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?
A strong dollar and weak pound means UK firms’ buying power has diminished, allowing the US rivals from across the market to rise up the rankings
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
Beijing’s Outline Plan for the Greater Bay Area is encouraging Chinese firms to invest heavily in the region. What are their strategies, and how fast can they grow? Stephen Mulrenan investigates.
For decades, Hong Kong has been at the centre of Western law firms’ strategies, with its long history as one of the world’s key financial centres. However, times have changed since the first firms set foot in the region.
The Big Four are making a renewed effort to impact the legal market, with big-money innovation as their weapon – but traditional providers may not be as vulnerable as they think if they stick to their strengths.
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
How have firms in the second half of The Lawyer UK Top 100 fared since the recession hit many of them so hard a decade ago? The Lawyer data shows the winners and losers in the mid-tier
The largest merger in the Italian legal market in over 30 years started out in the tiniest possible way. A casual conversation between Giuseppe Lombardi, founder of litigation boutique Lombardi e Associati, and Sergio Erede, one of the three lawyers who twenty years ago founded corporate powerhouse BonelliErede alongside Aurelio Pappalardo and the late Franco […]
David Pollitt is transforming DACB thanks to his style of cheery communication coupled with strict financial discipline.
A handful of firms have realised that effective alumni networks can help solve longstanding problems of resource allocation – and the likes of Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy are putting structures in place to mine it.
Four joined, now two remain. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher stated boldly its UK corporate intentions in 2014 with the hire of an Ashurst corporate quartet, but just half of the group remain as partners. What next?
With Harry and Meghan announcing they will step back as senior royals and work to become financially independent, The Lawyer looks back at the royal family’s legal representation. Farrer & Co Farrer & Co has been the royal’s established advisers since the 1930s – Sir Leslie Farrer was the personal adviser to George VI and […]
The value of UK-related deals tumbled over 2019, though there are signs that 2020 may be different. The question is, which firms can hold their nerve over the next 12 months? On last year’s showing, there are some good signs for UK outfits in particular.
Criticised for being slow to react in 2018, traditional firms were, in fact, preparing their strategies and waiting to attack. Here’s what to expect in the next 12 months.
Considering the volatile year that the corporate world went through in 2019, and the number of companies, mostly retailers, that have been placed into administration or filed for insolvency in the UK alone, it was refreshing to see that a number of firms contacted for The Lawyer’s Global Corporate 50 report had a positive outlook […]
There were some surprising moves – and a few somewhat predictable ones – between legal firms. Here are our top 10 lateral hires of the year
Eleven GCs and legal counsel take part in a roundtable to discuss the future of the retail industry and how best to support businesses as they deal with the changing landscape
BCLP’s Neville Eisenberg talks about the firm’s new data-driven initiative that aims to boost efficiency and reduce costs, by offering a one-stop shop for high-volume work
What is on the horizon for finance lawyers? That was the broad question being asked at a breakfast roundtable hosted by Paul Hastings and The Lawyer in October. With participants both from the lender and sponsor side present, the discussion ranged from current thinking on deal structures, to how finance lawyers in-house might configure their […]
Ten GCs and legal counsel at a roundtable hosted by The Lawyer and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner discuss technology, alternative providers and what the future holds for in-house teams
After two years of bureaucratic work and internal regulatory checks, Reed Smith has finally obtained its ABS licence. However, the path presented what EMEA head Tamara Box ruefully describes as “a lot of boxes to tick” before getting to this point.
As Black History Month comes to an end, the issue of ethnic diversity will start to fade from the limelight. Yet data reveals serious and persistent problems around BAME participation in elite law firms. Despite creating initiatives and policies to address the gap – firms have a long way to go to tackle the ethnic […]
Social media platforms are a source of danger from the professional conduct point of view, which may be why the BSB keeps revising and reissuing social media guidance.
Existing legislation was not sufficiently preventing attacks, writes Linklaters’ Stephanie Creese.
Mishcon’s Emily Nicholson reflects on the real triumph of this year’s Miller judgment: “It has been written to be read by people other than lawyers.”
By Karl Anders, Zoe McLean-Wells Leasehold enfranchisement is the process by which qualifying long leaseholders may extend their lease or buy the freehold of their property. In order to exercise enfranchisement rights, leaseholders must pay a premium to their landlord. Following its recent wide-ranging consultation on leasehold enfranchisement reform (explained in our earlier briefing), the […]
By Rachel Whalebone Every day a million people join the internet for the first time. This means more data. More data means more risk in storing it. Minimise your risk by only using what you need and be a bit greener at the same time. Data is now big and getting bigger. It’s not as […]
By Claire Morrissey, Stephen Johnstone Well, the answer is quite a bit if you are Azzuri Restaurants Limited (the company which trades as ASK Italian) which pleaded guilty to one breach of section 15 of the Food Safety Act 1990 (the “Act”) and has, this week, been sentenced to a fine of £40,000. Section 15 […]
By Alan Munro On 4 December 2019, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in MacDonald and another (Respondents) v Carnbroe Estates Ltd (Appellant) (Scotland) [2019] UKSC 57. The appeal concerned the interpretation of ‘adequate consideration’ under section 242 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (the “Act”) and the remedies that courts can apply if there […]
By Pauline Cowie Whichever route to international franchising is chosen, be it a direct, master or area development franchise, having made a decision to franchise internationally, it is important to ensure that steps are taken to maximise success. Whether in a particular jurisdiction or more generally, undertaking adequate due diligence as well as considering structure […]
By Joanne Huckle As the drive to act on EU and international recommendations continues to gather pace, the Cayman Islands Government began the New Year with their much-anticipated move to introduce new requirements for the registration of unregulated investment funds. The publication of the draft Private Funds Bill, 2020 (the Bill) and a draft amendment […]
By Sophie Reguengo A change in consumer habits and investor appetite for more ethical returns is driving a distinct evolution (or is it revolution?) in the real estate industry. Having attended numerous real estate conferences towards the end of last year, I was surprised to learn that trust, contribution and experience were becoming the key […]
By Simon Schilder, Tim Clipstone The BVI has recently released several important regulatory amendments to its financial services legislation which are applicable to BVI funds and their advisors. This update summarises the key changes. Valuation of fund property Each of the Mutual Funds Regulations, 2010 (the Mutual Funds Regulations) and Securities and Investment Business (Incubator […]
By Chris Shenton ‘How to improve employee engagement’ is arguably the HR conundrum of the 2010’s, or certainly the latter half. It has been the focus of many a research report, seminar, Op-ed or blog (such as this one I prepared earlier!). And no wonder with its strong correlation to a host of business metrics […]
Following on from our July 2019 article and our 20 September 2019 update on the Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2019 (the “Bill”), consideration of the Bill at Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann (the “Dáil” (lower house of the Irish Parliament)) is complete with no amendments being made. It is intended that the Bill will […]
Work has been continuing at a steady pace in Europe to implement the package of measures set out in the European Commission’s action plan on sustainable finance. Sustainable finance involves taking sustainability considerations into account as part of the financial decision making process. Two of the proposals set out in the action plan on sustainable […]
Performance evaluation might not be the sort of thing that springs to mind when you think of chambers. As opposed to working in a top-down firm, chambers are clearly far less prescriptive in their day-to day running allowing barristers to do business off of the back of their own merits as an individual. As such […]
