Ashurst takes lead role in headline deals Francesca Fanshawe Top 15 UK firm advises clients Commerzbank and Morrisons Ashurst is leading on two headline transactions announced in mid-May as…
Cinven gifts Freshfields with IPO while HSF defends Severn Trent Jaishree Kalia A handful of major corporate mandates were unveiled last month as private equity house Cinven kicked off its £1.4bn proposed…
Birmingham’s Shakespeares becomes 72nd ABS of 2013 Francesca Fanshawe Number of firms granted licences by SRA hits 2012 levels The number of firms granted alternative business structure (ABS) status…
Withers and Speechly union off as SJP and KWM edge closer Legal Business Merger talks between private client firms Withers and Speechly Bircham were called off at the end of May as both…
A giant’s first steps – Norton Rose Fulbright goes live with suitably comprehensive governance team Alex Novarese One of the most touted legal mergers of the last decade today (3 June) goes live with Norton Rose and…
Partner retirement policies withstand latest challenge but pressure remains for law firms to cross the tees Caroline Hill Expectations that law firms would come under mounting pressure to avoid compulsory retirement of partners have been once again upset…
Redundancy watch – expansive DWF puts 80 jobs at risk as gloomy job news continues Legal Business The steady stream of job cuts seen through May continued this week with the rapidly-assembled national player DWF confirming it…
Strategic review: Eversheds introduces new sector focus as practice heads replaced Legal Business Eversheds has shaken up its sector focus as part of a series of measures introduced by management to adapt to…
Reports season 2013 – Addleshaws sees income slide but holds profits steady Francesca Fanshawe Addleshaw Goddard today (31 May) became one of the first major UK law firms to announce its 2012/13 financial results,…
In defence of big – the maths are favouring two + two Alex Novarese How many times do you hear lawyers roll out the line about mergers having to be two-plus-two-makes-five? True in many…
Don’t push your luck with partnership Legal Business Do law firms take partnership for granted? They really shouldn’t as the model has served them so well. Just consider…
DISSENT: When the BlackBerrys light up: why firms neglect their culture Legal Business Former SJ Berwin head David Harrel argues that law firms delude themselves when it comes to their own values The…
Bluechips continue to grow legal teams as buyside lawyers shift from external counsel Sarah Downey Bluechips continue to grow legal teams as buyside lawyers shift from external counsel In-house departments are expanding rapidly and overshadowing…
Travers Smith suffers defeat for pregnancy dismissal Sarah Downey Top 50 City firm Travers Smith has suffered the rare public reverse of losing a high-profile discrimination case after a…
Few are chosen – is partnership still worth the contest? Legal Business Partnership prospects continue to decline in a gloomy economy, while UK law firms are increasingly promoting abroad or associates hired…
Pretenders to the throne – the regional players with national ambition Francesca Fanshawe While national leaders have lavished attention on their international and City practices in recent years, a handful of mid-market regional…
Protect and serve – Europe moves to keep IP plugged into the digital age Sarah Downey With copyright and trade mark law reform top of the agenda in Europe, Legal Business talks to IP lawyers about…
The ABS dilemma – join them sure, but shouldn’t you be beating them? Legal Business Amid all the hype surrounding alternative business structures (ABS) one story that emerged last month stood out – the aggressively-marketed…
The Last Word – litigation boutiques Legal Business With the continued success of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and the rise of the litigation boutique, we ask leading…
Guest post: Quality in law – endlessly invoked yet never defined Legal Business Here’s a question that’s been bothering me of late – what, exactly, is a quality legal service? You’ll have noticed…
