A&O swoops for stricken Shearman in transatlantic mega-deal
Allen & Overy is to merge with Shearman & Sterling in a transformative tie-up for both firms.
“I’ve been predicting consolidation”: A&O and Shearman bosses on why the time was right for a merger
Globalisation and its effect on a rapidly changing legal market led to the transformative tie-up between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, its leaders have explained today. Talking to The Lawyer, A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe said: “I’ve been saying for a while there will be consolidation in the market. You need to be of […]
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Dear partner, stop doing that: associates share their biggest bugbears
Partners are (for the most part) brilliant lawyers, but nobody’s perfect and questions can sometimes be raised around their competence in one particular area: communication. We get it. They are under pressure. Extremely busy. And while technically gifted when it comes to all things legal, sometimes when it comes to things like communication style, they […]
Ince crisis: City firms urged to rescue trainees
The City of London Law Society (CLLS) has appealed to City firms to take on trainees from Ince as fear grows for the future of the troubled firm. On Friday 25 August, CLLS chair Colin Passmore, at the behest of CLLS training committee chair Patrick McCann and Watson Farley & Williams’ director of development and […]
Spotlight: Fieldfisher’s commercial crime team is one to stake out
A&O swoops for stricken Shearman in transatlantic mega-deal
Allen & Overy is to merge with Shearman & Sterling in a transformative tie-up for both firms.
“I’ve been predicting consolidation”: A&O and Shearman bosses on why the time was right for a merger
Globalisation and its effect on a rapidly changing legal market led to the transformative tie-up between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, its leaders have explained today. Talking to The Lawyer, A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe said: “I’ve been saying for a while there will be consolidation in the market. You need to be of […]
1
Dear partner, stop doing that: associates share their biggest bugbears
Partners are (for the most part) brilliant lawyers, but nobody’s perfect and questions can sometimes be raised around their competence in one particular area: communication. We get it. They are under pressure. Extremely busy. And while technically gifted when it comes to all things legal, sometimes when it comes to things like communication style, they […]
Ince crisis: City firms urged to rescue trainees
The City of London Law Society (CLLS) has appealed to City firms to take on trainees from Ince as fear grows for the future of the troubled firm. On Friday 25 August, CLLS chair Colin Passmore, at the behest of CLLS training committee chair Patrick McCann and Watson Farley & Williams’ director of development and […]
The Lawyer Awards 2023: Who’s in the running for Law Firm of the Year?
The shortlist for The Lawyer Awards was unveiled last month, celebrating legal excellence across the profession. Today, we reveal the firms in the running for Law Firm of the Year. This year, nine firms have been shortlisted by The Lawyer as contenders for the most important trophy in the legal sector. The winner of Law Firm of the Year, […]
US firms go for gold
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 […]
Knights wants to rescue your firm
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 […]
The NQ pay scales show cracks
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 […]
Senior associates are a boon and bane for the mid-tier
Mid-market firms have been forced to re-evaluate their hiring strategies in the face of greater competition for partners. With lawyers more likely than ever before to switch firms, these firms have to move fast to secure the right talent, and one handy way to achieve that is to recruit from outside the partnership. Where first-time […]
Kirkland’s beaten Linklaters again
Does anyone need any confirmation of the gradual takeover of the City by rampaging US law firms? No, thought not. If, however, your answer is yes, then more evidence of the Americanisation of London can be found in the upcoming edition of the UK Corporate 50. Much of the focus in this year’s report is […]
PZ Cussons GC joins tobacco business
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 […]
Live Webinar: AI Updates
One year after GenAI tools have revolutionised the way we think about AI and how the legal sector operates, we delve into how legal AI tools are addressing client challenges and explore the industry’s response to AI-related concerns. Join this webinar to hear the panel discuss: • What impact has GenAI had on the legal […]
TLT boosts turnover by 12 per cent
TLT’s transition into national firm territory has been solidified after the firm posted a 12 per cent revenue rise from £157m to £174m. It has been a year of expansion for TLT, with the firm moving into Birmingham for the first time after taking a team of 10 from Shoosmiths. That group hire has helped […]
Slaughters innovation pro departs firm
Slaughter and May’s head of legal operations is set to depart the firm after 19 years. Jane Stewart has been with Slaughters her entire career, spanning numerous roles. She joined the firm in 2005 as a trainee solicitor, qualifying into the corporate finance team as an associate in 2007. After spending nearly 10 years as […]
External candidate victorious in Dentons’ CEO search
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 […]