The £70m landmark construction and cladding dispute that featured in The Lawyer’s top 20 cases of 2024 has finally settled, less than a month before it was due to head to trial on 7 October. Mayer Brown-repped Shepherd Construction, a UK-based construction company, was the main contractor for the Northern Quarter mixed-use development in Colindale, London. […]
Herbert Smith Freehills kicked off its fight today in the Commercial Court to strike out a $13.8bn claim against client TPG by jailed Russian billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov, who made his fortune during Dmitry Medvedev’s presidency. HSF called upon Brick Court’s Mark Howard KC to refute the claim, which alleges that the private equity giant and […]
RPC is set to defend Google in another class action launched against it in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) over alleged anti-competitive practices regarding its UK Google Play Store. Geradin Partners has launched the £1.04bn claim on behalf of class representative and competition law expert Professor Barry Rodger, who represents UK Android app developers. Rodger […]
The long-running battle between the Russian Federation and the former majority shareholders in Yukos Oil must wait until 2026 for a preliminary issues trial, more than a decade after the case was first filed. According to court documents seen by The Lawyer, an eight-day preliminary issues trial is due to begin on 19 January 2026, […]
The £70m landmark construction and cladding dispute that featured in The Lawyer’s top 20 cases of 2024 has finally settled, less than a month before it was due to head to trial on 7 October. Mayer Brown-repped Shepherd Construction, a UK-based construction company, was the main contractor for the Northern Quarter mixed-use development in Colindale, London. […]
Herbert Smith Freehills kicked off its fight today in the Commercial Court to strike out a $13.8bn claim against client TPG by jailed Russian billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov, who made his fortune during Dmitry Medvedev’s presidency. HSF called upon Brick Court’s Mark Howard KC to refute the claim, which alleges that the private equity giant and […]
RPC is set to defend Google in another class action launched against it in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) over alleged anti-competitive practices regarding its UK Google Play Store. Geradin Partners has launched the £1.04bn claim on behalf of class representative and competition law expert Professor Barry Rodger, who represents UK Android app developers. Rodger […]
The long-running battle between the Russian Federation and the former majority shareholders in Yukos Oil must wait until 2026 for a preliminary issues trial, more than a decade after the case was first filed. According to court documents seen by The Lawyer, an eight-day preliminary issues trial is due to begin on 19 January 2026, […]
Harbottle & Lewis is representing parenting website Mumsnet in a pre-action dispute with artificial intelligence giant OpenAI. Mumsnet claims that the developer has scraped billions of words of its content against the site’s terms of use. It is claiming copyright infringement, breach of terms of use and database right infringement, and has written to openAI […]
First, there was the Brabners Bog, and now Mills & Reeve – or should we say Reeds? – has got itself a wetland. It has partnered up with longstanding client Albanwise Environment on a nature recovery project in west Norfolk. Home to threatened species including otters, dragonflies and wildfowl, the Stoke Ferry wetland is positioned […]
Once, let’s say around two decades ago, the most eye-catching lateral hires stories were all about US firms raiding the Brits in the latter’s back yard. Then, thanks to the sheer scale of the investment of US firms in London and the growth of this City market, came US-on-US moves. Now, the top UK firms […]
The skip outside the now-defunct 9 Stone Buildings is a forlorn remnant of a 130-year history. But it’s a gift of a metaphor. Anyone following the shape of legal services will be increasingly aware that chambers’ challenges mimic those of law firms. For 9 Stone Buildings’ fate is the amplification of a trend that is sweeping […]
As Freshfields goes for a more American look, Paul Weiss is appealing to aspiring UK lawyers with a £250 grant to buy smart attire. Unveiling a generous vacation scheme package, the US firm has also hit top of the market rates with an £180,000 NQ salary. That figure will likely be even higher once its […]
Lawyer headcount growth underscores the resilience of the profession
DLA Piper’s global co-CEO elect Charles Severs is set to begin his term two months earlier than planned. The new date will see Severs begin his term in November, replacing the outgoing Simon Levine who has been in the firm’s top job for a decade. Corporate partner Severs joined DLA in 2003, having spent the […]
The UK’s top 20 firms logged the equivalent of 2,407 more trips around the world in 2023 than they did in 2022, as business travel surged post-pandemic. According to Companies House data, these firms in 2022 collectively emitted 25,766 tCO2e from business travel – the equivalent of driving 65.9 million miles in a typical petrol-powered […]
The highly anticipated Russian aircraft trial has got underway, as aircraft lessors and their insurers battle over who should pay for planes stranded in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Brick Court’s Mark Howard KC began the proceedings yesterday (2 October) with an opening statement focused on the “clear and simple language” of the “operator […]
Watson Farley & Williams has ended its search for new London premises, opting for a building that enables it to be the sole tenant of its City space. The firm has signed a lease at 25 Moorgate with developer Barings. The lease will run for 15 years, with the firm expecting to move into the […]
The former CEO of Taylor Vinters has left Mishcon de Reya 21 months after the firms completed their merger. According to Companies House, Matt Meyer was terminated as a member on 30 September 2024. Meyer was a member of the senior management team at Mishcon and sat on the board, where he had responsibility for […]