Covid: levelling the City and the regions
Walker Morris managing partner Malcolm Simpson discusses how Covid-19 has altered the future of the legal profession for good.
Loving legal life: On Jon Holbrook
This week systemic coaches Zita Tulyahikayo and James Pereira QC discuss what can be learned from events surrounding the recent expulsion of a barrister from his London Chambers because of views he expressed about a discrimination case.
HSF’s CEO on sustainability goals: “We need to go further and we need to do it now”
Climate change is an issue of global socio, economic, political, and legal importance to governments, businesses and citizens everywhere. In the last 12 months alone, not only have we been dealing with the humanitarian and economic impact of a global pandemic, we have also seen bushfires devastate large areas, droughts, tropical cyclones, and 2020 was […]
How 2020 has changed the dial on the importance of diversity for law firms
To keep the momentum going, managing partners and GCs must lead by example, writes Kingsley Napley’s Shannett Thompson.
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The findings of the latest research are harrowing: lawyers with disabilities desperately need change
I don’t think I’m really what people think of when they think about disability. For many, the word disability conjures up images of blue badges, wheelchairs and the elderly. All of which are authentic and valid experiences of disability; just not mine. I developed epilepsy in my early twenties during my final year of university […]
The ups and downs of US firms in London
In this episode The Lawyer editor Catrin Griffiths and deputy editor Matt Byrne discuss the impact of coronavirus, the latest US financials season, and whether law firms are actually listening to their clients on one of the biggest issues in the world today.
Wellness Podcast episode 4: Mental health in private practice and in-house
The latest episode of The Lawyer Wellness Podcast is a recording of a panel discussion that took place at The Lawyer‘s recent in-house counsel as business partner summit, featuring both general counsel and private practice lawyers who have battled their own mental health issues. It features David McCahon (global head of commercial, innovation and technology […]
Wellness Podcast episode 3: Mindfulness
Episode 3 of The Lawyer Wellness Podcast is now available to download on iTunes. In this episode, Cleary associate Eloise Skinner and The Lawyer’s features editor Richard Simmons discuss what mindfulness is and provide an example exercise. For those without iTunes/Apple Music, you can also listen on Acast, on Stitcher and on SoundCloud. On all platforms, search […]
Wellness Podcast episode 2: Finding a sense of purpose
Episode 2 of The Lawyer’s Wellness Podcast is now available to download on Acast (search for The Lawyer wellness podcast) and on SoundCloud.
Wellness Podcast episode 1: Mental health first-aiders
To coincide with mental health awareness week, The Lawyer is pleased to present its first wellness podcast, this week focusing on mental health first-aiders.
Konexo’s quest to dominate digital transformation
In-depth conversations with lawyers are key to arriving at automated solutions to the everyday problems faced by legal professionals
From Silk to Rope: Inside Linklaters’ plan to return to the City
Linklaters’ move out of Silk Street is more than a logistical headache. It marks both a symbolic shift and a litmus test for the approach other firms will pursue with their real estate.
Three senior partners in seven years: Clyde & Co needs to stop the tribal warfare
Clyde & Co is now searching for its next senior partner, as Peter Hirst became the third leader in a row to stand down early. A firm that was previously famed for leadership stability has some internal issues to solve.
Revealed: The Top 20 Cases of 2021
This year, the courts play host to a series of long-running financial and competition cases, while it looks like UK Government lawyers will be extremely busy.
Roundtable: The role of legal functions in balancing commerciality and risk in delivering a company’s purpose
2020 was an unprecedented year for business; companies have had to mobilise quickly in the face of various converging global and geopolitical events, such as Brexit and Covid-19, reviewing their operations and risk landscape, and the ensuing pressures of navigating the short, medium and long term impacts have been borne by legal teams across all […]
Four things the FTSE rankings tell us about the state of the market
A data dive of the most active stock market advisers since 2005 shows it’s HSF, not the US firms, that are the dark horses of the FTSE.
Roundtable: The special set of skills litigators need when managing a cyber crisis
When it comes to suffering a cyber crisis, it is often said to be a matter of when and not if. Therefore, creating and sticking to an action plan for when the situation arises is more important than ever before – and it is best not just left to the privacy specialists. This was the […]
Life as a law firm CFO during Covid has not been a bed of roses
By now, most cash guardians would be ambitiously eyeing investments for 2022. Yet as firms still weather the financial impact of the pandemic, CFOs are having to crunch numbers not just for 2022, but for the next few months.
