The consumer insurance market has seen a fierce tussle for territory. Have the mega-firms won or has the war just begun? Insurers sparked an epic land grab a few years ago when they began reducing their panels and putting the squeeze on fees. Meanwhile, added pressure was piling up on firms from regulatory change and the […]
Our new industry leaders’ viewpoint page (p10 in this issue) is going down a storm among readers, not least because our participants refuse to sit on the fence. First, we had Sir Nigel Knowles saying he thought fracking was a good idea, but that the Foreign Office’s idea to introduce new contract sanctions was dangerous. […]
Shearman outflanks CC, Links, Travers Smith for work Shearman & Sterling is making its presence felt in the City, squaring up to magic circle firms and muscling in on key relationships. The US firm is understood to have attracted private equity (PE) house Bridgepoint, an outfit that has traditionally taken advice from Clifford Chance, Linklaters […]
Firms welcome back lawyers as economy perks up Does absence make the heart grow fonder or is it simply that the country is back in growth mode? Several lawyers are returning to jobs they left during the recession. In the past month, Taylor Wessing, Covington & Burling and Mayer Brown have all welcomed back old […]
China Yuchai GC Deborah Foo engineers smooth investor relations and new ventures for an organisation that stretches across four culturally diverse territories and spans activities from building engines to hospitality Bridging the cultural differences between the company’s Chinese business and its foreign investors is an important aspect of Deborah Foo’s job as general counsel of […]
Move of the week Dorsey & Whitney has hired Michael Cashman as a partner in the tax group. Cashman is a solicitor and a chartered accountant, and was previously head of the tax group at Kemp Little in London. UK London A&L Goodbody has hired Claire Morrissey as a partner in the IP and […]
Employment lawyers are shifting their focus to non-contentious areas as the coalition promotes conciliation On 6 April the latest in a raft of recent employment reforms was introduced, compelling prospective claimants to contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) before lodging proceedings at the employment tribunal. A month into the regime, which was made […]
The partnership model is under attack as firms look for ways to enshrine fairness in a post-crunch world where commitment means less Partnership. The word explodes in a supernova – champagne for some – of possibilities. It can be a great thing for clients and lawyers, but challenges loom that go to the heart of […]
It’s a nervous time for international law firms in Moscow, as Russia’s rift with the West threatens to throw their businesses off course – possibly for good A quarter of a century after the first international law firms moved into Moscow, booming workflows for both domestic and foreign practice have suddenly been affected by president […]