More than 100 legacy Allen & Overy (A&O) and Shearman & Sterling partners have left or retired since the merger of the two firms was announced in May 2023, according to Legal Business research.
Continue reading “Revealed: A&O Shearman partner exits pass 100 mark since merger announcement”
Clyde & Co’s Wynne Lawrence, who was recently named as one of Legal 500’s new UK Green Ambassadors, is a founding member of the firm’s climate risk and resilience practice group. In this Q&A, she discusses the genesis of her professional interest in climate change, building a team of ESG rising stars, and how junior lawyers can make a difference Continue reading “‘Every lawyer has a role to play in sustainability’- Clydes’ Wynne Lawrence on ESG legal pathways”
Late last year, Legal Business and Legal 500 unveiled a data project that has been in the works for some time – looking at how highly firms are recommended by clients.
That data, collected from Legal 500 referees, offers an entirely new perspective on the world’s largest law firms, enabling us to reorder the Global 100 by a new customer satisfaction metric – Net Promoter Score (NPS)*.
Of the eighteen UK-heritage firms in the Global 100, the firm with the highest NPS is Slaughter and May (and we will be revealing NPS for the LB100 very soon) but NPS is not the only metric we have data for – we also ask referees to score law firms on metrics such as billing, communication and value for money
So while Slaughters comes highly recommended by clients – how does it compare to its peers on criteria such as partner and associate quality and availability?
(The rest of this article is available to logged-in users only. If you are not logged in and unable to do so above, please click ‘Forgot your password?’ below to gain access to the full article). Continue reading “Putting a number on it – how do clients rate Slaughter and May?”
Paul Hastings is advising a consortium of investors on an all-cash offer to acquire TikTok’s US operations and assets from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Earlier this month, Clyde & Co launched in Texas, the latest step in a two-decades-long journey into North America which has seen it establish a 19-strong network of offices across the US and Canada.
As the new year unfolds, Goodwin has launched its seventh European office in Brussels, hiring antitrust partner Stephen Mavroghenis from Quinn Emanuel. He was previously head of then-Shearman & Sterling’s Brussels office and co-head of its global antitrust group.
Up to 15 lawyers in CMS’ London real estate team could lose their jobs as the firm looks to cut costs for a second time in 16 months.
It is understood that no partners will be affected in the redundancy round. Continue reading “CMS to cut up to 15 real estate lawyers in London”
Travers Smith’s Heather Gagen, who leads the firm’s ESG and impact group, was recently named as one of Legal 500’s new UK Green Ambassadors. In this Q&A, she discusses the rise of ESG, the realities of balancing work and life with a young family, and offers advice for lawyers looking to build a career in the sustainability sector Continue reading “‘A fascinating area to work in’ – Travers Smith’s Heather Gagen on forging an ESG career”
Hogan Lovells and Akin became the two latest firms to announce their 2025 partner promotions last week, with 28 and 22 new partners respectively.
Continue reading “Hogan Lovells and Akin announce 2025 partner promotions”
Clifford Chance has hired one of the most well-known M&A partners in the City, Bruce Embley, who previously served as co-head of Freshfields’ global M&A client group before leaving for Skadden in 2020. Continue reading “Clifford Chance snaps up Skadden M&A heavyweight Embley”
Following last month’s release of Legal 500’s first US city elite rankings, Legal Business checked in with the newly ranked Chicago lawyers to learn more about the city’s legal market from the perspective of top regional and national firms.
When talking to managing partners at law firms based across the UK, one thing is clear – there’s no shortage of challenges for them to contend with.
Whether it’s keeping their staff happy, competing for quality work, or staying on top of client priorities, law firm leaders have their hands full.
But while they juggle all these challenges, shifting dynamics in the major legal markets across the UK mean that new opportunities are emerging for national and regional players, as a tier of firms long viewed as the national elite increasingly turn their attention to the international arena.
Leading M&A partners are predicting an increase in deal activity in 2025 driven by sectors including tech, financial services and private capital, as full year M&A legal adviser rankings from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) highlight the increasing influence of top US firms on the market.
If there’s one thing litigators aren’t disputing, it’s that workflow is not likely to drop as we settle into 2025.
Activity in the UK dispute resolution market ‘is showing no signs of abating’, says Paul Lewis, joint managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills’ global disputes practice. He maintains that with litigation remaining one of the country’s top exports, the market is set to stay busy. ‘The reputation of the English Courts continues to be at an absolute high’, he says, making the UK an attractive place for both claimants and litigation funders.
Investor-related disputes are a key driver for the steady uptick in claims, suggests Oliver Middleton, chair of the London litigation and trial department at Latham & Watkins. He points out that the increasing sophistication of investors has resulted in ‘a lean towards a US-style approach to litigation, which involves parties using it as a tool rather than as something to avoid.’
Revolving into 2025, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has bolstered its London leveraged finance practice hiring Bryan Robson and William Gwyn from US rival Sidley Austin.
Continue reading “Revolving doors: Simpson Thacher, Latham, Sidley lead New Year London moves”
Paul Hastings finance partner Reena Gogna, who joined the firm from Weil in summer 2024, on coming into law, inspiring women in finance and always keeping perspective.
Simmons & Simmons has begun the process of electing a new managing partner, with the firm confirming that it expects to choose a successor to longstanding leader Jeremy Hoyland in March. The successful candidate will take up the post when Hoyland steps down at the end of April.
