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‘Continues to fly’: Fieldfisher true to form with 26% revenue hike as Chissick gets re-elected

Michael Chissick

Cementing its reputation as one of the UK’s highest-performing firms, Fieldfisher has recorded an above-trend 26% uptick in revenue in its half-year results for 2018/19.

The £97m turnover outstripped the £76.7m for the comparable period, the first half of last year. The revenue figure covers Fieldfisher’s UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Silicon Valley offices. The firm’s Swiss Verein offices in Netherlands, Italy, Spain and China are not included. Continue reading “‘Continues to fly’: Fieldfisher true to form with 26% revenue hike as Chissick gets re-elected”

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Disputes round-up: Simmons wins Petrofac mandate as White & Case makes key regulatory hire

Serious Fraud Office

Simmons & Simmons has landed a major Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation mandate at the expense of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Simmons’ crime, fraud and investigations head Stephen Gentle and partner Nick Benwell have been enlisted to defend oil and gas company Petrofac in the SFO probe, taking on the mandate from Freshfields. Continue reading “Disputes round-up: Simmons wins Petrofac mandate as White & Case makes key regulatory hire”

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Royal Mail GC de Bie posts resignation to take on new role at easyJet

Maaike de Bie

Highly rated Royal Mail general counsel Maaike de Bie has resigned to become legal chief at FTSE 100 airline easyJet next year.

De Bie (pictured), who is expected to join up with easyJet in 2019, brings to an end a five-year tenure at Royal Mail. She joined in January 2014 as deputy GC and subsequently oversaw a legal panel review in November of the same year. Prior to Royal Mail, White & Case-trained de Bie had spells in-house at both GE and Big Four firm EY. Continue reading “Royal Mail GC de Bie posts resignation to take on new role at easyJet”

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Another CEE closure for Weil Gotshal as Prague team launches independent firm

Prague, Czech Republic

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is continuing to scale back its once-potent central and eastern Europe (CEE) operations with its entire Czech Republic-based team set to spin off at the end of the year.

The New York firm confirmed today (27 November) that veteran Prague managing partner Karel Muzikář will quit after more than 25 years to set up an independent shop from 31 December alongside fellow partners Karel Drevinek, Petr Severa and Karolina Horakova. Continue reading “Another CEE closure for Weil Gotshal as Prague team launches independent firm”

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Changing of the guard at Shakespeares and Shoosmiths with CEO appointments

Sarah-Walker Smith

Regional player Shakespeare Martineau and national firm Shoosmiths have both implemented change at the top with the appointments of new chief executives.

Shakespeares made a rare leadership hire from another firm, bringing on Browne Jacobson chief operating officer Sarah Walker-Smith (pictured) as chief executive. Walker-Smith replaces long-serving chief executive Andy Raynor, who announced his intention to step down earlier this year, at the Midlands firm. Continue reading “Changing of the guard at Shakespeares and Shoosmiths with CEO appointments”

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Latest #MeToo episode emerges as Reed Smith dismisses partner following complaint

Reed Smith has dismissed a partner in its London office after a complaint of sexual harassment, it has emerged. Originally reported on RollonFriday, the unnamed partner was accused of sexually harassing a junior female trainee, though the nature of the incident has not been clarified.

The episode has just emerged but the partner was dismissed in late 2017. In a statement, Reed Smith commented: ‘As soon as we became aware of this incident, which took place over a year ago, we took swift and appropriate action. The safety and well-being of all of our colleagues matter greatly to us, and we are committed to providing a positive and professional workplace for all our people.’ Continue reading “Latest #MeToo episode emerges as Reed Smith dismisses partner following complaint”

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The Legal 500 view: We’ll be championing women but we need your help

Amy Mahon

Rankings, by definition, are never going to please everyone (nor should they). But, as the new UK editor of The Legal 500, there’s one issue in particular that I see as an area to progress: diversity.

Women make up more than half of those entering the profession, in general far less than 30% of firms’ partnerships and – for some core areas – they struggle to get recognition in the industry from peers and, yes, the legal publishing sector in general. Continue reading “The Legal 500 view: We’ll be championing women but we need your help”

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Mayer Brown makes up four in London as Weil renews City commitment after last year’s promotion drought

Mayer Brown

Mayer Brown and Weil, Gotshal & Manges have minted four and three partners respectively in the City amid increased global promotion rounds for the US outfits.

Mayer Brown promoted 34 globally and Weil chalked up 11, with the US getting the lion’s share of promotions at both firms. Continue reading “Mayer Brown makes up four in London as Weil renews City commitment after last year’s promotion drought”

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‘An international guy’: Ouwehand wins Clifford Chance race to become first non-London senior partner

Jeroen Ouwehand

Clifford Chance has elected Amsterdam head Jeroen Ouwehand as its first ever senior partner based outside the City.

The news comes after Ouwehand, who also leads the firm’s continental European litigation and dispute resolution practice, was hotly tipped internally as being the successor to Malcolm Sweeting. Continue reading “‘An international guy’: Ouwehand wins Clifford Chance race to become first non-London senior partner”

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More of Joe ‘n’ Elliott show for Dentons after unopposed leadership contest

Globetrotting firm Dentons’ chair Joe Andrew and chief executive Elliott Portnoy have been elected for their third and fourth terms respectively at the helm of the firm after an uncontested election.

