Linklaters is retaining 46 of its 59 qualifying trainees for this autumn round, posting a retention rate of 78 per cent. No qualifiers will be kept on fixed-term contracts (FTC) unlike the previous round this year where one was offered an FTC. Eleven of the qualifiers were also part of the cohort transferred over from […]
Hogan Lovells and Pinsent Masons have scored roles on a deal that will see NatWest purchase nearly £2.5bn worth of Metro Bank’s residential mortgage portfolio. The two firms are the latest to get involved in recent transactional efforts made by Metro Bank to bolster its finances and manage potential risks to its clients and shareholders. […]
Listed firm Knights has acquired the West Midlands firm Thursfields in a deal worth £12.5m as it aims to enter another period of rapid growth. Knights has been a prolific acquirer of mid-market law firms over the past decade, with Langleys (£17.7m), Shulmans (£17.6m), Keebles (£12.6m), ASB (£12.5m) and Coffin Mew (£11.3m) among its most […]
Millions of people around the world will tune in to the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris this evening. With both the Olympics and Paralympics set to dominate headlines over the coming weeks, we climb to the top of the 10-meter platform for a deep dive into one of the firms that specialises […]
BDB Pitmans is throwing its entire weight into finding mid-market US firms to join its soon-to-be-launched international network, Broadfield. The Lawyer understands there is space in the proposed network for multiple US firms with BDB Pitmans managing partner John Hutchinson describing the UK and US as “starting points” for its grand plan. The firm announced […]
With the Paris Olympics set to begin tonight, The Lawyer caught up with marathon runner Rose Harvey, who began running to make friends outside law school, and equestrian athlete Caroline Chew, a Freshfields competition associate.
This summer has seen two sizeable acquisitions in Paris by major international firms of smaller boutique practices. First, Paul Hastings bolstered its white collar team with the incorporation of Antonin Lévy & Associés. The move brought three partners and nine associates into the US firm’s fold, upgrading its offering as a key Paris practice. Then […]
Few UK start-up firms have experienced the same meteoric rise as Knights. Its position as a mid-tier disruptor and consolidator has been largely unchallenged, helping it to lift revenue by a market-topping 185 per cent over the last five years. With so many sub £50m firms contending with the twin issues of a cashflow crunch […]
How did your firm fare in salary review season? For associates at Freshfields, their firm can claim the early-mover advantage prize after announcing a bold NQ salary jump to £150,000. But its moment was short-lived. Within a week, Quinn had upped its junior lawyer pay from £152,000 to £180,000. If there was an award for […]
South West: Growth at Exeter-headquartered firm Michelmores has hit a 10-year high following a period of inward investment. Revenue at the firm climbed 14 per cent from £42.8m to £48.8m, just shy of the psychologically important £50m revenue barrier, which the firm is likely to hit next year. Managing partner Tim Richards said turnover was […]
The much-vaunted deal between Japanese conglomerate Softbank and British-based AI-chip innovator Graphcore comes at a pivotal time for the tech sector. The deal, understood to be valued at more than $500m, closed last week, shortly after the installation of a new Labour Government and when no definitive answer exists as to what AI regulation might […]
Making partner can be stressful, full of uncertainty and unmet promises. Walker Morris’s new formal scheme hopes to change that.
Leeds: Mills & Reeve is soon to double its footprint in Leeds with the relocation of its office. Beyond the Bubble, in association with LexisNexis: While the firm is staying put at 1 City Square, it is vacating its current premises on the fourth floor and has agreed to take a 10,200 sq ft office […]
As counsel to the Post Office inquiry, Jason Beer KC is fast gaining celebrity-level status with thousands tuning in to see him grill key witnesses.
