Will CC's - and Lovells' - bite at the Big Apple bear fruit?

News of Clifford Chance's renewed attack on the US market may not have local firms there quaking in their boots, but UK rival Lovells has been prompt to shore up its US presence in response.

After 12 long years with reinsurance partner Joe McCullough at the helm, Lovells has voted in a new regional managing partner in the shape of litigation partner Marc Gottridge (see story). Interestingly, with Clifford Chance focusing its energies on New York, Gottridge's hire moves Lovells' US managerial presence from windy old Chicago to the Big Apple.

Not to be outdone on the US front, Clifford Chance has also hit the headlines today with the announcement that two of its London-based lawyers are heading stateside to begin the process of beefing up its presence there. See story.

US rivals remain sceptical about the presence of UK firms that side of the Atlantic, so which of the two will be most successful is anybody's guess. With Lovells ramping up its focus on litigation and arbitration and Clifford Chance seeking to strengthen its corporate practice, it could be down to the economy to decide.