supplies and a steady stream of EU regulatory changes mean Polish lawyers should see even more work flowing in
Record plays
Non-traditional business models with their client-centric focus are prompting firms to take a closer look at document management and its benefits
Cash flow
US firms are picking up more than their fair share of big-name banking and finance partners. Why?
Analysis on DWF: Self-assembly, or the DIY law firm
DWF has bolted on five firms in the space of a year. Not everyone is convinced about the way the parts fit together
Here to help
In an era of outsourcing, mobile working and watching the property pennies, the facilities management function can help in a variety of ways
Rebuilding society
As Portuguese firms face liberalisation in a post-bailout world and the home market remains tough, many are setting their sights overseas
CC gets it together in Saudi Arabia
Trailblazer firm tests mixed partnership water in the desert kingdom
Exclusive video interview with Rudy Giuliani: why Bracewell is coming to London video
The most high-profile partner at Houston-based energy firm Bracewell & Giuliani, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, outlines his firm’s plans to grow in the UK in a video interview with The Lawyer.
Analysis on Bracewell & Giuliani and the shale gas market: The fracking truth
US energy law specialist Bracewell & Giuliani’s desire for a pole position in UK shale is fuelling a boost of its City operations
More roads lead to law
Lord Sumption’s assertion that to be the best, lawyers should not study law, is gaining acceptance among law firms
Clear intent
The Mid Staffordshire Inquiry’s call for a duty of candour will have far-reaching effects on the NHS and clinical negligence - if it is ever implemented
The Riyadh dance
International firms taking a local Saudi partner is a common routine but is it always the best move for both parties?
Ebb and flow
Maples and Calder has regained the top spot and other firms are expanding - the tide is changing offshore
LLP analysis: top firms' figures laid bare
The LLPs lay out the state of the market in black and white. It’s not always pretty reading
The India Opportunity
Is India still the jewel in the BRICs’ crown? Managing risk when investing in the country was the subject of a lively debate in London recently
Profit on the margins
You don’t have to be a big firm to innovate and thrive in a downturn, as our look at the lower half of the UK 200 shows. We pick 10 inspiring stories
Back in the game
Privatisation work is trickling back into Greece and foreign investor interest is resurfacing
Fund fair?
Firms are considering their options prior to the Jackson reforms deadline in April, but fewer cases are likely to be viable
Davis Polk analysis: Friends and relationships
New boss Tom Reid is taking Davis Polk down a path that calls longstanding links into question, including those with Slaughter and May
Safety first for Barclays' quest
Bank tipped to replace GC Mark Harding with internal candidate after Libor scandal
Broken cover
A growing trend for insurers pulling fraud and regulatory cover for company directors is having a major effect on corporate defence practices
Voter cycle
Political instability in Italy has made foreign investors wary, slashing legal activity, but there is optimism that the coming elections could start a recovery
Crash course to success
Jeff Winn’s extraordinary journey from small-town solicitor to £10m-a-year road accident law mogul is proof that entrepreneurialism pays
Threestyle
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania escaped the worst of the eurozone crisis, making them attractive to foreign investors. That trend is set to grow
Crunch boom
Financial disputes are starting to dominate the English courts as the long-awaited fallout from the downturn finally comes to town
Know way
Knowledge management is an increasingly important function in offering quality client service, and the tools involved are getting more sophisticated
Sous le soleil
