Another headline panel session from our flagship corporate counsel event, Enterprise GC, saw four in-house banking lawyers reflect on the regulatory dynamics of their sector.
Continue reading “Postcards from the most regulated”
In a set-piece debate at this year’s Enterprise GC, we united senior GCs and law firm leaders to debate the future of the profession.
One of the set-piece debates of day one of Enterprise GC covered a pressing issue for GCs – how to widen their skillset by gaining board experience, as well as practical tips on becoming a non-executive director (NED) in particular. The session, chaired by veteran City columnist James Ashton, featured some seasoned campaigners: Michael Coates, associate general counsel for Shell UK and a director for a number of Shell companies; Eversheds Sutherland partner Denise Jagger, who has a portfolio of non-executive directorships and trustee roles; Stuart Morton, head of the legal and professional services function at executive search firm Odgers Berndtson; and Rob Webb QC, now a senior adviser at Brunswick and former general counsel for both British Airways and Rolls-Royce, who has held a number of board roles throughout his career.
Continue reading “Broader horizons – GCs taking outside roles”
As technology reshapes the legal industry, we interview three senior lawyers about their attempts to grapple with change at their companies.
Continue reading “Three perspectives on change”
Any lawyer of a certain vintage can recall the dawn of the BlackBerry age, the watershed moment at the turn of the Millennium that meant you could always be on call. It was a blessing and a curse. But the initial freedom of being able to work anywhere at any time has become a crippling 24/7 expectation for many, with the inability to ‘switch off’ being an oft-cited issue.
When looking for good in the world, corporate governance law is not the most obvious place to train your eye. Yet there is a sizeable band of corporations – thousands, in fact – who have opted to start just there, using corporate governance as a springboard to the greater good.
Continue reading “Corporations with benefits”
Scottish independents Brodies and Shepherd and Wedderburn have continued their strong growth tracks despite ongoing uncertainty.
Brodies, Scotland’s largest firm, had a particularly strong year, as revenue rose 12% to £76.9m and profit came in at £37.4m, up 14%. This was up on the previous year’s flat growth of 3% and 4% respectively, with revenue up 49% over the last five years. Continue reading “Getting on with it: resilient market provides growth for Scottish independents”
Severn Trent group general counsel (GC) Bronagh Kennedy (pictured) is keeping an open mind as to how many firms will be appointed to its £8m legal panel, with Eversheds Sutherland currently the company’s sole adviser.
The FTSE 100 water company has opened a tender process for the legal panel it last reviewed in 2015, when Eversheds extended the sole-adviser mandate it has held since 2010. The existing panel covers five lots but the new panel will be divided into three, covering all the companies in the Severn Trent Group. Continue reading “In-house: Severn Trent open to extending panel beyond Eversheds’ sole-adviser role”
A key morning session of our 2019 Corporate and M&A Summit saw Linklaters London competition head Nicole Kar chair a lively debate between two authorities on European competition law and policy and its effect on M&A. On one side was economist Dr Claudio Calcagno, a vice president at Analysis Group and an expert in the competition arena, while on the other side sat John Gray, partner at Finsbury and head of its competition practice, who focuses on public affairs aspects of merger control cases, both in the UK and the EU.
Continue reading “Tougher competition – the growing impact of antitrust marquee deals”
It was fitting that one of the first morning sessions of our inaugural Corporate and M&A Summit dealt with arguably the trickiest period of any public M&A deal – the first week, and specifically critical initial dealings with the Takeover Panel. Continue reading “The Takeover Panel – that crucial first week”
The final session before lunch in our Corporate and M&A Summit looked at the mechanics of auctions and how best to handle the competitive bid process from both the buyer’s and seller’s perspective. The session, moderated by co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s global corporate practice, Fiona Adams, brought together panelists experienced in the auction process. Joining Adams was colleague Paul Maher, veteran corporate lawyer and vice chair of Greenberg, along with Jessie Gill, head of legal at Stemcor; Chris Hunt, group head of M&A for Rentokil Initial; and Nick Johnston, partner at Perella Weinberg. Continue reading “Auctions – how to play the game”
Given that mega mergers coming out of the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector have dominated the corporate agenda for decades, it was fitting that an afternoon session of our inaugural Corporate and M&A Summit focused on transactional trends in this area. Chaired by Laura Anderson, co-chair of Bristows life sciences group, it gathered a collection of in-house experts from big pharma. Continue reading “Big pharma, small partners: the key transactional trends in life sciences”
Given that mega mergers coming out of the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector have dominated the corporate agenda for decades, it was fitting that an afternoon session of our inaugural Corporate and M&A Summit focused on transactional trends in this area. Chaired by Laura Anderson, co-chair of Bristows life sciences group, it gathered a collection of in-house experts from big pharma. Continue reading “Big pharma, small partners: the key transactional trends in life sciences”
‘What do we mean by business partnering in the legal department?’ Royal Dutch Shell legal director Donny Ching asks. Few general counsel can long resist reminding observers that the in-house legal function needs to be a strong business partner. But far fewer can explain what it means. Continue reading “Shell’s Future Legal 2 programme”
‘What do we mean by business partnering in the legal department?’ Royal Dutch Shell legal director Donny Ching asks. Few general counsel can long resist reminding observers that the in-house legal function needs to be a strong business partner. But far fewer can explain what it means. Continue reading “Shell’s Future Legal 2 programme”
So ubiquitous have two companies become in legal tech circles that they are rarely discussed directly, just accepted as facts of life, like gravity or air. Those two are, of course, LexisNexis and the legal division of Thomson Reuters, which have over the last 30 years positioned themselves as the dominant providers of the informational ‘plumbing’ law firms require to ply their trade.
So ubiquitous have two companies become in legal tech circles that they are rarely discussed directly, just accepted as facts of life, like gravity or air. Those two are, of course, LexisNexis and the legal division of Thomson Reuters, which have over the last 30 years positioned themselves as the dominant providers of the informational ‘plumbing’ law firms require to ply their trade.
Pinsent Masons and Linklaters are among six law firms that have won spots on the Post Office’s new two-tier legal panel, worth £39m. Pinsents, Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright have been appointed to lot one, covering complex strategic work across the company, which is wholly owned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides a broad spectrum of services, spanning from postal, to broadband, to financial and bill payments. Pinsents has also been assigned to the second lot, joining Womble Bond Dickinson, DAC Beachcroft and Ashfords for general legal services and day-to-day legal advice. The panel is set to run for a four-year term initially, with a possible two-year extension.
Pinsent Masons and Linklaters are among six law firms that have won spots on the Post Office’s new two-tier legal panel, worth £39m. Pinsents, Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright have been appointed to lot one, covering complex strategic work across the company, which is wholly owned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides a broad spectrum of services, spanning from postal, to broadband, to financial and bill payments. Pinsents has also been assigned to the second lot, joining Womble Bond Dickinson, DAC Beachcroft and Ashfords for general legal services and day-to-day legal advice. The panel is set to run for a four-year term initially, with a possible two-year extension.
It was supposed to be the grand coming-out party. Drinks, speeches, celebrations. The much-touted Mindful Business Charter formally unveiled to the unforgiving trade of law. A group of clean-cut law firms lined up on one side of the room, eager to make an impression. Yet, on the other, GC suitors were few and far between.
Continue reading “The Mindful Business Charter needs clients to succeed. So where are they?”
