Litigation funding: Explaining risks and dispelling myths
The case-funding world is a fiendishly complex one. The Lawyer hears from two industry figures who believe more should be done to educate legal teams about the benefits of this external help
Tech Pioneers: inside the project that’s central to DWF’s global ambitions
As an incubator for legal tech and research, DWF Ventures has creativity at its core and with Jonathan Patterson as its leader, looks set to be a true sector disruptor
M&A tables: Kirkland and Latham can’t capture UK plcs, but they’re making the most out of take-privates
Acting for UK corporates is the biggest challenge for US outfits in the City, but for the meantime, they’re not breaking out of their lucrative PE bubble. This is in spite of firms such as White & Case and Latham & Watkins going out into the market and hiring big-name magic circle stars from public […]
The long read: How gendered instructions at the employment Bar are scuppering female barristers’ ambitions for silk
Is the system conspiring against female barristers? We weigh up the evidence, using data on cases at both the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Court of Appeal
Despite Akin’s sudden momentum, it won’t catch the behemoth US firms in London
Akin and Goodwin’s batches of hires last week have put both firms back on the City map, but barely move the dial in terms of London bench strength. Data from The Lawyer’s annual US Top 50 report confirms that a gap is opening up between the top five largest firms and the rest of the […]
Risk management: Liability in an age fraught with danger
Cyber threats, terrorism and sexual misconduct claims are all putting firms into the spotlight as they attempt to do the right thing, both for them and their clients
The defection of the Taylor Wessing Four raises questions over California and Cambridge
The departure of four Taylor Wessing partners last week to Goodwin Procter not only leaves a hole in the firm’s life sciences practice, but prompts questions about its longer-term international TMT strategy in light of its talks with Wilson Sonsini.
US Top 50: The best and worst performers in gender diversity
With a female partnership proportion of 41 per cent, Greenberg Traurig tops The Lawyer’s diversity rankings, yet with nine firms reporting a drop in women partner numbers and three featuring only men at the top level, progress still needs to be made
Data dive: the rise of Clydes and Kennedys in six graphs
Clyde & Co and Kennedys both reported their latest financial results last week, and both firms hit record revenue highs. An 11 per cent rise in turnover at Kennedys saw the firm’s global revenue exceed £200m for the first time in 2018/19, while UK figures grew by £8m to £126m. Meanwhile, Clyde & Co recorded a 21st […]
Wealth management: Staying afloat in choppy waters
With global uncertainty proving challenging for healthy investment returns, how can wealth management specialists weather the storm and deliver for their clients?
Tech Pioneers: Welcome to Slaughters’ hothouse
Slaughter and May’s former image as a slightly stuffy corporate firm is shifting, thanks in part to the launch of its legal tech-specific incubator, Collaborate
US Top 50 Firms in London: Growth in the fast lane
Turnover, RPL and other key metrics are underlining US firms’ strengthening grip on business in the UK, with lateral hires boosting the rankings of some of the largest players
Baker McKenzie better together – the benefits of an open-plan office
With a big-ticket office move potentially on the horizon, Baker McKenzie was keen to trial new ways of working
Case study: How Norton Rose Fulbright turned to Japan to become more efficient
Norton Rose Fulbright has coupled a Japanese agile-working framework with automation software to dramatically cut document production time
Case study: How A&O set up – and built out – its alumni network
A&O now has an all-encompassing alumni network, including staff past and present. Why did it feel this was an investment which would reap dividends in the years ahead?
Firms need to do more for their diverse lawyers than simply widening access
The new online recruitment portal launched recently by Rare Recruitment in collaboration with several top City law firms is undoubtedly a welcome initiative as pressure continues to mount on the legal profession to do more on diversity and social mobility. Launched last month, Vantage builds on Rare’s existing contextual recruitment software and uses advanced analytical […]
Not quite a gender crisis, but there are a lot of angry female barristers out there – and with good reason
The poor pipeline of female employment silk applications isn’t due to shyness or lack of ability; it’s structural.
Discrimination at the Women’s World Cup
Winston acted in one of the highest-profile cases in the history of gender equality in sports, as the USA women’s football team took on the US Soccer Federation.
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My Pride Story: Transitioning in your 30s is never going to be easy
“For me transition was necessary”, says A&O’s Emma Niit, “so much so that I felt compelled to completely turn my life upside down for it”.
The JLD blog: Using a civil standard of proof for quasi-criminal sanctions doesn’t give solicitors a sporting chance
I don’t commonly use sporting metaphors, but it’s difficult to describe the pending Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s (SDT) application to the Legal Services Board (LSB) – asking for permission to change the standard of proof in the former’s disciplinary proceedings from the criminal to the civil standard – as anything but an open goal. As the […]
#MeToo in law: Are we just hypocrites?
The #MeToo movement has left no sector unaffected. From entertainment to hospitality, finance to media, allegations of workplace impropriety have swept the globe. Jobs were lost, careers ended and a clear message sent: the culture of impunity for misconduct can continue no longer. Sexual harassment is inappropriate in any field. But it is particularly repugnant […]
Mental Health Awareness: The steps we took to improve staff wellbeing
In this week of Mental Health Awareness it is encouraging to read how many firms have committed to support the mental health of their staff.
