Last week Paris firm August & Debouzy quit its six-year alliance with Nabarro, a move that leaves the London firm rather stranded in France. At the launch of the European alliance in 2008 then-senior partner Simon Johnston told us, “It’s a model that’s worked for Slaughter and May and we don’t see why it won’t […]
As the market expands again, UK cities are grabbing a piece of the action The UK legal market is worth an annual £26.1bn to UK plc. The largest slice of that pie goes to London. With the profession in growth mode at home and as an exportable product, it is little wonder that major cities […]
‘Exotic’ investors and opportunities for legal work beyond M&A feature in The Lawyer’s high-level roundtable debate on south-east Europe As Vladimir Putin squares up to Kiev’s new government, Russian troops pour into the Crimea confining their Ukrainian counterparts to barracks and its navy blockades to Sevastopol, it is easy to flash back to Europe’s last […]
Hong Kong IPO activity is hotting up again, but UK legal stalwarts are looking over their shoulders as US rivals make up ground fast There has been a notable revival of IPO activity in Hong Kong in the past three months, but there are alarming signs for UK firms that have traditionally dominated this market […]
Successful QC applicants are at a three-year high. Encouraging stuff for the next silk round? For many litigators, taking silk is a career high – an official recognition of years of hard work and dedication. Of the 225 wannabe silks who embarked on the lengthy application process a year ago, just 100 were successful. It […]
The Royal Shakespeare Company had no formal panel until legal head Marina Zain joined to bring some logic to bear on the ‘artistic’ legal set-up Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or organise an annual retainer on a fixed fee… You get the gist. For theatre […]
Clients are more willing to bring claims against professional service providers but the risk to defendants is not as dramatic as it might seem Professional negligence claims have soared in value in recent years, with damages being sought for tens, if not hundreds of millions of pounds, but the settlements are often far lower. Robin […]
A more confident economy is raising expectations among Portugal’s lawyers, who had turned their gaze overseas Near Lisbon Cathedral in the heart of the Portuguese capital is a plaque marking the home for more than 200 years of the Colegio de Estudiantes Irlandeses. Established by Portuguese noblemen and a group of exiled Irish Jesuits, the […]
Setting up in Saudi Arabia requires picking through complex regulation. Here’s what you need to know Clifford Chance’s establishment of a professional partnership with Saudi Arabian firm and long-standing association partner Al-Jadaan made headlines early last year. The move allowed Clifford Chance to formally establish its presence in the kingdom through its own legal framework, […]
Move of the week Morrison & Foerster has hired Phillip Slater as a partner in its financial transactions group. Slater brings expertise in relation to acquisition finance, leveraged finance and corporate banking. He joins from Reed Smith, where he was a banking partner. UK Reed Smith has hired leveraged finance partner Ben Davis […]