Firms in north-west Africa’s Morocco and Algeria hubs are seeing a greater influx of international clients into the French-dominated market
Green shoots
A new survey shows positivity is trickling back in to Ireland’s legal market as a recovering economy draws work their way, even in the notorious property sector
The down-to-earth visionary
Eversheds CEO Bryan Hughes’ finance-focused style suited the recession, but his challenge now is to take the firm to the next, global, stage
The crunch bunch
Last year’s punishing economic conditions pushed many companies into administration. We take a look at the big UK cases
Due South
A resource-rich home territory remains the focus for Canadian firms but growing client globalisation is pulling them to Latin America and Africa
Go Deutsche
Difficulty securing financing has slowed corporate activity but Germany’s Mittelstand sector is helping firms buck the trend
Fee radical
Our latest in-depth analysis of UK M&A legal bills reveals a good performance by smaller firms and success fees on the rise
Changing Romania
Romania’s political feuding is not helping the economy, as a much-needed IMF loan hangs in the balance
The Top 20 Cases 2013
This promises to be a bumper season in the courts, so here’s our selection of the bust-ups to watch
Patent by numbers
A single patent court system for Europe and the high-profile ‘phone wars’ are putting IP at the heart of clients’ business strategies
AstraZeneca Insurance v XL Insurance & Ace Bermuda Insurance
AstraZeneca Insurance Company Ltd v XL Insurance (Bermuda) Ltd and Ace Bermuda Insurance Ltd
Harbinger Capital v Independent Valuer of Northern Rock; HM Treasury
Harbinger Capital Partners v (1) Andrew Caldwell (as the Independent Valuer of Northern Rock plc); (2) HM Treasury
AADB v Deloitte
The Accountancy & Actuarial Discipline Board v (1) Deloitte LLP and Maghsoud Einollahi
Thomas Hicks; George Gillett & Ors v Martin Broughton & Ors
(1) Thomas Hicks; (2) George Gillett; (3) Kop Football (Cayman) Ltd; (4) Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd; (5) Kop Football Ltd v The Royal Bank Of Scotland plc and (1) Kop Football (Cayman) Ltd; (2) Thomas Hicks; (3) George Gillett; (4) UKSV Holdings Company Ltd; (5) NESV I LLC; (6) Kop Football Ltd; (7) Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd and (8) Kop Investment LLC v (1) Martin Broughton; (2) Christian Purslow & Ian Ayre
Interflora v Marks and Spencer; Flowers Direct Online
(1) Interflora, Inc (2) Interflora British Unit v (1) Marks and Spencer plc (2) Flowers Direct Online Ltd
GDF Suez v Teesside Power Holdings& Ors
GDF Suez International Holdings BV and GdF International SAS v Teesside Power Holdings, Western Power Investments, South Wales TPL Investments, Cargill Financial Markets, ELQ Investors
Madoff Securities v Stephen Raven & Ors
Madoff Securities International Ltd v (1) Stephen Ernest John Raven; (2) Leon Flax; (3) Christopher Dale; (4) Philip John Toop; (5) Malcolm Stevenson; (6) Peter Madoff; (7) Mark Madoff; (8) Andrew Madoff; (9) Sonja Kohn; (10) Erko Incorporated; and (11) Tecno Development & Research Ltd
Constantin Medien v Bernie Ecclestone & Ors
Constantin Medien v (1) Bernie Ecclestone, (2) Stephen Mullens, (3) Bambino Holdings Ltd, (4) Gerhard Gribkowsky
Merrill Lynch v Comune di Firenze; UBS v Comune di Firenze; Dexia Crediop v Comune di Firenze
(1) Merrill Lynch International Bank Ltd v Comune di Firenze; (2) UBS Ltd v Comune di Firenze; (3) Dexia Crediop SpA v Comune di Firenze
London Underground v Freshfields; Herbert Smith
London Underground Ltd v (1) Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; (2) Herbert Smith
Continental Capital Markets v GFI Holdings & Ors
Continental Capital Markets SA v GFI Holdings Ltd & Ors
Ndiku Mutua & Ors v Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Ndiku Mutua & Ors v Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
Cohen & Stephen (Liquidators of Rangers FC) & Ors v Collyer Bristow
Cohen & Stephen (The Liquidators of Rangers FC) & Ors v Collyer Bristow
Review of the year
Career development and workplace issues have long been the centrepiece of The Lawyer’s reporting.
