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

#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 …

Stake in the ground: Pinsents bolsters alternative services with project management division

Stake in the ground: Pinsents bolsters alternative services with project management division

Pinsent Masons has launched a client and legal project management division as it continues to ramp up investment in non-legal services. The firm said today [8 October] it had launched the division of more than 20 project managers, led by head of client and legal project management Dee Tamlin (pictured). That team has largely been …

International round-up: DWF recruits five partners for Düsseldorf as CMS expands in Africa

International round-up: DWF recruits five partners for Düsseldorf as CMS expands in Africa

DWF has made its second post-IPO international office opening, hiring a five-partner team in Germany, while CMS has added two firms in South Africa and Kenya to its network. DWF said today (7 October) it was opening its fourth German office in Düsseldorf after recruiting the entire office of Marccus Partners, consisting of 10 staff …

Fantastic platform: TLT managing partner Pester to stand down after 19 years

Fantastic platform: TLT managing partner Pester to stand down after 19 years

Long-standing TLT managing partner David Pester is to be replaced by corporate head John Wood (pictured) after 19 years in the top role. The Bristol-based LB100 firm said today (1 October) Wood, who has been at TLT since 2000 and head of corporate since 2003, will take over from April next year. Pester will remain at …

Pay to play – Bluechip clients force law firms to pay to pitch as GCs flex buying power

Pay to play – Bluechip clients force law firms to pay to pitch as GCs flex buying power

Major companies are pressing external counsel to pay to compete for adviser spots in a move set to be resisted by some major law firms. The practice sees law firms paying to be ‘validated’ by a procurement company, effectively pushing the cost of the agency onto the pitching law firms. One prominent case has been …

LB100 Second 50 – Regional focus: Crawling on a razor

LB100 Second 50 – Regional focus: Crawling on a razor

Smaller regional and national firms have gained ground on their London rivals in this year’s Legal Business 100 (LB100) after years of the productivity gap widening in favour of the City. And, as some of the strongest performers from the 32 regional firms in the 51-100 bracket have shown, a big part of the shift …

Kennedys looks to ensure next stage of growth with first managing partner

Kennedys looks to ensure next stage of growth with first managing partner

Kennedys has appointed its first global managing partner following a sustained period of growth which has seen turnover increase 70% in the last five years on the back of expansion into 37 international offices. Suzanne Liversidge (pictured), who joined the insurance and shipping specialist as the head of its Sheffield office in 2010, was today (20 …