The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed 12 law firms have been forced to close for failing to secure professional indemnity insurance (PII) while the status of a further 37 has yet to be determined.
Under new leadership: Eversheds appoints senior partner in Paris as Brown departs after 18-year tenure
Q&A: Heineken UK’s Graeme Colquhoun and DLA Piper’s John McKinlay talk sole adviser mandates
Having appointed DLA Piper as principal legal adviser this month (January) in a bid to cut down on external spend, Heineken UK’s head of legal Graeme Colquhoun (pictured) and DLA Piper IP/IT partner John McKinlay talk to Sarah Downey to discuss the perks of having a one-stop-shop and its possible extension.
Paying the tab: Mishcon defeated as firm loses celebrity chef Ramsay’s High Court pub rent battle
Mishcon de Reya client and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has lost a High Court battle over the £640,000 annual rent of a London pub.
US-Russia relations: A&O, Skadden and V&E win roles as oil company EDC delists and sells $1.7bn stake
Despite the volatile economic conditions in Russia, Allen & Overy (A&O), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Vinson & Elkins (V&E) remain active in the region after having scored roles on Eurasia Drilling Company’s (EDC) delisting and subsequent minority stake sale.
Job openings: Vacancies at real estate legal teams expand quickest in the City in 2014 as legal job market grows
In an indication of the legal job market’s growing strength, research analysing vacancy rates at law firms has shown that job openings across England and Wales were up by 48% in 2014 compared to a year earlier, while real estate teams grew fastest in the City.
Change management: CC appoints new COO and innovation chief as Layton unveils new strategy
Clifford Chance (CC) managing partner Matthew Layton has laid out the firm’s international strategy, aiming at becoming the ‘global law firm of choice for the world’s leading businesses’; a vision that includes introducing fresh key performance indicators, making new leadership appointments, and increasing US and Asia revenues to approximately 20% and 25% respectively over five years.
Significant mandates: CC client and Autonomy founder Lynch welcomes SFO closure of investigation
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has today (19 January) announced it has closed its high profile investigation into the $11bn sale of British software firm Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett-Packard in 2011 due to lack of evidence, a move that brings some closure for Autonomy founder and Clifford Chance client Mike Lynch.
Leaving Asia: Fried Frank closes down in Hong Kong and Shanghai
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson has decided to close its Hong Kong and Shanghai offices, leaving the US firm without an outpost in Asia.
Aiming for 80 jurisdictions: EY law launches in Sweden with Stockholm office
Ernst & Young’s (EY) legal team has launched in Sweden with the hire of a six member team in Stockholm, including two partners from Swedish commercial law firm Delphi, completing its coverage of Scandinavia.