Reserve psychology
Cyprus is mired in bailout talks yet has massive untapped gas reserves. We ask the experts how the island’s law firms are coping with this complexity
The perfect storm
New regulations, technology, competitors and customer expectations are forcing law firms to adapt to change, say the industry’s leading lightsIn association with Thomson Reuters
Gearing up
Civil unrest is holding Bahrain back but lawyers believe that slow transactional work is down to more than the political situation
Featured case: Civil procedure
JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov [2012] EWCA Civ 1411. Maurice Kay LJ; Rix LJ; Toulson LJ. 6 November 2012
Access all areas
It is widely held that regional Administrative Courts have promoted access to justice and lawyers outside London have geared up to meet the challenge
Charge of the lit brigade
The Lawyer’s latest Top 50 litigation firms list shows that business for dispute specialists is roaring along while new in-depth detail reveals the winning strategies
Record delivery
E-disclosure is here to stay and gathering pace, so lawyers need to get up to speed to help their clients through the new electronic battleground. In association with
Points of review
The widely criticised Legal Education and Training Review is in its final stages. Opinion is divided on whether it will achieve its objectives
Toeing the line
Investigations and regulations have become a core part of what in-housers have to deal with. In association with Grant Thornton
Dundas & Wilson: Lawyers in need
Dundas & Wilson has had a torrid few years. What can the new management do to turn the firm around?
Island of calm on a storm-lashed continent
Lawyers gathered in London last week to hear why Luxembourg offers such big potential for investors. In association with Wildgen
Flying south
The southern African region is developing quickly and its vast promise is attracting a flock of foreign law firms
Crowded huis
Jones Day plans to open in Amsterdam, but is there room in the market for another US firm in the Netherlands?
IPO blimey
Many firms are having their worst time for a decade in Hong Kong, due to a precipitous fall in IPO work
Outside interest
Beyond Beijing and Shanghai, other Chinese cities are powerful too - and growing faster than the international star venues
Last-mover advantage
Going your own way can pay off big time - just ask The Lawyer’s European Firm of the Year, Noerr
Alas, poor Orrick
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?
Light and shade
The Russian legal market faces a new era as the government opens the door to greater business transparency, but not everything is open to scrutiny
M&A plus
Indian firms are busy with M&A as the government opens up to foreign investment, but legal market liberalisation remains off the agenda
Distant shores
The past quarter has been busy for the offshore sector as firms have looked to capitalise on globalisation, while workflow has remained high
Split the difference
Offshore law firms have long supplemented their legal offerings with fiduciary business, but will that model last?
Eurovision
Monte Carlo was the location for The Lawyer’s annual European Awards and Conference. Here are the highlights
Starting blocks
The 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics are a springboard for sports-related legal projects, but the potential doesn’t end there
State of the unions
Losing track of who’s merged with whom in the UK legal market? Our handy guide to the key tie-ups of the past 18 months will help
Joined-up thinking
As the scrutiny and enforcement system is streamlined, antitrust regulation is at the top of many companies’ agendasSponsored by Hobs Legal Docs
LPOver and out?
The trend for unbundling legal work is advancing through the law firm ranks but there is still resistance in some quarters - namely in-house. We asked why
After the bailout
The world downturn has hit Portugal particularly hard and trainee numbers have been slashed, but there are grounds for cautious optimism
Featured Case: Contracts
Agreements; Aluminium; Intimidation; Oil companies; Profits; Russia; Shares Berezovsky v Abramovich. [2012] EWHC 2463 (Comm). Gloster, J. 31 August 2012
Fighting chance
With client-friendly funding arrangements making their mark, the litigation world is going through a busy and transformational period
Good offices
Making the most of your office space is a management priority these days, as exclusive new data in the UK 200 reveals
Let's get ready to grumble
Partners may not like it, but new banking rules will affect their borrowings
Northern lights
Scandinavian firms are showing the way and making the most of their jurisdictions’ relatively benign macroeconomic environment
Amber Melville-Brown, partner, Media & Reputation Management, Withers
“The ink will not yet be dry on Lord Justice Leveson’s report on the culture, practice and ethics of the press. And there is plenty of time for an alternation or two.
Gavin Millar QC Doughty Street Chambers
Represented the Telegraph Media Group at the Leveson Inquiry
Keith Mathieson, partner, RPC
Regularly instructed by the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, The Sun for libel and privacy matters.