The associate recruitment market has tightened up over the past year or two. For trainees looking to qualify, it means that finding a home in their preferred practice area has become more difficult too. Qualification and, specifically, which team you qualify into, can be one of the most crucial moments in a solicitor’s career. On […]
Labour won. Now what? As Keir Starmer walks into Downing Street, The Lawyer Podcast boils up a vat of coffee and brings you an election results show for lawyers. With special guests including former Clifford Chance partner and tax celebrity Dan Neidle, we discuss which lawyers are in and out of Parliament after a night […]
The doom of the middle market has long been foretold. As global mergers grab attention and smaller, boutique firms blossom, many question whether there is any role for mid-market practices in law’s future. But on Tuesday evening, Addleshaw Goddard marked a remarkable, decade-long turnaround as it was crowned Law Firm of the Year at The […]
Law firms have long had a problem with gender equality. Partners and senior leaders are weighted heavily towards men, with an average of 2.35 male partner to every female partner in the UK Top 100 firms. However, that number has actually improved in the last five years – down from 2.83 – while the number […]
Dentons has elected a successor to global boss Elliott Portnoy, hiring its next leader from Big Four giant EY. A former global vice chair of EY, Kate Barton joins Dentons as its next global CEO. She will replace Portnoy, who stands down in November after 11 years. Dentons kickstarted the CEO search last December, stressing […]
Reflecting on the time since the last general election it’s hard to imagine, at least in recent times, a more chaotic period in British politics. There are many government and parliamentary functions that are not serving us; we would not run a successful business this way, so why do we allow our country to be […]
British healthcare company PZ Cussons has lost its general counsel to tobacco business Imperial Brands. Kevin Massie is making the move to the owner of the Lambert & Butler, Rizla and Golden Virginia brands after four years of leading the legal, governance and compliance function. In a LinkedIn post, he wrote: “I will soon be […]
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has extended panel places to all firms on the Government’s legal services framework. The contract has been awarded until 30 November 2025. It was previously a three-year agreement, with the option to extend for a further 12 months at the discretion of the CCS. The framework agreement consists of a […]
With the Post Office Horizon inquiry set to continue throughout the year, Burges Salmon has been awarded a new contract for advice provided to the company. The contract is valued at £16m and lasts until May 2025. This is understood to be in addition to an existing contract worth £22.5m that the firm picked up […]
When asked if she enjoys working at price comparison service Moneysupermarket Group, general counsel Shazadi Stinton’s response is resoundingly upbeat: “I could tell you a list of 100 reasons why I love Moneysupermarket and they would all be true. “It’s just a really wonderful company, and it’s one of the few places where the work […]
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Hearing, your insider’s guide to the UK litigation market. This week, we bring you news about what disputes lawyers might expect to see at this year’s Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, and explain why London’s courts may soon sound more international. First though, we look at why commercial […]
A claim has been filed in the High Court by a Malaysian music festival organiser against indie pop band The 1975. Future Sound Asia, the organisers of the Kuala Lumpur Good Vibes Festival where The 1975 played last year, has submitted the claim for breach of contract. The 1975 made headlines for the performance after […]
Mishcon takes on HSBC’s high-net-worth arm for BVI investment client HSBC Private Bank – the arm reserved for high-net-worth individuals – was hit by a part 7 provision of financial services claim in the Commercial Court on Friday 19 July. The claim, which seeks monetary damages from the defendant, has been brought by Mishcon de […]
TSB in £375m Northern Rock mortgage class action British bank TSB is set to appear before the Business List of the Chancery Division today (22 July) for a four-day hearing set to deal with the repercussions of its inheritance of Northern Rock mortgages in 2016. Hogan Lovells is to defend TSB against class representative Donna […]
Timothy Wilkins, global partner for client sustainability at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, talks to The Lawyer about key ESG trends that will land on general counsel’s desks in the near future as well as the unique opportunities ESG present for lawyers to add value to their organisation.
Thomson Reuters’ chief product officer for legal tech Kriti Sharma talks to The Lawyer about holding technology and tech companies more accountable for user needs, what can be done to reduce tech waste and getting tech companies to work better together.
Emma Carr, partner at Gowling WLG, talks to The Lawyer about how the in-house function has changed over the past 10-15 years and shared her views on what the legal team of the future might look like.
Independents The Lawyer’s last part of the UK 200 – The Independents – which focuses on the firms in the lower half of the UK 200 is out now! The Independents account for just 6 per cent of the total UK 200 revenue and we talk about some of the pressures that The Independents are facing […]
Here’s a rundown by litigation reporters Annabel Tinson and Maria Ward-Brennan on the new weekly content on The Lawyer’s Litigation Tracker, which started in October 2022. As Litigation Tracker subscribers already know, on Monday, In court this week comes out, which details some of the most interesting cases hitting the courts that week. On Wednesday, Claim Spotter is released, which looks […]
China top 30 The China Top 30 features the ranking of the top 30 firms based on revenue, and in-depth analysis of financial performance, headcount and growth. The report highlights that despite an extraordinary 2021, the China top 30 are bracing for 2022 to be their first year of downturn after three decades of growth. […]
Rhetoric is at the heart of the battle for power in at least 64 countries which go to the polls this year – an extraordinary year in politics. While the Ancient sandals may have been swapped for Oxford brogues, Aristotle’s rhetorical pillars of ethos, pathos and logos have never been more relevant. Just where is […]
Clifford Chance has altered its associate bonus review process in the UK, bringing it in line with offices in the US. The new system was introduced at the beginning of June and sees associates better rewarded when they are higher in demand – ultimately linking the number of hours billed to the individual’s bonus potential. […]
Senior associate Jo Howard is standing for the Labour Party in Christchurch.
Browne Jacobson finance head Paul Ray is contesting Lichfield for the Liberal Democrats against Michael Fabricant. We asked him for his views on law and politics