Announced today (19 November) the duo ran unopposed and secured the needed backing of more than half of the partnership. Continue reading “More of Joe ‘n’ Elliott show for Dentons after unopposed leadership contest”

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‘Client conflict issues’ sees 10-strong CMS real estate team decamp to Fladgate

Following the hires of CMS real estate heavyweights Alan Karsberg and Simon Kanter last month, Fladgate has added to the blow, with the duo now bringing across an eight-lawyer team in London.

Both partners were veterans of legacy Olswang, with Kanter joining the firm in 2006 after Olswang’s acquisition of Kanter Jules. Meanwhile Karsberg enjoyed two stints at Olswang, starting as a solicitor at the firm in 1999 before a spell in-house at Merrill Lynch. He re-joined Olswang in 2004. Continue reading “‘Client conflict issues’ sees 10-strong CMS real estate team decamp to Fladgate”

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Our latest event: 80 top partners and general counsel (plus a few token men)

Sabine Chalmers

One of our favourite pieces of the year was our first cover feature of 2018, Alphas, which thanks to the tireless efforts of senior reporters Nathalie Tidman and Marco Cillario, aimed to provide a credible selection of the top female talent in City law.

It was always the plan, if the piece was well received, to build on it with an event exploring the trials, realities and rewards for women making it to the top of transactional law, not to mention providing a forum for polished operators to swap notes. Continue reading “Our latest event: 80 top partners and general counsel (plus a few token men)”

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Hello from the other side: CC private equity star Mahon to join Simpson Thacher

Amy Mahon

In a significant blow to Clifford Chance’s M&A practice, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has enticed private equity star Amy Mahon to its London office.

Mahon, who emerged as the most widely-cited female partner for private equity in Legal Business’ Alphas feature earlier this year, has been acknowledged by her peer group as ‘the most visible woman at Clifford Chance’ . Continue reading “Hello from the other side: CC private equity star Mahon to join Simpson Thacher”

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Disputes round-up: Supreme Court loss for Pfizer as Mishcon’s Levitt QC returns to the Bar

Allen & Overy (A&O) client Pfizer has lost a landmark Supreme Court battle against a host of manufacturers, leaving it vulnerable to substantial financial claims.

In a judgment handed down yesterday (14 November), the Supreme Court upheld lower court decisions that Pfizer’s patent for its pregabalin pain relief product was invalid. Branded as ‘Lyrica’, the pregabalin-based drug is used to treat neuropathic pain as well as generalised anxiety disorder and epilepsy. Continue reading “Disputes round-up: Supreme Court loss for Pfizer as Mishcon’s Levitt QC returns to the Bar”

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‘Not just a generic consultancy’: BCLP launches in-house innovation and technology arm

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has continued its spate of innovation launches, combining parts of its transatlantic innovation teams to create an in-house consultancy, Cantilever.

Cantilever will aim to provide an operational and technology sounding board for clients, while also offering practical technology solutions across areas including contract, matter and litigation management. Continue reading “‘Not just a generic consultancy’: BCLP launches in-house innovation and technology arm”

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Travers’ former tax head Kathleen Russ elected as senior partner successor to Chris Hale

Kathleen Russ

Travers Smith has nominated former tax department head Kathleen Russ (pictured) as its new senior partner, to succeed long-serving Chris Hale whose term comes to an end 1 July 2019.

Russ is a relative veteran in her own right, acting as a partner in the firm’s tax practice since 2001, and heading the team between July 2007 and January 2017.   Continue reading “Travers’ former tax head Kathleen Russ elected as senior partner successor to Chris Hale”

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Revolving Doors: Eversheds makes City corporate play as DLA and Ashurst announce international hires

game of hoopla with lawyers

The first signs of a late-autumn slowdown in City laterals emerged last week with Eversheds Sutherland making the only significant hire in London, strengthening its corporate practice. Meanwhile, DLA Piper bolstered its litigation offering in Madrid in a slightly busier international round and Ashurst landed a partner at the expense of White & Case in Abu Dhabi.

Eversheds added to its corporate bench with the hire of Stewart Womersley from Addleshaw Goddard’s funds and indirect real estate team. Womersley had been a partner at Addleshaw Goddard for over four years, and focused on corporate real estate transactions and joint ventures. Womersley will now join a cross-department team at Eversheds that covers real estate, tax, funds and banking. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Eversheds makes City corporate play as DLA and Ashurst announce international hires”

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‘Real fire power’: Weil loses banking head to White & Case’s unrelenting hiring spree

Weil Gotshal & Manges London office

White & Case’s City hiring spree continues to go great guns with the recruitment of Weil Gotshal & Manges’ well-regarded head of banking, Mark Donald.

Donald has been at Weil for six years, taking on the head of banking role vacated by Stephen Lucas when he left for Kirkland & Ellis in 2014. Before Weil, Donald had spent 15 years at Hogan Lovells. Continue reading “‘Real fire power’: Weil loses banking head to White & Case’s unrelenting hiring spree”

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Two European candidates remain as CC’s senior partner contest goes down to three

Clifford Chance

The likelihood of Clifford Chance’s (CC) next senior partner being based outside London has surged after the first round of voting.

UK-based insurance head Katherine Coates and former capital markets chief David Dunnigan have dropped out of the race to become Malcom Sweeting’s successor  at CC, after none of the five candidates secured more than 50% of votes in the first round. Continue reading “Two European candidates remain as CC’s senior partner contest goes down to three”