Niri Shan, head of media & entertainment group, Taylor Wessing
Acted in 2009 for the Mail on Sunday on a copyright and privacy claim brought by Madonna over her wedding photos.
Isabel Martorell, partner, Carter Ruck
Acted for Gerry and Kate McCann, parents to missing child Madeleine McCann, in their successful libel battles with the Daily Star and Daily Express and their sister Sunday titles
Gillian Phillips, Director of Editorial Legal Services, Guardian News & Media Limited
This is a historic moment. We have not previously had a press regulator. I don’t expect the Inquiry’s recommendations to impact much on the law - there is an issue on timing as the Defamation Bill has its second reading in the House of Lords tomorrow (9 October).
Private lives, public interest
In his first interview since the Giggs injunction, media lawyer Gideon Benaim argues for a statutory clampdown on the press
In the zone
Austria’s links with the surrounding region are growing ever-more important for law firms
Plafond de verre
The glass ceiling is still in place in the French legal profession as, although there are far more young women than men involved, they are not making partner
All systems go in Europe
Overseas expansion is nothing new, but there have been a few intriguing moves in recent weeks.
The Lawyer UK 200 Annual report 2012
The most comprehensive data on the leading law firms that The Lawyer has ever produced, The Lawyer UK 200 2012 full online version is now available to download.
The Lawyer UK 200 2012
The most comprehensive data on the leading law firms that The Lawyer has ever produced, The Lawyer UK 200 2012 full online version is now available to download.
The UK200 2012 List of tables download
Top 100 PEP
Unique boutiques
It may have been the worst of times for many in the legal sector, but it’s amazing what can be achieved with a never-say-die attitude and a splash of inspired thinking. By Lucy Burton
International firms
With a glut of UK firms being taken over by global giants, the international table has been reconfigured, with a better than ever showing for one-stop-shoppers.
The bar
Clients’ cuts and increased competition from solicitors failed to dent the bar’s earnings last year as the large commercial sets were swamped with claims flowing from the crunch. By Katy Dowell
Sponsors statement
Without a doubt the legal landscape looks much different than it did just a few years ago. The reasons most often stated for the changes taking place include rising client demands, shifting fee structures and the pressure to differentiate. What law firm management is beginning to recognise is that this growing market complexity and globalisation is driving a threefold increase in software requirements in just the past 10 years. In other words, the complexity and cost of the essential ...
Methodology
This year the print edition of the The Lawyer UK 200 Annual Report is only half the story. For the first time The Lawyer is putting the entire expanded editorial - including all of the key metrics - behind a paywall online.
Do or die
The UK 200 report has changed, mirroring a profession undergoing a startling metamorphosis. Adapting to stay healthy is the order of the day, but to what extent is change really taking place?
Price promises
The billable hour may still be a firm favourite, but putting in place a package of billing options for clients is now a must-have. By Ruth Green
The Lawyer UK 200 2012
The most comprehensive data on the leading law firms that The Lawyer has ever produced, The Lawyer UK 200 2012 full online version is now available to download.
IBA Conference 2012: Dublin
No-one would devise a week-long programme of business card swapping and drinking. One needs a defensible pretext. For the IBA, the pretext is the series of workshops and lectures delivered in precisely the sort of slightly darkened environment that the schmoozing excesses of the previous night demand.
Get set, go
What happens when barristers embrace direct access? Their chambers becomes the fastest-rising set in The Lawyer’s Bar Top 30. We look at the rise and rise of Monckton
View from the top
Although half of the Scottish top 20 firms saw revenues decrease in 2011-12, some have benefited from tough decisions made earlier in the recession
On a rock and roll
Funds, gaming and financial services make up much of the work available in tiny Gibraltar.
European Awards Judging 2012 video
At a judging session in September the European Awards judging panel debated shortlisted entrants and came up with the winning firms. Afterwards judges gave their thoughts on the entrants and the European legal market.
