Following the record-setting IPO of Alibaba, Jack Ma is now a global business icon. In China he has been a business titan for a much longer period of time. He is also one of the most gifted public speakers in the Chinese business community, so when he took the podium following Liu Chuanzhi of Lenovo […]
US firms indulge in London hiring binge, but Mayer Brown bucks the trend If the magic circle’s shrinking of its trainee intakes in recent years can be likened to a strict diet, then US firms’ offices in the capital have gone on something of a binge lately. Last week, Sullivan & Cromwell said it would […]
Freshfields is taking on corporate America as part of a wider mission – to become a leading player not in the magic circle but in the ‘international elite’
The self-belief of Freshfields managing partner David Aitman and corporate head Ed Braham is remarkable. The magic circle is irrelevant, say these magic circle partners; long live the international elite. Other firms, particularly Allen & Overy, often bang on about there being a premier division of global practices. Indeed, in The Lawyer’s futurology issue (September […]
There may be no such thing as a free Yorkie bar for Nestlé European GC Trevor Brown, but maintaining the brand’s reputation as a trusted provider of confections is fulfilling enough When you hear the word Nestlé, the first thing that springs to mind is a world of rainbow colours and all things sweet. But […]
Slow growth in the eurozone along with crises in the Middle East and Ukraine are beginning to be a drag on Norway’s richest sector – energy The country in possession of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, spread among a population of just five million, is the subject of speculation by economists, who wonder when […]
The Information Commissioner’s Office has intensified its focus on lawyers with respect to data breaches, and mandatory breach notification is on the way Q: Are law firms a particular target for cyber attack? Ross McKean, data protection practice group leader, Olswang: Yes. UK law firms are a honeypot for hackers. You name it, we have it: […]
The rise of the Turkish aviation sector reflects a wider trend of prosperity The Turkish banking crisis of 2000/01 wreaked havoc on the country’s economy: its currency crashed, interest rates rocketed and tens of thousands lost their jobs. In the aftermath, however, banking sector reforms meant Turkey was far better prepared for the 2008 global […]
Move of the week Simmons & Simmons has expanded its financial markets practice in the UK with the appointment of Simon Thrower, who joined the firm as a partner. Thrower arrives from Ashurst, where he was a partner for 15 years and where he led the global banking team from 2009 to 2011. UK Orrick […]