Editor's Note
Are you intelligent?
This issue of The Lawyer Management deals with the perennially thorny issue of data, and more precisely business intelligence. As our practice management feature in this week's issue of The Lawyer highlights, access to sophisticated business intelligence has never been more critical in today's fast-changing and ever-more competitive market, but at many firms the technology is not up to the job.
Read what the likes of Osborne Clarke, IT director Nathan Hayes, Berwin Leighton Paisner's director of IT Janet Day, and Allen & Overy's chief information officer Gareth Ash have to say on the subject.
And as it's financial year end time for most firms, there's also a timely reminder from former SJ Berwin partner and Brilliant Law legal head David Mandell on the many issues relating to the market's ongoing love affair with the billable hour.
Top-notch business intelligence is likely to underpin all of the entries for the inaugural The Lawyer Management awards, which will crown a one-day conference on 24 September. The deadline for entries has just been extended to next Friday 3 May, but with dozens of nominations already in the competition is hotting up.
Don't miss out.
Elsewhere, the in-house sector is just as concerned as getting hold of up to the minute business intelligence. Learn all about money-saving targeted collection solutions from Symantec and allow TyMetrix to explain how it has helped four international organisations to get to grips with their spend on external counsel.
Matt Byrne
Features editor
matt.byrne@thelawyer.com
News
Bird & Bird confirms new London HQ for 2016
Bird & Bird this week confirmed that it had signed up to one of the largest pre-lets ever handled by Great Portland Estates (GPE), a 12 storey, 142,500 sq ft new office space at 12/14 New Fetter Lane.
The Lawyer Management: Brachers
Joanna Worby is Brachers’ first female managing partner. She joined the firm in 1991 as a trainee solicitor and became a partner in 1999.
Osborne Clarke confirms one redundancy as Integreon deal ends
Osborne Clarke (OC) has confirmed one redundancy following its major move away from outsourcer Integreon, which has resulted in 80 staff members returning to the firm.
Mills & Reeve and George Davies gear up for merger vote
Mills & Reeve and Manchester firm George Davies are to vote on a potential merger within the next few weeks after both firms confirmed that they were in talks .
ABS News and Analysis
Thrings names Simon Holdsworth as new managing partner
Bath-headquartered Thrings has named company commercial head Simon Holdsworth as its new managing partner succeeding Thomas Sheppard.
Irwin Mitchell closes in on £200m turnover
Irwin Mitchell’s legal practice is closing in on the £200m revenue mark, with the firm’s commercial business generating revenues of £40m over the last financial year.
Eversheds real estate team of six heads to Shakespeares
Birmingham-headquartered Shakespeares has added a six-lawyer team from Eversheds, led by real estate partner Brendan Walsh.
Slater & Gordon set to acquire trio of UK personal injury practices
Australian listed firm Slater & Gordon is to bulk up its UK presence with the acquisition of Simpson Millar, Goodmans Law and the personal injury practice of Taylor Vinters.
Insurance giant Parabis on verge of £90m merger with Greenwoods
Defendant insurance firm Plexus Law, a subsidiary of Parabis, is to merge with Greenwoods to create a £90m firm.
Profile
The Lawyer Management: Quadrant Chambers.
Tim Gerrard, chief executiveTim Gerrard joined Quadrant Chambers as chief executive in 2009 from Jersey-based trust manager Hawksford International, where he was chief operating officer. Early on in his career he was in the administrative branch of the Royal Air Force, where he attained the rank of Wing Commander.
The Lawyer Management: K&L Gates
Tina Two is director of HR and development in the London office of K&L Gates. She was previously the regional HR manager of Grant Thornton.
The Lawyer Management: Taylor Wessing
Jean-Michel Beeching is international business development director at Taylor Wessing. He was previously director of marketing at KPMG and has held roles at Linklaters, where he was head of marketing for Asia and head of business development (BD) for Europe.
Briefings
Taylor Wessing publishes legal guide to the UK consumer products sector weblink subscription
This guide shares the key trends that Taylor Wessing is seeing in the UK consumer products sector.
The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Litigation & Dispute Resolution 2013 — Luxembourg download subscription
MOLITOR takes an in-depth look into litigation and alternative dispute resolution in Luxembourg.
The Dispute Resolution Review: Luxembourg download subscription
MOLITOR takes an in-depth look at dispute resolution in Luxembourg.
Getting the Deal Through: Banking Regulation 2013 — Luxembourg download subscription
MOLITOR takes an in-depth look at the banking sector in Luxembourg.
MENA investment into Africa: Mauritius is the bridge download subscription
Dubai is the choice of investors seeking to do business in the African continent, with COMESA member Mauritius increasingly serving as the bridge.