The Finnish line
Despite the establishment of breakaway boutiques and some consolidation, all is steady in the Finnish legal market
The incredible shrinking law firm
The once-mighty Linklaters real estate department is a shadow of its former self. Should management rethink its grand plan?
Paper cut – the digital office
A paperless environment is the ideal, but how realistic a proposition is it?In association with:
Coming clean
The UK is beefing up efforts to monitor carbon emissions, but companies will have to work hard to comply
Climate change
Australia’s mid-tier is going through a period of evolution as the country’s larger outfits merge with international players
Costs-effective
Although lawyers have been the big winners in mammoth commercial court cases in recent years, costs are falling proportionally
Commercial line
Turkey’s newly relaxed commercial laws make it much easier for foreign firms to set up there, despite teething troubles with its implementation legislation
Adversity challenger
Nobody fights harder in tough civil action cases than Jocelyn Cockburn, a trait that saw her crowned The Lawyer’s Partner of the Year 2012
Seoul searching
Three international law firms are making a big splash in Seoul as South Korea opens up its legal service sector, but what’s in it for the local law firm elite?
Earning curve
The Lawyer reveals who has put in the highest legal bills for UK public M&A deals since the revamped Takeover Code came in a year ago
Land of the giants
Ireland has always prided itself on its innovation and two sectors attracting large-scale global investment as a result are technology and agriculture.
Profit for purpose
Professional indemnity insurance is in the spotlight, with collapse and consolidation in the solicitors’ sector forcing insurers to focus on firms’ profitability
Business studies
MBAs have not been part of a lawyer’s training traditionally, but things are changing.
Case of the week: Arbitration
A decision under the Arbitration Act 1996 s.18(3) appointing a sole arbitrator on the basis that, pursuant to s.15(3) of the Act, there had been no agreement as to the number of arbitrators was caught by the restriction on appeals in s.18(5). Application refused
Third-party time
More and more people are piling into the UK’s litigation funding market – but could the shadow of cost liability turn them off?
An alternative route
With internationalisation firmly entrenched in the legal market, firms that want to guard their independence are turning to networks
War and peace
Angola and Mozambique, both once riven by civil war, are now rich in natural resources and growing fast, but they still face big challenges. Lawyers are key to their reconstruction
The great Aussie merger mystery
In the past three years eight UK firms have launched Down Under, but only a couple have done it through full equity mergers. Read on to find out why
Move On Up: Dundas & Wilson
London has been the focus for Dundas & Wilson in its recruitment and promotions over the past few years.
Weighting list
As team GB law firms bulk up for the global challenge, mergers have transformed this year’s rankings – with some surprising results
Regional: attempted merger
Alliances, failed and successful, are the story of the year outside London
Roads-tinted view
As Indonesia develops its creaking infrastructure to spur even faster economic growth it will attract increasing interest from businesses, banks and law firms
Debt heat
Iceland faces a politically charged court showdown over compensation after the country’s banking crash, but it claims the EC should not be involved
Alternative views
There is less than a year to go before the alternative investment fund directive comes into force. Here are the salient points still to be discussed
Case of the week: Criminal procedure
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 Pt 5 did not give the High Court of England and Wales jurisdiction to impose property freezing orders and disclosure orders in respect of property and persons situated outside the UK.