Leadership still means ‘lawyer’: the age-old ‘us and them’ hierarchy is alive and well
Leadership, according to one London-based firm head, means “putting other people first”. Really? That’s unlikely to be most people’s response to the question of what makes a good law firm leader. For most, it usually means whoever can make us more money, each year, without fail. But there are signs that senior lawyers across the […]
The new old-boy networks are digital and diverse, so attend to your alumni
Given how much lawyers bang on about how law is a people business, not investing time in formalising a sophisticated alumni network is a rookie error.
Can the UK get a long Article 50 delay without taking part in the European elections? Yes.
Cambridge EU law professor Catherine Barnard and Oxford EU law professor Stephen Weatherill set out the feasibility of a significant delay in the Brexit process.
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MIPIM 2019: Eversheds’ head of real estate is Bertie Briton stuck in a queue
Let’s begin at the end. I have seen the future, and it is a long queue at Paris, Gare du Nord. All week at MIPIM, Brexit talk had been banned. Mention of it was social death, like flicking bogies into the salad bowl. But (as Leon Trotsky once said of war), you might not be […]
DLA Piper’s MIPIM experience: Strong winds, sunset drinks and strides in diversity
A noticeable difference at MIPIM this year, says DLA Piper’s real estate co-chair Antoine Mercier, was the number of women featuring on the many panels.
Life Science Law Update
Popular initiative „Supporting organ donation – saving lives“ The Federal Council supports the proposal of the initiative to allow organs to be removed from a deceased person if he or she did not oppose this during his or her lifetime in principle, but will suggest introducing certain measures in order to safeguard the rights of […]
Full force of the law used against employer in a discrimination claim – Otshudi v Base Childrenswear Ltd
By David Smedley, Andrew Rayment, Shakeel Dad This appeal decision in Otshudi v Base Childrenswear Ltd (UKEAT/0267/19), shows just how sharp the teeth of the law can be in cases of discrimination especially where the employer has shown a disregard for process. A worthwhile read for all employers and a cautionary tale on how not […]
Nitrate pollution concerns halt housebuilding
By Angus Evers, Matthew Price Five local authorities in the Solent area have put a hold on determining planning applications for new housing as a result of advice from Natural England about nitrate pollution. Following two rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the ‘Dutch Case’ (C-293/17 and C-294/17) and ‘People […]
The tenant that never was
By Liam Phillips, Michael Callaghan The grant of a lease to a non-existent tenant highlights the importance of checking that companies in a transaction are registered at Companies House. Mr Darlow granted a lease of a restaurant in Cardiff to a company called Seafood Shack UK Ltd. The identity of the tenant had been set […]
When would you want to terminate a sponsorship arrangement to protect your brand?
By Susan Honeyands, Duncan Reed, Lisa Urwin Sponsorships can be a great way for businesses and individuals to get the funding or income they need, whilst also being a valuable way for a sponsor to obtain exposure for their services and/or products. However, as Warren Buffet cautioned, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation […]
FCA looks to prioritise pensions as complaints increase dramatically | FCA priorities series part 8
Part eight of our twelve part series spotlighting the FCA’s key priorities looks at pensions and retirement income where the FCA wants to ensure that the various products available support people to increase their financial provision for later life. Read more on the specific activities the FCA will undertake in 2019/20 to ensure the pensions […]
Social Housing monthly law update – July 2019
By David Isaacson TLT’s monthly law update covering all things affecting the social housing sector Highlights of this month include: Our Employment law podcast discusses the legal and practical complexities linked to protections for religious and philosophical beliefs, Brexit and how the EU Settlement Scheme is performing, a new case on working time and the current consultation on extending maternity rights Insight into Government […]
Taxation
By Anamaria Tocaci, Theodor Artenie, Alexandra Barbu Foreword The business environment has always played a particular role in a state’s fiscal policy, as this impacts decision-making on starting a business, growing operations or reducing / closing-down the activity. Romania is an attractive country for investors, the main driving reasons being the low taxation and the […]
Chambers Corporate Governance Guide
The Chambers Corporate Governance Guide provides up-to-date expert legal commentary on rules, requirements and practices for businesses. This guide covers the most important developments in Corporate Governance in significant jurisdictions. Schoenherr contributed the Austria chapter to the guide. Introduction1.1 Forms of Corporate/Business Organisations The principal forms of corporate/business organisations in Austria are described below. Limited […]
Austria: Digital Services Tax proposed
By Dilara Mamuk, Clemens Grassinger In early April 2019, the Austrian Federal Government published a draft of the Digital Tax Act 2020 which is currently under review. The main goal of the new law is to achieve “fair taxation” by taxing online advertising services that are provided by large groups of companies in Austria. Why is […]
Electronic Complaints Book: Extension of deadline for registration
Numerous complaints have been made by associations representing traders from various sectors due to the problem of unavailability of the platform where economic operators have to register. As a result, the Ministry of the Economy announced the extension of the deadline for operators to register until 31 December of the current year. The original deadline […]
Competition law and policy 2nd quarter 2019
Portuguese Competition Authority fines the companies Mota-Engil – Engenharia e Construção and Futrifer – Indústrias Ferroviárias, S.A. On 12 April 2019, the Portuguese Competition Authority (PCA) fined the company Mota-Engil – Engenharia e Construção, S.A and one of its managers a total of EUR 906,000 for allegedly participating in a five-company cartel that acted in […]