Allen & Overy (A&O) has become the first Magic Circle firm and the latest of the UK’s top 20 to launch in Myanmar, despite ongoing concerns over the risk factors for corporations looking to invest in a republic with a legacy of political instability and human rights atrocities.
Bleak reading for all but the biggest law firms in latest Law Society statistics report
The squeeze on the legal profession is in evidence in the latest annual statistics report from the Law Society, which reveals the first decline for over 20 years in both the number of practising and non-practising solicitors across England and Wales; a decline in all but the largest private practice firms; and a further drop in the number of lawyers making partner.
Revolving Doors: White & Case disputes partner joins the Bar as McGuireWoods; Covington and Simmons make key hires
The latest standout lateral moves have seen White & Case litigator Paul Cowen return to the Bar as McGuireWoods expands its City restructuring offering with a hire from DLA Piper, and Covington & Burling and Simmons & Simmons boost their competition groups in Brussels with hires from Clifford Chance (CC) and Olswang respectively.
Channel 5’s £450m sale to Viacom sees Rosenblatt, Shearman, Olswang and Lewis Silkin acting
Channel 5’s £450m sale to Viacom has thrown up roles for Rosenblatt Solicitors; a London-based Shearman & Sterling team; Olswang and Lewis Silkin as the US broadcasting giant snaps up the UK’s only privately owned commercial television channel.
‘Self-interested’ Law Society stripped of power to appoint SRA chair
Just days after the Legal Services Board (LSB) chairman delivered a scathing speech accusing the Law Society of being entirely self-interested, the representative body has been stripped of its power to appoint the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s new chair, in a move designed to give the regulator greater independence.
‘It is now the strain will show on firms’: Gordon Dadds MP talks takeovers and strategy after the fall of Davenport Lyons
After a series of failed merger talks, the surprise takeover of beleaguered West End firm Davenport Lyons by Gordon Dadds is, according to Gordon Dadds’ managing partner Adrian Biles, indicative of the wider strain that firms will start to feel as the recovery kicks in.
The Bar 1-0 MoJ: Crown court halts serious fraud trial over lack of representation
In an embarrassing setback for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in its long running dispute over legal aid with the Bar, a Crown court judge today (1 January) halted a costly publicly funded serious fraud trial after the defendants failed to find representation.
DLA’s partner promotions up by a third with latest round of 45
DLA Piper has promoted 45 lawyers to its partnership, a 33% increase on last year.
The lion’s share of promotions fell to the US, effective from 1 January this year, where 21 associates were made up to partner.
Freshfields unveils new City competition head as Marchant takes over as London corporate chief
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed Simon Marchant as its new City corporate head in the wake of Julian Long’s election to London managing partner, as the Magic Circle firm also announces that Simon Priddis will take over as competition head.
Linklaters appoints first female corporate City head
Linklaters has named Sarah Wiggins as its first female corporate head in London, with the home-grown lawyer placing diversity on the agenda for her four-year term.