Sturdy Wellington
Domestic post-earthquake reconstruction work and strong trade ties in Asia are putting New Zealand’s lawyers on a good footing to ride out the economic malaise
Fire fighting
Russia is on the verge of becoming a WTO member, but practitioners with in-depth, first-hand experience of the country’s legal, political and business infrastructure believe it is rotten to the core
Road to conflict
As the property market has crashed so real estate litigation cases have ramped up, with landlords looking for any avenue to bump up their earnings
Move On Up: Berwin Leighton Paisner
Consistent promotions keep Berwin Leighton Paisner’s London office buoyant, while international hiring continues apace
PII pressure drop
The ARP is on its way out and law firms are becoming more commercial, which should make renewals less fretful
One track mind
Is CMS one firm or a collection of different practices across Europe? With a US offensive looming, this matters
Analysis of Singapore market data: Sing it loud
The Singapore government is opening the door to international firms and developing the lion city as a centre of arbitration
Judgment Call
Thomas Roe
Beyond oil
The Eurovision Song Contest was Azerbaijan’s chance to show it can shine for things other than energy supplies
Move On Up: Faegre Baker Daniels
After a couple of mergers the London office’s retention has wavered but it been reinforcing numbers with lateral hires, particularly in corporate, employment and real estate
Riyadh-mission ticket
International law firms in Saudi Arabia are turning their attention to home-grown female lawyers in a bid to gain access to new clients
United effort
As the UAE tries to increase its influence in the international community, foreign companies and law firms are waiting for promised legislation that could make it easier for them to do business there
Out of Africa
SNR Denton’s Africa practice co-chair has been seconded to Dubai to help beef up the firm’s presence in the Middle East
Cuatrecasas, the €35bn bailout and the E1 fee
Cuatrecasas’ decision to take on Spain’s ?financing business for just €1 has been branded ridiculous by its competitors, but times are tough and there may be some canny thinking behind the measly deal
Global exchange - in association with The Open University
The growing importance of public international law and global human rights practices were examined at The Lawyer’s latest roundtable discussion
Analysis on Mishcon de Reya, 2012 law firm of the year
Mishcon de Reya’s three-year plan, spearheaded by managing partner Kevin Gold, has paid off big-time. Now it’s gearing up for its next big challenge.
Action stations
Offshore litigation is thriving as the fallout from the financial crisis and court innovations whip up a perfect storm
Winning ways
Ogier triumphed in this year’s Lawyer Awards offshore firm category, but what set it apart from its peers?
Top offshore deals 2012
Several IPOs and significant acquisitions kept the offshore sector busy in the second quarter of 2012, although few transactions were extremely high in value
Osborne Clarke's post-merger shake-up
Osborne Clarke has restructured following its merger with its Spanish and Italian alliance partners (see story).
Swisstoric changes afoot at Eversheds
Eversheds’ chief executive Bryan Hughes unveiled the firm’s new three-year plan, as well as its longer term 2020 Vision, to partners last week, and put integration among the firm’s international offices at the top of the agenda (see story).
Tulkinghorn: Night of a thousand hangovers
One Wednesday morning in late June many, many of Tulkinghorn’s scribes were nursing sore heads after a night on the West End tiles. The reason? The greatest, most glittering annual night in the legal calendar – The Lawyer Awards.
In with the out crowd
The Government’s crowd-pleasing legal stance on immigration is creating fresh challenges for law firms
Sticky ends: the City's top restructuring lawyers discuss recent developments
The collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 has propelled insolvency law into the frontline
Patent place
Germany has become the favoured destination for lawsuit tourists seeking an injunction. But could Microsoft’s decision to move its distribution centre from Germany to the Netherlands signal a worrying trend?
Capitalist gains
Dragons’ Den star James Caan plans to stir up major change in the legal world. How? By sticking to proper business principles
The King and Oz
King & Wood Mallesons’ pioneering pan-Asia vision cannot be denied. But the task in front of the combined firm is immense
Grand designs
The past year in Luxembourg has seen splits and new arrivals in an environment of changing regulation
Fighting back
As the EU’s second poorest member, Romania has been hit hard by the downturn. Can the agriculture and energy sectors save the day?
Event horizon
Lawyers and underwriters are getting battle-ready for the new ATE arena as Jackson LJ’s litigation reforms approach
Move On Up: Winckworth Sherwood
Slow but steady has been the way for this London-based firm as its clear career structure sees trainees progress through the ranks
Herbies merge, Field Fisher and LG diverge
It’s been over a year since The Lawyer first reported that Herbert Smith had set its sights on launching in Australia, but today the deal has finally been sealed with the firm announcing that it will merge with Freehills.
Clifford Chance is playing ketchup
In today’s economic climate the key is to get the most from everything. Did you know, for instance, that you can make a bottle of ketchup last longer by adding a few drops of water? This is why you read The Lawyer.
