Blogs Archives

KWM Germany plans to double Chinese-German deals capability by mid-2018 in focus shift

Asia-headquartered firm King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has made a strategic commitment to its German practice with the hire of two new partners in…

HSF’s qualifying trainee retention rate falls as Stephenson Harwood keeps 90% of intake

Tom Baker

Herbert Smith Freehills‘ (HSF) qualified trainee retention score has dipped to 80% while City-headquartered firm Stephenson Harwood recorded a significant increase in…

Law firms report record £3.2m cybercrime theft in first quarter but prosecutions have fallen

Marco Cillario

UK law firms have reported a record 45 cases of cyber thefts to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the…

Burford Capital grows from £80m startup to post record 130% income growth over year

Tom Baker

Litigation funder Burford Capital generated more profit in the first half of 2017 than any full year in its history,…

China buys: Mayer Brown and BLP land key roles on £1.3bn Walkie Talkie sale in record property deal

Georgiana Tudor

Mayer Brown, Berwin Leighton Paisner(BLP) and CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang all advised on the £1.3bn purchase by Hong Kong investors LKK Health…

Financials 2016/17: Growth slows for Brodies as Scottish independent posts 2.4% revenue increase

Kathryn McCann

Scottish independent firm Brodies has posted slower growth for the financial year 2016/17, with turnover up 2.4% to £66.7m, while profit per…

Slaughter and May leads as Freshfields and Paul Weiss take key roles on £900m Michael Kors buyout of Jimmy Choo

Georgiana Tudor

Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom are all advising on Michael Kors’ £900m…

Watson Farley to retain all its qualifying trainees as Mishcon’s rate falls to 64%

Tom Baker

Watson Farley and Williams will retain 100% of its autumn 2017 qualifying trainees, while Mishcon de Reya‘s rate of retention has dipped…

Snap Inc general counsel Handman to step down from role after three years

Tom Baker

Snap Inc general counsel (GC) Chris Handman has stepped down from his position to spend more time with his family,…

‘A triumph for access to justice’: Supreme Court rules employment tribunal fees unlawful

Tom Baker

The Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that employment tribunal fees are unlawful, allowing trade union UNISON’s appeal in a ground-breaking decision requiring the government…

RPC partners exclusively with University of Law ahead of SQE launch

Marco Cillario

Future RPC trainees will attend courses exclusively at the University of Law (ULaw) from September 2017, after the insurance firm switched to…

Freshfields co-managing partner Pugh steps down a year and a half into role

Madeleine Farman

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer‘s joint managing partner Chris Pugh (pictured) is stepping down less than half way into his term, the…

Morrison & Foerster and SullCrom gear up on Landis+Gyr’s electric smart meter $2.4bn initial public offering

Madeleine Farman

Morrison & Foerster and Sullivan & Cromwell have both advised on major Swiss electricity smart meter producer Landis+Gyr’s $2.4bn (£1.84bn) initial public offering (IPO),…

Latham and Hogan Lovells act on consortium’s £2.9bn potential offer for Paysafe Group

Marco Cillario

Latham & Watkins is advising Blackstone and CVC Capital Partners in their £2.9bn preliminary proposal takeover bid for UK online payment…

Clyde & Co sets up in Los Angeles to focus on aviation and insurance clients with two-partner office

Tom Baker

Clyde & Co has launched its ninth US office, opening in Los Angeles with a two-partner team consisting of Julie Hawkinson…

Labour MP Keir Starmer opts against role advising Mishcon Academy

Tom Baker

Keir Starmer QC, the Labour MP and the party’s Brexit spokesperson, has decided against taking on a role advising the Mishcon…

Weil, CC and Travers line up on £1bn Canadian private equity pensions deal

Tom Baker

Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Clifford Chance (CC) and Travers Smith have advised on the £1bn sale of Civica by the private equity arm of Canadian pensions company OMERS…

Financials 2016/17: Bird & Bird PEP rebounds to top half million pound mark

Marco Cillario

Bird & Bird‘s profit per equity partner (PEP) has risen for a second consecutive year, leaping 11% to £503,000, in…

Financials 2016/17: Expansive Burges Salmon cites Brexit impact as revenue and PEP growth halted

Marco Cillario

UK firm Burges Salmon’s profitability fell 8% in the year to 30 April for the first time in six years, which…

Revolving doors: Hogan Lovells and Gibson Dunn expand on continent, McGuireWoods appoint to London, Winston to Dubai

Georgiana Tudor

Firms have strengthened their global practices, as Hogan Lovells appointed a key Paris partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher recruited in Munich, McGuireWoods…