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Simmons looks to the City in increased partner round as Gowling doubles promotions to ten

David Fennell

Top-25 UK firms Simmons & Simmons and Gowling WLG have followed suit on a series of strong partnership promotion rounds, making up 15 and 10 respectively.

Simmons promoted 15 lawyers to partner, eight of which were minted in London. The round is a significant increase on last year, when nine lawyers were promoted across the firm – a decrease from 12 the previous year – with only four promoted in the City. Continue reading “Simmons looks to the City in increased partner round as Gowling doubles promotions to ten”

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CMS announces largest ever promotion round with women making up half of 49-strong cohort

CMS has added its name to the growing list of firms increasing their partner intake this year, with its cohort up two on last year’s 47.

It was a particularly improved show for gender diversity as 47% of the 49 new partners globally are women. In the UK, 16 of the firm’s 21 promotions across seven offices were women. Continue reading “CMS announces largest ever promotion round with women making up half of 49-strong cohort”

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Fieldfisher merges with top 20 Irish firm McDowell Purcell for Dublin launch

Fieldfisher is continuing its fervent EU expansion with a new Dublin office, launched via a merger with top 20 Irish firm McDowell Purcell.

The 120-year-old Irish outfit, which consists of 16 partners and 50 lawyers, has a flagship regulatory practice, but other specialisms include dispute resolution, employment and insolvency and restructuring. It is led by managing partner JP McDowell (pictured, left). Continue reading “Fieldfisher merges with top 20 Irish firm McDowell Purcell for Dublin launch”

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Clifford Chance mints nine City partners in its largest promotion round of the decade

matthew layton

Clifford Chance has promoted 30 lawyers to partner, confirming a trend which saw Magic Circle firms increase their partner intake this year.

Announced today (25 April) and effective next month, women make up a third of this year’s intake, bringing the total proportion of female partners at the firm to 20%. It is the firm’s largest global promotion round since 2008, when 35 were promoted. Continue reading “Clifford Chance mints nine City partners in its largest promotion round of the decade”

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Burges Salmon expands offering with opening in ‘buoyant’ Scottish market

Bristol-headquartered Burges Salmon  is launching in Edinburgh with a trio of partner hires from Scotland’s leading independent law firms.

The top-50 UK law firm is opening the office in May with eight lawyers, led by the lateral hires of Shepherd and Wedderburn corporate finance partner Danny Lee, Brodies real estate partner Robert Forman, and Burness Paull planning partner Craig Whelton, who has previously worked at Burges Salmon. Continue reading “Burges Salmon expands offering with opening in ‘buoyant’ Scottish market”

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Comment: Innovation needs law firm champions as Axiom doubts emerge

We have at LB Towers something of a reputation for being sceptical of the claims to fresh thinking surrounding much of New Law Land. One exception, though, has been Axiom, the pioneering outfit that pushed lawyering into the mainstream.

Sure, Axiom’s message could be obscured by strangulated attempts to ape Silicon Valley speak, an odd trait given the straight-talking style of founder Mark Harris. But its growth rates and reputation for quality never made you doubt that the outfit was a cut well above most New Law lightweights. Continue reading “Comment: Innovation needs law firm champions as Axiom doubts emerge”

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Revolving doors: Quinn Emanuel adds star Covington partner as Ropes & Gray and Mishcon make hires

Elaine Whiteford

City firms welcomed a host of new partners over Easter, with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Ropes & Gray and Mishcon de Reya all making key lateral partner hires.

Quinn has reinforced its already robust London competition practice with the hire of Elaine Whiteford (pictured), who joins from Covington & Burling’s City office. Whiteford has substantial pedigree with 15 years’ experience in follow-on damages litigation, cartels and other regulatory investigations. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Quinn Emanuel adds star Covington partner as Ropes & Gray and Mishcon make hires”

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In-house: Facebook appoints US State Department adviser as new GC

Jennifer Newstead

Social media giant Facebook has recruited Jennifer Newstead (pictured), a legal adviser to the US State Department, as its new general counsel (GC) after incumbent GC Colin Stretch announced his intention to leave last July.

Newstead was appointed a legal adviser to the State Department by President Donald Trump, with her new role likely to be just as challenging as Facebook faces increasing criticism for how it handles its data across its vast social network. Continue reading “In-house: Facebook appoints US State Department adviser as new GC”

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Freshfields partner on indefinite leave ahead of disciplinary tribunal hearing

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Ryan Beckwith is set to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) next week having been placed on indefinite leave by the firm.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority, (SRA) which referred the case to the SDT, is yet to publish the allegations but said it would do so in the next few weeks. An early-stage case management hearing is set to take place Friday 26 April. Continue reading “Freshfields partner on indefinite leave ahead of disciplinary tribunal hearing”

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Comment: US firms in London – ‘We haven’t been bullish enough!’

US-branded shark fin in a City sea

There was never any doubt that 2018 would prove another good year for US law firms in London coming off what has been a great decade for the breed. But it is only when you start to pull together the numbers that you realise how fast the City legal market is shifting in favour of American entrants. Legal Business has a reputation for being bullish on US firms in London. These numbers indicate that we haven’t been bullish enough. There are now more than 7,000 lawyers working in the London offices of the top 50 largest practices in London. Even stripping out the impact of including the legacy Berwin Leighton Paisner’s City practice, that’s an annual increase of 7%, a startling growth rate and one that is actually accelerating even as many expected investment in London to slow in the face of the UK’s looming exit from the EU. Continue reading “Comment: US firms in London – ‘We haven’t been bullish enough!’”

