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Herbert Smith Freehills: Between two peaks

The merger between Herbert Smith and Freehills was framed as a collision of Anglo-Australian cultures. A decade on, the firm is fighting to ensure Asia and Europe are not overshadowed by its legacy

The business of saving lives

Inside Travers’ award-winning domestic abuse prevention work

The Euro Elite 2022

Our annual Euro Elite report finds the continent’s leading independent firms resistant to external challenges – including Covid

UK Offshore report: Keeping a weather eye

Firms in the UK Crown Dependencies have moved from staying afloat to bucking the trend amid Covid-related economic uncertainty. LB speaks to leading offshore players for the full picture

Caribbean Offshore Report: The vital signs

It’s business as usual for global offshore firms based in the Caribbean, undeterred by economic challenges presented by the pandemic

Africa focus: Rising again?

Even as political unrest and economic reversals wrought by Covid remain, Africa still offers much potential

The Legal 500 View: Promotion prospects – the firms with the biggest gains in the UK Legal 500

Every firm thinks they deserve to move up the rankings – but which are making the strongest case? Ben Wheway crunches the numbers to find the firms who saw the biggest improvement in their rankings

Leader: Lessons in management: Spoiler alert – it doesn’t get easier

‘You can’t appeal to people’s better natures because they don’t have one. Everyone is fundamentally selfish.’ Nihilistic as this remark from a senior corporate partner may sound, on darker days, most law firm leaders would find it hard to argue the point.

Pritchard: Stronger together? Not really

When we first launched our Euro Elite report in 2016, much of the narrative was that the future of the elite European independent firms as a breed looked assured but individually they faced challenging headwinds and delicate balancing acts to modernise their businesses for a more globalised and networked world.

Life During Law: Linda Woolley

‘The policeman that morning said: “I would be careful if I were you because it’s Mrs X as magistrate and she doesn’t like granting bail!” So when the Crown said it had no objections to bail she said: “Well I do!”‘

The Client profile: Elisabeth Sullivan, Waterstones

The in-house legal chief-cum-budding novelist tells of working for one of the UK’s most beloved high street brands

The Last Word: Elite culture

As part of our annual Euro Elite report, management at independent firms in Europe give their views on market challenges, talent management and technology