Blogs Archives

Comment: Women in The Legal 500 – A step in the right direction but we need your help

When I joined the UK Legal 500 a year ago, one of the main ambitions I set out was to…

Revolving doors: DLA wins back Proskauer real estate partner as Macfarlanes and Dentons make City hires

City lateral recruitment picked up pace again last week as DLA Piper won back a real estate partner from Proskauer Rose,…

Government backs University of Oxford legal tech research as Magic Circle trio form data consortium

Thomas Alan

The University of Oxford has been awarded £213,000 to fund a study into the legal tech ecosystem as a trio…

Freshfields secures trophy four-partner US deal team as debate over leadership continues

Nathalie Tidman

In what it hopes will signal a breakthrough for its US business, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has secured the hire of a…

In-house: SSE launches first panel review as Balfour Beatty GC departs after just six months

Anna Cole-Bailey

Big Six energy company SSE is reviewing its legal panel for the first time since setting up its debut roster…

‘Kirkland is a raw, Darwinian force’ – LB’s take on the pre-Brexit City law market

Alex Novarese

On occasion, they let the head of Legal Business take a break from the glamorous job of proofing features to…

Slater and Gordon’s long-running £637m Quindell action settles for paltry sum as office closures continue

Thomas Alan

The long-running saga around Slater and Gordon’s (S&G) invidious Quindell acquisition settled on the eve of trial this week for a…

Revolving doors: Akin Gump hires Orrick private equity player as Kirkland revisits Linklaters for tax lateral

Muna Abdi

City and US rivals in London have been continuing to ramp up lateral recruitment with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer &…

Tip of the iceberg: Beckwith prosecution sparks Freshfields misconduct and financial penalty clampdown

Nathalie Tidman

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has ushered in radical reforms to handling misbehaviour, including financial penalties, as the #MeToo fallout intensifies following…

Dealwatch: Kirkland and Slaughters lead on £3.1bn Sophos take-private as Fried Frank advises on €11bn Permira final close

Muna Abdi

Continuing the recent trend for high-value take-private deals, the £3.1bn buyout of UK cybersecurity company Sophos Group Plc has prompted…

Conference Sketch – Thousands flock to law tech showcase but echo chamber concerns creep in

Thomas Alan

Walking trees. High-fives. A cinema. Virtual reality headsets. Arcade games. Disco balls. General counsel (GCs) dressed as Willy Wonka. Filing…

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

Hamish McNicol

The co-managing partner of DLA Piper’s Silicon Valley office has been let go by the firm following accusations of sexual…

Adoption is accelerating: legal tech start-up investment more than doubles to £61m in 2018

Thomas Alan

Cash flowing into UK legal tech start-ups rose to £61m in 2018, a considerable increase on the previous year’s £22m,…

A&O’s transatlantic woes continue as New York leveraged finance pair quit for Shearman

Nathalie Tidman

Allen & Overy (A&O) has suffered a fresh blow to its transatlantic aspirations following its failed US merger as two…

Revolving doors: Former Quinn white collar head sets up City boutique as Shearman and HFW make Paris corporate plays

Muna Abdi

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s former white-collar crime and corporate investigations head in London Robert Amaee has launched a boutique…

Riverview Law and Pangea3 brands to be dropped following EY acquisition

Thomas Alan

Big Four accountancy firm EY is finalising the combination of its two high-profile acquisitions, Riverview Law and Pangea3, into one…

White & Case’s City partner promotions drop to three in shift from NYLon focus amid 45-strong round

Marco Cillario

In an unusual move, White & Case has largely overlooked London in its latest partnership promotions as the firm minted only…

Tribunal finds against Freshfields partner in high-profile misconduct case

Marco Cillario

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer restructuring partner Ryan Beckwith engaged in sexual activity with a junior female colleague in circumstances in which…

Clapping with one hand: clients continue to lag as another 12 law firms join Mindful Business Charter

Anna Cole-Bailey

The Mindful Business Charter is ‘clapping with one hand’ until more businesses adopt the mental health initiative, with in-house legal…

Weil’s City office sees 23% profit hike as top-earning partner takes home £1.7m

Nathalie Tidman

The City office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges increased revenue 15% from £126.1m to top £144.8m during 2018, the firm’s recent…