Legal 500 US: Latham tops the charts in new US rankings

Legal 500 US: Latham tops the charts in new US rankings

The Legal 500 United States 2024 rankings have arrived, and with it a bevy of new numbers to crunch. Leading Individual rankings rose by 14% – an increase of 246 lawyers on last year’s rankings. More lawyers than ever are being nominated, and with the market active in many areas, attorneys have a greater body …

To live or die in DC – getting deals done amid US antitrust crackdown

To live or die in DC – getting deals done amid US antitrust crackdown

In many ways, the deal is the easy part. Financing in place, subclauses, choosing exactly the right type of pen to make things official, and there you have it – it’s announced. Your company intends to acquire another company – and at a great price! You’re confident this is a transaction from which the public …

Euro Elite Benelux: Full steam ahead

Euro Elite Benelux: Full steam ahead

Independent law firms across the Benelux region have gone into 2022 with a renewed sense of optimism, with them successfully withstanding the challenges of Covid-19 to continue winning exciting new mandates. Reflective of the buoyant mood of the market, at Stibbe, Brussels managing partner Wouter Ghijsels says: ‘Last year was our best year in terms …

Southern and Eastern Europe: A long recovery

Southern and Eastern Europe: A long recovery

As with many global sub-regions, southern and eastern Europe (SEE) is slowly emerging from a period of stark economic slowdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with regional economies affected in a variety of ways. This ranged from tourism-reliant nations such as Croatia and Greece that faced an unprecedented plunge during 2020, relying on …

Ukraine – green shoots and uncertainty

Ukraine – green shoots and uncertainty

Ukraine has broadly seen an improvement in its economic outlook since the 2019 election of comedian and actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the presidency. After years of turmoil, culminating in the 2014 defenestration of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych and the Russian invasion of the Crimea, Ukraine has deepened its ties with the EU, adopting reforms that …

Greece – the long road back

Greece – the long road back

Despite a Covid-induced 8.2% contraction in GDP last year, compounding over a decade of economic decline, Greece serves as an unexpected source of optimism within the southern and eastern Europe region. Despite losing its title as the largest regional economy to Romania in recent years, it is set for a semi-swift bounce back, with the …

Cyprus – work in progress

Cyprus – work in progress

Cyprus, a divided island nation, faces an uncertain future on the geopolitical front. The northern region of the country remains occupied by neighbouring Turkey and recent efforts for reunification between the separated Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have reached a bitter standstill. Among all the uncertainty, which has arguably become the status quo after 47 …

Bulgaria – M&A and energy boom

Bulgaria – M&A and energy boom

Bulgaria has, to say the least, performed commendably at shielding its economy from the significant disruption seen in many other European markets. GDP sank 4.2% in 2020, one of the lowest figures in the EU, and was partly supported by an extensive wage subsidy scheme that saw the government cover 60% of wages for employees …

Croatia – ups and downs

Croatia – ups and downs

Having enjoyed steady economic growth following its accession to the European Union (EU) in 2013, Croatia saw an abrupt halt to its development in 2020. With a projected 10% drop in GDP, the depth of the economic trough appears similar to that of the 2008 financial crisis, though optimism remains that this downturn will be …