Five Simmons partners are understood to be in contention for the upcoming election, with four based in London and one in Paris. All five are practice heads. Continue reading “Five partners vie to succeed Hoyland as Simmons managing partner”
Former Freshfields senior partner Edward Braham is among the legal practitioners to have been recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours List.
Braham, currently chair of investment advice company M&G, was senior partner at Freshfields between 2016 and 2020 and also served as global head of corporate during his 26 years at the firm. He has received a knighthood for services to corporate law and to business. Continue reading “Former Freshfields senior partner among recipients in New Year Honours List”
After a turbulent 2024 that at times saw the future of the funding industry called into question things are looking up for litigation funders. There may still be uncertainty but the easing of the post-Covid courts gridlock and an increase in litigation means there’s now a sense of optimism going into 2025.
But while it may be a better time to be a litigation funder, rapid growth brings growing pains. And, with the litigation funding market still developing, funders face issues around regulation, shifting perceptions, and ever-increasing costs.
From transatlantic mergers to dizzying new heights of competition in the war for talent at both associate and partner level, 2024 has been busy. To help you reflect on the year that was and what’s coming next around the corner, here are LB’s 20 most popular features of 2024, as voted for by you – our readers.
We’ll be back with much much more in 2025.
Market forces: Paul Weiss, Kirkland and the war for London talent
Paul Weiss’s audacious hiring spree in London got everyone’s attention, not least Kirkland & Ellis, whose ranks it repeatedly raided. In April, Elisha Juttla and Georgina Stanley analysed how the strategies of both firms are playing out.
Elite: The rise of the in-house lawyer in private capital
The City’s top private equity lawyers, from private practice and in-house, reflect on the rise of private capital, the evolution of the GC role at PE firms, and what the future might hold, as told to Cameron Purse in September.
When the going gets tough – Global London firms dig in as market reality bites
After years of rapid recruitment, uncertain times have slowed growth among Global London firms, but as Holly McKechnie observed in April, savvy firms are strategically preparing for a market revival.
In February, Elisha Juttla delivered a deep dive into Baker McKenzie’s leadership, which has earned praise for its clear strategy amidst tragedy and controversy, asking whether the sleeping giant has finally awoken.
‘If you build it’ – firms put together infra dream teams as market booms
London’s infrastructure lateral market has been sizzling, with US firms aggressively recruiting. This January, Harry Vercoe explored the key factors driving this trend/
‘I’ve called firms and asked why someone isn’t a partner yet’ – the female GCs shaking up PE
Female GCs at private equity firms from Carlyle to KKR and Apollo to Bridgepoint discussed culture, careers, and the challenges of succeeding in the tough world of private capital with Georgina Stanley in September.
‘How hard are you prepared to work?’ – partners who’ve made it on how they built a book of business
Corporate and private equity partners at various career stages shared tips with Elisha Juttla in December about how to build a book of business in London’s uber-competitive market.
The announcement of Herbert Smith Freehills proposed US merger with Kramer Levin made headlines this Autumn; in November, Anna Huntley examined the bigger picture behind the latest transatlantic tie-up.
Stress test – partners on how they deal with a life under pressure
City partners spoke to Elisha Juttla and Holly McKechnie in June about how long, unpredictable hours in transactional work take their toll on mental health, and why the industry still needs to change.
Laws of attraction: how elite firms are ramping up their talent retention tactics
With the battle to recruit and retain star partners becoming more intense, the world’s top firms are shaking things up to fend off the competition, as explored by Elisha Juttla in November.
Late bloomer: how Paul Weiss made up for lost time on the global stage
Paul Weiss has made more headlines than most this year with a new international strategy that has shaken up the market – Elisha Juttla looked back on how it all went down
From group actions to competition claims and ESG-related litigation, 2024 has been a year of complex and multifaceted disputes – Alex Ryan and Bethany Burns analysed the key trends and cases in April.
What Gen Z lawyers really want from their careers
Are ‘woke’ Gen Z lawyers tearing up the status quo? Alex Ryan set about to find out in June, speaking to lawyers of all levels of seniority on how attitudes to work are changing.
As ESG continues its rise up the agenda to business fundamental, LB looked at how the top firms are responding in October.
Marking a merger: how is BCLP’s transatlantic tie-up faring?
From hard facts to future plans, Tom Cox spoke to BCLP’s London leaders and market observers to get their verdict on how the transatlantic tie-up has gone down.
Doubling up: LB100 firms set 10% growth benchmark as more than half pull off double-digit hikes
2023-24 was a bumper year for the UK’s top 100 law firms with an average 10% increase in revenue, Ben Wheway dug into the LB100 data this December to see what was driving the growth.
Euro Elite 2024: Art of resilience
LB took its annual look at the Euro Elite this February, discovering the trends setting the agenda for Europe’s top firms.
Getting to know Kramer Levin – a guide to HSF’s merger partner
Everything you wanted to know about Kramer Levin (but were afraid to ask) – Alex Ryan set out all the details on HSF’s new US merger partner.
Global 100 defy gloom to pass $150bn
The world’s largest law firms defied gloomy predictions to crash through the $150bn mark in this year’s Global 100. Alex Ryan crunched the numbers to find out how.
Scaling up: a look back at the last ten years of disputes in London
A decade after LB’s first Disputes Yearbook, Bethany Burns and Alex Ryan checked in with London’s litigation elite in April to find out what has changed in the last ten years.
Meet Legal 500’s Green Ambassadors: the lawyers championing sustainability in major regions across the world.
Green Ambassadors: The Legal 500 unveils new research into the lawyers fighting for a sustainable future