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‘A true leader and a good friend’ – Bakers confirms shock death of global chief Paul Rawlinson

Paul Rawlinson

Baker McKenzie is in mourning following the unexpected death of chair Paul Rawlinson, who passed away on Friday (12 April). The veteran intellectual property (IP) specialist Rawlinson took the helm of the 4,700-lawyer giant in October 2016. He took what was originally expected to be a temporary leave of absence in October last year citing exhaustion.

In a statement released on Sunday evening (14 April) a Bakers spokesperson said: ‘It is with great sadness that we convey the news of the unexpected passing of Paul Rawlinson, the firm’s global chair, on Friday.’  Continue reading “‘A true leader and a good friend’ – Bakers confirms shock death of global chief Paul Rawlinson”

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Herbert Smith Freehills curtails London promotions in 22-strong global partnership round

Mark Rigotti

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has unveiled an increased 22-strong global partner promotions round for 2019, however this includes a reduction in London appointments.

Overall, it is a significantly larger round than last year, when 17 lawyers were promoted globally, with six in London. But the promotions, effective 1 May 2019, see only four partners minted in London, with six each made up in EMEA, Asia and Australia. Continue reading “Herbert Smith Freehills curtails London promotions in 22-strong global partnership round”

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More law firm insolvencies expected as funding options tighten for smaller firms

The number of law firm insolvencies is expected to increase after nearly doubling to 39 in 2018, as tightening margins, succession issues and more difficult access to funding put pressure on high street firms.

Statistics from the Insolvency Service show the number of solicitor firm insolvencies was up 70% in 2018, from 23 in 2017. The previous high was 34 in 2014, while as recently as 2010 there were no recorded law firm insolvencies. Continue reading “More law firm insolvencies expected as funding options tighten for smaller firms”

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SDT pushes for lower standard of proof in serious conduct cases but claims won’t lead to ‘easier’ prosecutions

Richard Moorhead

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has announced its intention to move from a criminal to a civil standard of proof but has ruled out the possibility of it leading to ‘easier prosecutions.’

Subject to approval from the Legal Services Board, which should be finalised in the next few weeks, the SDT wants the new rules to come into force on 25 November 2019, to coincide with the date the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) new guidelines come into play. Continue reading “SDT pushes for lower standard of proof in serious conduct cases but claims won’t lead to ‘easier’ prosecutions”

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Comment: ‘This ain’t stewardship’ – delaying partnership until mid-30s is unsustainable

Stressed office workers

Having recently shared a few drinks with one of the most talked-up youngish corporate lawyers in the City, the question came up about mid-way through as to what age they made partner. The answer: 36! And there lies much of what ails major law firms, though older partners continue to float around effecting increasingly unconvincing attitudes of surprise.

Consider a few issues for a moment. The haemorrhaging of female talent at mid-level from private practice. The disengagement of associates under 30 with major law firms. The loss of talented lawyers to US law firms. Client dissatisfaction with lack of partner time. Inter-generational tension in law firms. All of these issues have a common theme: the sustained yet unsustainable practice of major law firms pushing partnership decisions until far too late. And let’s be frank: routinely delaying partnership decisions until lawyers hit their mid-thirties is ludicrous. Continue reading “Comment: ‘This ain’t stewardship’ – delaying partnership until mid-30s is unsustainable”

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Deal watch: Linklaters lands roles on Debenhams administration and Carlyle oil deal

Linklaters has secured a role in the pre-pack administration of Debenhams, in which the struggling department store has been taken over by its lenders.

Meanwhile, Hogan Lovells and Shoosmiths have acted on M Restaurants’ merger with Gaucho, which was brought out of administration in a rescue deal last September, as multiple firms landed roles in The Carlyle Group’s agreement to buy a minority stake in a Madrid-based oil and gas company in a multibillion-dollar deal. Continue reading “Deal watch: Linklaters lands roles on Debenhams administration and Carlyle oil deal”

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Innovation needs champions as Axiom doubts emerge

Alex Novarese

We have at LB Towers something of a reputation for being sceptical of the claims to fresh thinking surrounding much of New Law Land. One exception, though, has been Axiom, the pioneering outfit that pushed lawyering into the mainstream.

Sure, Axiom’s message could be obscured by strangulated attempts to ape Silicon Valley speak, an odd trait given the straight-talking style of founder Mark Harris. But its growth rates and reputation for quality never made you doubt that the outfit was a cut well above most New Law lightweights. Continue reading “Innovation needs champions as Axiom doubts emerge”

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The big 30 – Make ‘em partner or you’ll lose ‘em

Stressed office workers

Having recently shared a few drinks with one of the most talked-up youngish corporate lawyers in the City, the question came up about mid-way through as to what age they made partner. The answer: 36! And there lies much of what ails major law firms, though older partners continue to float around effecting increasingly unconvincing attitudes of surprise.

Consider a few issues for a moment. The haemorrhaging of female talent at mid-level from private practice. The disengagement of associates under 30 with major law firms. The loss of talented lawyers to US law firms. Client dissatisfaction with lack of partner time. Inter-generational tension in law firms. All of these issues have a common theme: the sustained yet unsustainable practice of major law firms pushing partnership decisions until far too late. And let’s be frank: routinely delaying partnership decisions until lawyers hit their mid-thirties is ludicrous. Continue reading “The big 30 – Make ‘em partner or you’ll lose ‘em”