Tip of the iceberg: Beckwith prosecution sparks Freshfields misconduct and financial penalty clampdown

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Tip of the iceberg: Beckwith prosecution sparks Freshfields misconduct and financial penalty clampdown

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has ushered in radical reforms to handling misbehaviour, including financial penalties, as the #MeToo fallout intensifies following former partner Ryan Beckwith’s prosecution for sexual misconduct. The move sees a conduct committee established and new enforcement protocols which mean partners under internal investigation will receive a final warning about their behaviour and face …

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Revolving doors: Akin Gump hires Orrick private equity player as Kirkland revisits Linklaters for tax lateral

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Revolving doors: Akin Gump hires Orrick private equity player as Kirkland revisits Linklaters for tax lateral

City and US rivals in London have been continuing to ramp up lateral recruitment with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld adding its third private equity partner in the space of a month, Kirkland & Ellis hiring a tax partner from Linklaters and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) strengthening its employment bench. Akin Gump hired private equity partner …

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Conference Sketch – Thousands flock to law tech showcase but echo chamber concerns creep in

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Conference Sketch – Thousands flock to law tech showcase but echo chamber concerns creep in

Walking trees. High-fives. A cinema. Virtual reality headsets. Arcade games. Disco balls. General counsel (GCs) dressed as Willy Wonka. Filing cabinet piñatas. T-shirts reading ‘no bullshit’ and nobody in a suit and tie. Since its debut in 2016, legal tech community Legal Geek’s annual conference has grown dramatically from a respectable 500 attendees to more …

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Dealwatch: Kirkland and Slaughters lead on £3.1bn Sophos take-private as Fried Frank advises on €11bn Permira final close

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Dealwatch: Kirkland and Slaughters lead on £3.1bn Sophos take-private as Fried Frank advises on €11bn Permira final close

Continuing the recent trend for high-value take-private deals, the £3.1bn buyout of UK cybersecurity company Sophos Group Plc has prompted lead mandates for Slaughter and May and Kirkland & Ellis as a transatlantic team from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson advised Permira on the €11bn final close of its seventh buyout fund. Oil & …

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Adoption is accelerating: legal tech start-up investment more than doubles to £61m in 2018

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Adoption is accelerating: legal tech start-up investment more than doubles to £61m in 2018

Cash flowing into UK legal tech start-ups rose to £61m in 2018, a considerable increase on the previous year’s £22m, according to a Thomson Reuters report published today (16 October). Over a five-year period the increase is even more drastic, with just £1.5m invested into legal tech companies in 2014 according to the report, created …

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A&O’s transatlantic woes continue as New York leveraged finance pair quit for Shearman

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A&O’s transatlantic woes continue as New York leveraged finance pair quit for Shearman

Allen & Overy (A&O) has suffered a fresh blow to its transatlantic aspirations following its failed US merger as two key leveraged finance partners depart for Shearman & Sterling. Alan Rockwell and Michael Chernick are leaving A&O’s New York office for the US firm just a month after A&O lost well-respected London corporate partners Simon …

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#MeToo: DLA Silicon Valley co-head forced out following sexual assault allegations

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#MeToo: DLA Silicon Valley co-head forced out following sexual assault allegations

The co-managing partner of DLA Piper’s Silicon Valley office has been let go by the firm following accusations of sexual assault by a fellow partner. In an open letter published earlier this month (2 October), DLA partner Vanina Guerrero alleged that fellow partner Louis Lehot sexually assaulted her multiple times after recruiting her to the …

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Revolving doors: Former Quinn white collar head sets up City boutique as Shearman and HFW make Paris corporate plays

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Revolving doors: Former Quinn white collar head sets up City boutique as Shearman and HFW make Paris corporate plays

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s former white-collar crime and corporate investigations head in London Robert Amaee has launched a boutique – Amaee Law – in what has been a muted week for City laterals. Elsewhere, firms have bolstered their European offices with Shearman & Sterling and HFW hiring corporate partners in Paris and Watson Farley …

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White & Case’s City partner promotions drop to three in shift from NYLon focus amid 45-strong round

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White & Case’s City partner promotions drop to three in shift from NYLon focus amid 45-strong round

In an unusual move, White & Case has largely overlooked London in its latest partnership promotions as the firm minted only three in the City as part of its largest ever round. The firm announced today (11 October) that as of January 2020 it will promote 45 of its lawyers to partner, four more than last …

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Riverview Law and Pangea3 brands to be dropped following EY acquisition

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Riverview Law and Pangea3 brands to be dropped following EY acquisition

Big Four accountancy firm EY is finalising the combination of its two high-profile acquisitions, Riverview Law and Pangea3, into one managed services business under the EY Law brand. The rebranding means that both Riverview and Pangea3, acquired over the last year, will be absorbed into EY Law’s global managed services delivery, while also keeping an …

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