DLA offs1-August-2008 Thank God it’s Friday. The legal market has had a tough week. Thank God it’s Friday. The legal market has had a tough week. Since the credit crunch hit, firms in regions from the northeast (Dickinson Dees, Muckle,) to the southwest (Bevan Brittan) have laid off lawyers. City partners, by contrast, have been […]
Cobbetts has entered redundancy consultations with staff in its real estate practice, including partners. The firm is aiming for a single figure headcount reduction, across all levels and practice areas of its Leeds and Manchester real estate departments. Managing partner Michael Shaw said: “As a result of the impact of the downturn in the property […]
Reed Smith is to launch an office in Silicon Valley after hiring Morrison & Foerster Palo Alto partner Rich Scudellari. Scudellari, who has joined the firm’s corporate and securities group, will initially be the only partner based in the office, but Europe and Middle East managing partner Roger Parker said the total headcount would rise […]
Heller Ehrman has recruited IP partner Richard Penfold from DLA Piper to boost its year-old London office as speculation over an impending merger with Baker & McKenzie persists. Penfold’s move represents continued growth in Heller Ehrman’s London office, which opened in early 2007 and now has 24 lawyers, including 11 partners. London partner Richard Eaton […]
DLA Piper has made five lawyers redundant in its technology, media and commercial group. The lay-offs, which were all in firm’s London office, included three assistant solicitors, a legal director and an associate solicitor. A spokesman for the firm said the firm was examining staffing levels in all its practice groups as it faced the […]
Shearman & Sterling’s former German legacy firm, Schilling Zutt & Anschütz (SZA), has re-hired corporate partner Stephan Brandes from McDermott Will & Emery six months after he left. Shearman & Sterling‘s former German legacy firm Schilling Zutt & Anschütz (SZA) has re-hired former corporate partner Stephan Brandes from McDermott Will & Emery, six months after […]
The Court of Appeal has cleared Nelson Mandela’s long-serving lawyer, Mohammed Iqbal Meer, of conspiracy to defraud the Zambian government. Meer, a partner until his retirement in 2007 in the London firm of Meer Care & Desai, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the Zambian government in the High Court in June 2007 by […]
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has axed 20 per cent of its London lawyers as part of the cull of 96 lawyers across the firm. Yesterday Cadwalader announced that it was laying off 96 lawyers across its offices in the US and UK (TheLawyer.com, 30 July), and today The Lawyer can reveal that 11 of those […]
Litigation firm SimmonsCooperAndrew has struck down George Lucas’ High Court battle for ownership of the IP rights to the Star Wars stormtrooper helmets. Litigation boutique SimmonsCooperAndrew has struck down film-maker George Lucas’ galactic High Court battle for ownership of the IP rights to the stormtrooper helmets from the Star Wars films. Mr Justice Mann ruled […]
The news that Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft is laying off an unprecedented number of lawyers – 96 – has left lawyers across Manhattan shell-shocked. Any lingering hopes that the worst effects of the credit crunch had passed for law firms were neatly skewered by Cadwalader’s announcement yesterday (Wednesday 30 July). The firm’s most recent “right-sizing” […]
The Bar Council of India has lifted restrictions on law firm websites, allowing Indian lawyers to launch their own websites giving basic information about themselves to prospective clients. The decision comes after local lawyer VB Joshi filed a petition in 2000 challenging the Bar Council’s Rule 36, which bans lawyers in India from any type […]
Alston & Bird has secured its much-anticipated merger with west coast firm Weston Benshoof Rochefort Rubalcava & MacCuish. The Atlanta firm announced today (Wednesday 30 July) that it was merging with the 83-lawyer Weston, a deal that will give the larger US firm its first outpost in Los Angeles. As The Lawyer reported yesterday (29 […]