Tulkinghorn: Essex ploys
When members of Essex Court Chambers decided to invest in an annexe in Singapore in 2009, it was seen as a surprise move. While the set is home to some top-notch arbitration specialists, opening an office is a brave move for those at the bar.
The in-house candidates for The Lawyer Awards 2012
The increasing influence of the in-house sector is reflected in the quality of the shortlist for this year’s gong at The Lawyer Awards. So could general counsel teach private practitioners a thing or two?
Finance hotshots
The entrants for The Lawyer Award’s Banking and Finance Team of the Year stand out for their creativity during the crunch
Hungary’s pangs
As the government takes companies back into state ownership and introduces a series of ’crisis taxes’, a lack of foreign investment is hitting law firms
Clearyed for take-off
Boss O’Leary hopes rare sighting of his wallet will help Ryanair takeover bid fly
Real estate of the Union
Real estate is tricky beast for the big firms at the moment. With the juicy, structured work still hard to come by and mid-market firms using their regional offices to eat away at the margins for commodity and asset management work, how does a top firm keep a profitable practice?
What you are not taught at General Counsel School
Too much is written about the move from private practice to in-house.
Dewey's Davis ditched from deadline deal
As The Lawyer has written before, Dewey & LeBoeuf partners have a twisted relationship with conference calls and other mass gatherings.
CoA roster beckons for Gloster
The Commercial Court could be on the hunt for a new leader should the Ministry of Justice confirm the widely held belief that its current head, Mrs Justice Gloster, is to be promoted to the appellate bench from October (see story).
Is there an onus on the bonus?
The Dresdner banker bonus case is a hard one to call because its merits can be argued both ways
Does search warrant SFO raid?
Failure to disclose all relevant information to the Central Criminal Court has called SFO policy into question
Russian trade-off for WTO
Accession to the WTO may bring benefits, but the terms for joining are not neccesarily favourable for Russia
Court needs to catch up
’Shared parenting’ consultation fails to address speed of court decisions in child access cases
Crisis management
The Irish recession has prompted a significant and ongoing rise in contentious work, but has also put lawyers on the defensive
Border control
Despite fee pressure and a slow transactional market, Northern Irish firms are recruiting in anticipation of growth driven by international work
Move On Up: Brecher
The London outfit’s significant lateral efforts and healthy retention rate have provided it with a springboard for sizeable future promotion rounds
Tempers high over Dewey's alleged "Ponzi scheme"
All hell is breaking loose around the carcass of extinct US firm Dewey & LeBoeuf, with a former partner now alleging what was previously unsayable: that Dewey’s management designed a Ponzi scheme to enrich themselves, lying about the financial black hole the firm was facing.
The tricky aftermath of Vizards' merger
Amid the climate of consolidation in the UK legal market at the moment comes a reminder of the tricky mechanics of getting mergers right.
Knights enters the Dragons' Den
James Caan was one of the most likeable of the Dragons on BBC 2’s Dragons’ Den - until he quit in 2011, anyway - but he wasn’t exactly a prolific investor.
Serbs for enthusiasm
Although there has been a downturn in M&A work, elections and legislative change have helped keep Serbia’s legal community busy
Cover up
Professional indemnity cases keep hitting the court lists as settlement values continue to rise
Tulkinghorn: Rockin’ around the clock
It was surely only a matter of time. Late last month Tulkinghorn heard a rumour that Law Rocks, the legal market’s very own battle of the bands, had been put on hold while one of the competitors wrapped up a work-related conference call.
Move On Up: Kingsley Napley
A strong HR policy and engagement strategy has paid dividends for staff retention at the London firm
Pooling talent
The biggest event on earth needs the biggest and best legal support. Meet the lawyers taking on the Olympian task
Giggs' lawyer quits Schillings
Goings on at Schillings have somehow leaked into the press.
Party on down at Hogan Lovells
British sojourns into Eastern Europe this summer haven’t set the world alight: England’s footballers are unfancied in Ukraine and pilloried in Poland while old Engelbert was given the boot in Baku.
