Welcome back after the summer break, and welcome to the first print issue of the autumn. This week we’re looking both forwards and backwards. In our extended Notebook on pages 4 and 5 we look back to the hazy weeks of August, traditionally a quieter month but this year with plenty of activity in the […]
Lloyds to announce own-account panel as Unilever appoints new faces A look back at the raft of panel reviews over the past month brings sharply into focus how flexible firms need to be to secure spots on GC’s rosters. The Lloyds’ own-account panel, which is due to be unveiled on 1 October, will not only […]
Three of the five top UK firms ramp up their trainee retention rates Trainee retention rates have been a bit mixed for the UK’s elite firms – the magic circle and Slaughter and May – this autumn. Slaughters, which already retains the highest percentage of its trainees of all five firms, struck gold, keeping on […]
Can City firms close the door on line of PE staff heading out for US practices? A big private equity hire can make or break a firm’s sponsor-side practice. So, it is no wonder that firms are eager to wade into the bun-fight that continues to rage over the City’s relatively small pool of private […]
Baker & McKenzie follows Belfast services trail but takes integration to a new level The news that Baker & McKenzie is to open a global services centre in Belfast not only marked a major step in the evolution of the world’s largest law firm, it also underlines one of the most topical trends in the […]
We gave managing partners an imaginary wrecking ball, permission to set aside the past and a wishlist of constituent parts and asked them to build from the ground up a law firm fit for 21st century demands. Here’s the result…
Move of the week Simmons & Simmons has appointed Jolyon Ellwood-Russell as a partner in Hong Kong. Ellwood-Russell specialises in debt finance, structured trade and commodity finance, and joins from DLA Piper. He is known for his work in the financing of infrastructure and renewable energy projects, and has worked on major cross-border debt financing […]
A yearning for pioneering digital work across international boundaries means Ian Haslegrave has found his niche at electronics company Electrocomponents Ian Haslegrave developed a taste for international work as a newly qualified solicitor at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which is just as well given that the company he now works for is present in 32 countries […]
A fight to take the UK to task for breaching air pollution limits has reached Europe’s highest court, but such action could be harder to achieve in future Last month an air pollution case against the UK hailed as “perhaps the longest running infringement of EU law in history” reached the Court of Justice of […]
Networks are becoming more enterprising and bold in their pursuit of key in-house counsel – the ‘white whales’. Should indies take the plunge with them? Since the recession many in-house counsel have seen their budgets cut and their resources dwindle. With greater accountability for what they spend and the quality of work, corporate counsel in […]