Letter from… Frankfurt: Where political deadlock is fine for business… but not all lawyers Marco Cillario What a difference a few hundred miles can make: an election not resulting in a clear majority; a government polling…
Ashurst sees second City corporate departure to US firm in as many weeks Nathalie Tidman Ashurst’s beleaguered M&A practice has received a fresh blow as corporate partner Dominic Ross departs for the City office of…
Freshfields ushers in sweeping reforms to ditch heritage as lockstep shop in hugely symbolic move Alex Novarese Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has pushed through a wholesale overhaul of its partnership structure that will see top earners bringing home…
Revolving doors: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher continues City push as Bird & Bird hires in Europe Marco Cillario The push by leading US firms in London has continued in the past week, with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher the…
Fieldfisher sets pace again with 20% H1 growth as it unveils more key hires Tom Baker After a string of international office openings and staking a claim as one of the fastest growing firms in the…
‘Rationalisation and upgrade’: CMS UK sublets legacy Nabarro and Olswang headquarters Marco Cillario Six months into the UK’s largest ever legal merger, CMS has signed deals to sublet most of legacy Nabarro and…
Disputes eye: How the talent flow demonstrates the Bar’s strength Tom Baker Speaking to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer disputes veteran Jon Lawrence this summer on his decision to join Brick Court Chambers, he…
SDT hands Locke Lord record £500,000 fine for ‘dubious financial arrangements’ of former lawyer Tom Baker The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has handed Locke Lord its largest ever financial penalty imposed on a law firm, fining…
Promotion time: Latham keeps City round at two as new partners focused on Big Apple Marco Cillario Latham & Watkins may have been aggressively sweeping up City talent from rivals but the US-based giant is remaining conservative on…
Deal view: Ashurst strives to reboot M&A brand but deal market is getting tougher Nathalie Tidman Ashurst’s once-admired M&A reputation has taken a pounding of late. One former partner delivers representative sentiments: ‘Corporate was the jewel…
Deutsche Bank names former Links veteran as new global law chief Kathryn McCann Deutsche Bank has appointed a new legal head, handing its chief compliance officer and head of global governance Florian Drinhausen…
Comment: BLP’s US merger bid – a certain loss of confidence Alex Novarese If nothing else, it is safe to say Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP)’s not-very-convincing claim that management was not dead set…
Reforms attempt to curb Rolls-Royce disclosure as litigation costs spiral upwards Tom Baker Pretty much everyone agrees that the current state of disclosure has grown into an unworkable and extortionate mess… but getting…
Revolving doors: Shepherd and Wedderburn taps Scottish rival for London partner as Mayer Brown loses two to Gibson Dunn Tom Baker In a busy week of lateral recruitment in the UK, Shepherd and Wedderburn has made a key hire in London…
‘A lot of noise without substance’: profession divided on impact of Paradise Papers Tom Baker As the contents of the Paradise Papers soaks up column inches worldwide, the profession has offered a mixed response so…
Comment: The Legal Services Act ten years on – still waiting for the Big Bang Alex Novarese As our October/November issue hits desks, it will be ten years since the Legal Services Act gained Royal Assent, ushering…
Big shoes to fill as Aviva UK Life GC Risam departs after six years Mark McAteer Widely cited for her role in making Aviva’s highly-regarded legal team a pacesetter for the in-house profession, heavyweight UK Life…
Deal watch: London PE teams lead on Pure Gym buyout as Freshfields doubles-up for CVC Tom Baker Established private equity players Latham & Watkins, Ropes & Gray and Travers Smith have won roles on Pure Gym’s sale…
Under the sword Tom Baker Tom Baker assesses attempts to revive the flagging Serious Fraud Agency amid a fractious political debate It is fair to…
Privilege: A rock and a hard place Alex Novarese For years, privilege was the invaluable asset taken for granted by the profession. But those days have long since passed,…