Salans China strategy starting to crack
After four very British days of Diamond Jubilee celebrations, it’s time for one very British saying: don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Are you cut out for partnership?
Male or female, corporate or finance and size of firm all influence your chances of making partner at a big UK firm. The Lawyer provides a comprehensive breakdown of the factors in play
Gas empowered
While acknowledging the potential for work from Cyprus’s gas discovery, the republic’s ties to Greece are a big cause for concern
Wealth and safety
The careful management of wealth for future generations is a hot topic for the well-off, with private client lawyers at the heart of the decision-making
Clifford Chance doesn't share in Oz's common wealth
Clifford Chance partners Down Under are walking along Bondi Beach screaming “strewth” this morning after hearing the worst news to hit the island (look, it’s Jubilee weekend so we’ll call it what we like) since Harold Bishop went missing.
Clifford Chance associates get more wedge
It’s a case of swings and roundabouts for associates at Clifford Chance.
Ex-Hogan Lovells partner jailed for three years
Former Hogan Lovells partner Christopher Grierson was today jailed for three years after pleading guilty to one of the most high-profile law firm frauds in UK history (see story)
The Nabarro partner double-act
It’s so heartening to see lawyers journeying from firm to firm. Like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, they tend to travel in pairs.
The Sharp end of the Dewey stick
The way he left his firm drew comparisons with the captain of the Costa Concordia, who became a figure of hate when he was accused of not being last off the cruiseliner when it sank in January this year.
Age of reason
Age discrimination, the decisions in Seddon and Tiffin and the employment ramifications of firms becoming ABSs are the hot issues for the peer panel
Cruise control
From securitisations to shipping, compared with the rest of the EU Malta is making the most of its rude health by attracting increasing international work
A matter of principals
Should they have stayed or were they within their rights to go? The hasty exits of top Dewey partners prior to the firm’s dissolution hardly looks like the honourable path
Bar and wide
The 4 Pump Court silks testing the water in Hong Kong could signal a new era of change at the bar
Tulkinghorn: Reggae for business
The arrival of QualitySolicitors on TV screens across the country has divided the profession, with some scoffing at the firm’s attempt to reach out to the consumer audience.
Move On Up: Bright sparks
?The top associates are lining up for recognition at The Lawyer Awards 2012. We name the rising stars in the legal firmament
Freshfields mulls female quotas
It’s partnership retreat season and strangely enough France seems to be a popular choice for the UK’s top firms. Farrer & Co chose Le Touquet for its shindig, while Allen & Overy (A&O) gathered its partnership into two hotels in Monte Carlo (well, they speak French there, anyway).
Ryanair sent packing by the new silk on the block
Rooting for the underdog is a very British pastime. But, to be honest, when the other side of the argument is being put forward by Ryanair, it’s pretty much a no-brainer whose side most people would choose.
SJ Berwindy city tie-up with Mayer Brown
Two months after The Lawyer reported that SJ Berwin senior partner Stephen Kon was putting international expansion at the heart of the firm’s strategy, we can reveal that the firm is holding exploratory talks with US firm Mayer Brown.
King & Wood Mallesons &... Someone Else
Time was that two firms looking at a merger that would create a £150m player in the UK market would have caused some excitement. But now it seems that any kind of expansion within the UK is met with the response: “They should be looking at China”.
Bear freshener
Russian lawyers scent a rosier future as transparency and stability top the political agenda
Tulkinghorn: Oh my bengoshi!
Casually dressed lawyers in Japan, that paragon of formality? Surely not.
Heading skills
As football clubs become more businesslike, in-house lawyers have become more important. Man City’s legal head reveals how his turbulent year has culminated in victory
Clouded issues
IT services are all about the cloud these days, but what’s the attraction and what are the legal risks?
CC’s fast-track exit strategy
As firms look to slim their equity, Clifford Chance is poised to catch up its rivals, or even overtake them
LG goes Fishing for a merger
Now, no one’s saying it’s definitely happening, but Field Fisher Waterhouse and LG are at least pondering whether to merge.