Special report: Offshore firms well-placed for pandemic fallout
The dominant offshore corporate specialists are already busy, and the effect of Covid-19 on world economies will lead to more restructurings and disputes
Legal tech review: Why the pandemic marks a digital watershed moment
Technology has moved up the agenda in board rooms, with innovators now held in higher regard than before the crisis
Hanging up on office life? The Lawyer’s Work From Home survey results
The overnight shift to remote working during lockdown has shaken up attitudes to the traditional commute forever, while raising fears over childcare assistance and career development, our major industry-wide survey reveals
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Levelling up litigation: the past, present and future of third-party funding
After almost 10 years spent banging at the door, waiting to enter the mainstream, litigation funding is now ready for its moment in the spotlight
Freshfields, Payne Hicks Beach and the airbrushing of the City’s role in the slave trade
The debate around structural racism has been heightened by the killing of George Floyd and the growing voice of the Black Lives Matter movement. Together, they reframe how we think of the history of the City, and by extension the commercial legal profession.
Forged in fire: the new partners of 2020
They qualified during the Great Recession – now they’re making partner during the Great Pandemic.
Managing remotely: law firm leaders on navigating the crisis – and what comes next
How have law firm leaders managed the coronavirus lockdown and what lessons have been learned from the global financial crisis?
Coronavirus survey results: The lowdown on lockdown
How have people and their firms been coping? The Lawyer asked people from across the legal sector about their experiences of the crisis
The climate change challenge after the pandemic: how to build a sustainable law firm
Before the outbreak of coronavirus, one of the biggest questions for law firm leaders was – how can we make our business more sustainable? With just a few decades to go before the climate crisis becomes irreversible, these are the long-term investments firms are making.
The biggest boutique in town: the rise and rise of Stewarts
A focused leadership has created a claimant powerhouse – but how much more can Stewarts diversify its business?
The long read: Plenty of firms wanted a 2020 Vision, but did they stick to it?
The world and everything in it is going through a period of unprecedented change, which means it has never been more difficult to devise a five-year strategy. For firms nearing the end of their 2020 vision, how did they fare?
The long read: Squire Patton Boggs and a question of identity
A recent talent exodus, an all-but-invisible London office and a management team based in Ohio adds up to Squire Patton Boggs facing a mountain to climb to claim a place at the top table
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Who should pay for fire safety building remediation costs?
In December 2020, we reported on the vote by the House of Lords on amendments to the Fire Safety Bill relating to the remediation costs associated with the replacement of the dangerous cladding panels and other fire safety defects. Both the Fire Safety Bill and the Building Safety Bill are anticipated to come into effect early this year.
Cross-border & international data privacy issues
In many jurisdictions, changes in privacy law were common throughout 2020. This gave rise to new concerns and compliance issues for companies doing business abroad.
Black swan flies again – new BVI legislation confirms availability of free-standing interim relief
On 7 January 2021, the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) House of Assembly enacted1 section 24A of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Virgin Islands) Act (the “Act”), which confers statutory jurisdiction on the BVI Court to grant interim relief in support of existing or intended foreign proceedings. This new measure is a swift, welcome response to […]
Cybersecurity 2021 – threatscape & protecting your internal business client
The continuing global pandemic has led to a heightened risk of familiar types of cyber attacks, as well as an influx of new cyber threats.
‘Diversity is a given, Inclusion is a choice’ – actionable ideas
In our 3rd blog in the series, ‘Diversity is given, Inclusion is a choice’, Annelieke Jense and Frouke Horstmann provide practical ways based on their experience working with clients on how organisations can create a true inclusive culture by installing processes that mitigate unconscious biases.
Board evaluations – don’t waste a crisis
COVID-19 has affected every sector of our economy and an important element of the 2020 board evaluation will be identifying and reporting on how reactive and resilient the board has been throughout the pandemic.
Coronavirus Portugal: Impact on the management of employees
Should my company have a contingency plan? What measures should the plan include? Can I/should I isolate my employees, conduct health checks or questionnaires on their private life?
If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Reflections on CIL and S106
The prime minister has proposed a radical reform to the planning system which will be “unlike anything we have seen since the Second World War”. This includes a complete overhaul of the current system of Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy (“CIL”) regime.
Inclusion at work: perspectives on LGBT+ working lives
New research from the CIPD has confirmed that LGBT+ employees experience higher level of work-based conflict, and almost one in five transgender workers feel psychologically unsafe at work.
Will brokers face professional negligence surrounding business interruption insurance?
Is the FCA test case just the first wave of insurance-related claims on business interruption (BI) cover? Will there be a second wave of negligence claims against insurance brokers? We consider these questions in further detail.
PRI’s new reporting framework – are you ready?
On 12 November 2020, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) issued significant updates to the reporting framework (RF) for signatories. The new requirements are more focused on “real world” outcomes meaning signatories needs to show how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are integrated into investment analysis and execution.
Brexit threats and opportunities: Britain’s new post-Brexit relationship with the EU
What are the emerging threats and opportunities of Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU? And, what does the UK’s departure from the European Union mean for you and your business?