Shearman & Sterling and Hogan Lovells have failed to deny speculation that the two firms are in early-stage merger talks after The Lawyer revealed market rumours about how negotiations have begun to emerge. If such talks were successful, the newly-merged firm would have a combined annual revenue of $3.6bn and a London office generating more […]
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has stepped in to close London firm Fletcher Day. As revealed by The Lawyer earlier this week, HM Revenue and Customs had issued a winding-up petition against Fletcher Day; however the SRA has now intervened to protect the interests of clients. In a statement the SRA said: “An intervention means […]
In January 2016, The Lawyer embarked on a new project. We found five fresh-faced young newly-qualified solicitors and decided to follow them in their careers. Seven years on, we are revisiting them to find out how they are doing. Five is an admittedly small sample size, but their fates to date make for interesting reading. […]
Meetings between law firm leaders can be casual, just a polite meeting to chew the fat over a cup of coffee, or they can have a serious intent. Last month, when Dickson Minto’s de facto managing partner Jordan Simpson met with a delegation from New York’s Fried Frank, it was the latter. Make no mistake, […]
Shearman & Sterling and Hogan Lovells have failed to deny speculation that the two firms are in early-stage merger talks after The Lawyer revealed market rumours about how negotiations have begun to emerge. If such talks were successful, the newly-merged firm would have a combined annual revenue of $3.6bn and a London office generating more […]
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has stepped in to close London firm Fletcher Day. As revealed by The Lawyer earlier this week, HM Revenue and Customs had issued a winding-up petition against Fletcher Day; however the SRA has now intervened to protect the interests of clients. In a statement the SRA said: “An intervention means […]
In January 2016, The Lawyer embarked on a new project. We found five fresh-faced young newly-qualified solicitors and decided to follow them in their careers. Seven years on, we are revisiting them to find out how they are doing. Five is an admittedly small sample size, but their fates to date make for interesting reading. […]
Meetings between law firm leaders can be casual, just a polite meeting to chew the fat over a cup of coffee, or they can have a serious intent. Last month, when Dickson Minto’s de facto managing partner Jordan Simpson met with a delegation from New York’s Fried Frank, it was the latter. Make no mistake, […]
While the gender debate rages on between family and friends, on social media and now in the workplace, a growing number of women have been fighting their employers tooth-and-nail over the right to hold gender-critical beliefs without being subject to workplace discrimination. In 2021, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that think-tank researcher Maya Forstater […]
Talent churn is accelerating among the junior ranks with today’s associates more mobile than the generations before them. The concept of long-term professional loyalty is fading as Gen Z rises. These lawyers ask not what they can do for you, but what your firm can do for them. This generational shift in working attitudes is […]
Hooray, big-ticket M&A is having a mini-revival and so are the firms that make so much of their money out of it. Already in 2024, major European M&A deals to have been announced include International Paper’s £5.8bn planned acquisition of London-listed packaging company DS Smith, which trumped another offer from rival Mondi. Other significant matters […]
On Tuesday last week (9 April), the SRA sought to quell a rising tide of discontent around the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). In its most recent SQE annual report, SRA chief executive Paul Philip said the public and profession could have “confidence” in this “rigorous assessment”. That confidence was short-lived. Yesterday (15 April), Philip was […]
For one firm, the pan-Nordic dream is dead. For another, it’s just begun. Hannes Snellman’s announcement that its Stockholm and Helsinki offices will be going their separate ways later this year represented the end of a strategic gamble that started 16 years ago. Back then, its leadership bet that opening in Stockholm (2008) and Copenhagen […]
It seems that one of the chief attributes of managing partners is wild optimism. You can’t move for law firm leaders committing their firms to hardcore five-year targets – particularly in the upper mid-tier, where we’re hearing of plans to double or even triple revenues by the end of the decade. We’d like some of […]
BT has further shrunk its panel for the third review in a row having appointed a total of 11 firms to its roster. The panel will run for three years and includes 10 firms that have been reappointed from 2020. Those continuing their relationship with BT after the latest review are the likes of Allen […]
Dentons has promoted 12 lawyers to partner in the UK, Ireland and Middle East (UKIME) this year, including nine partners in London. Of the remaining three promotions, two were made in Glasgow and one was made in Abu Dhabi. Most of the promotions have been made in the projects team, with Claudia Thomas and Graham […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has made up 23 lawyers to partner globally in its smallest round for three years. Last year, the magic circle promoted 30 to partnership worldwide, with 27 making the grade in 2022. There were 22 elevations in 2021. As a result, the London set is also slightly smaller than in previous years. […]
The Lawyer‘s Christian Smith, Catrin Griffiths, Richard Simmons, Katy Dowell and Charlotte Lear are joined by College of Legal Practice CEO Giles Proctor for this emergency episode of The Lawyer Podcast as they discuss the latest Solicitors Qualification Exam debacle: marking errors that led to 175 students being incorrectly told they had failed. What went […]
Fieldfisher is bolstering its German presence with a sizeable team from local firm SKW Schwartz and a handful of other hires, in an effort to expand its media, technology and IP offerings. The firm has hired eight lawyers from SKW Schwarz including partners Martin Diesbach, Elisabeth Noltenius and Julia Schafdecker, all of whom specialise in […]
