Market forces: Paul Weiss, Kirkland and the war for London talent
Paul Weiss is attracting the kind of headlines once reserved for Kirkland as it cherry-picks big names from the breadth of the City’s elite. But will its dream team approach pay off? And where does it leave the ambitions of the world’s biggest law firm?
Talk of the town: Why Kirkland/Paul Weiss underlines the value of controlling the management message
Clandestine conversations, a recruitment strategy on steroids, eye-watering salaries and internal politics galore, the Paul Weiss/Kirkland story has enough drama in it to keep the attention of even those outside the legal market.
Shuffling the pack – Paul Hastings raises the stakes in London
Paul Hastings is one of the fastest-growing US firms in London – can it bed down a succession of big laterals in London, or has it bet too big? Anna Huntley reports
A&O’s Wim Dejonghe on mergers, money and his plans for life after law
Ahead of the A&O Shearman merger, outgoing A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe sat down with LB to discuss lessons from previous merger talks, his plans for the future and his views on the ‘unhealthy’ levels of money in law
The energy and renewables debate: Power shifts
Earlier this year, LB and Eversheds Sutherland hosted a roundtable made up of leading in-house counsel to look at navigating energy and renewables in a changing world
Life During Law: Scott Hopkins
‘I always say to people: “Don’t do this for the money.” Because, no matter how much you get, you will get frustrated. If you love what you’re doing and you’re really motivated by it, that gives you the fuel to make it through.’
After the party – market slowdown pushes US leaders to take stock in London
The easy narrative is that the party is over. After years of rapid expansion by international law firms in London, 2023 saw lawyer headcount at Global London firms inch up by just 1.8% – a figure which appears to provide confirmation that the City interlopers are finally starting to apply the brakes in London as deal volumes dry up.
Disputes perspectives: Bankim Thanki KC
‘I still regard this whole thing as extended work experience to see if this might be the right career for me’– top-tier commercial silk Bankim Thanki KC on epic trials, great movies and clients doing a runner
Disputes perspectives: Adrian Chopin
‘Never forget you are there to do a deal, not to burn the other side to the ground’ – Bench Walk co-founder Adrian Chopin on top trumps, pompous lawyer language and all-staff email calamities
Pace-setters: how the fastest-growing Global London firms are rising up the L500 rankings
Despite growth slowing amid a stuttering deal market in 2023, the Global London law firms have cut a swathe through the City over recent years, with their purchasing power enabling them to consistently acquire market share in London.