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‘A triumph for access to justice’: Supreme Court rules employment tribunal fees unlawful

The Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that employment tribunal fees are unlawful, allowing trade union UNISON’s appeal in a ground-breaking decision requiring the government to stop charging the fees.

Today’s ruling found the fees unlawful under both domestic and EU law because they had the effect of preventing access to justice. The Supreme Court stated that therefore the fees must be quashed. Continue reading “‘A triumph for access to justice’: Supreme Court rules employment tribunal fees unlawful”

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RPC partners exclusively with University of Law ahead of SQE launch

Future RPC trainees will attend courses exclusively at the University of Law (ULaw) from September 2017, after the insurance firm switched to the training provider to prepare its professional courses in advance of the controversial new Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE).

From this September until 2020, trainees at the firm will be required to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), Legal Practice Course (LPC) and an MSc in Law, Business and Management at the university’s Moorgate centre as sole provider, in a partnership RPC training principal Simon Hart described as the firm’s response to the ‘forthcoming radical reforms to legal education’, having previously worked with another group.  Continue reading “RPC partners exclusively with University of Law ahead of SQE launch”

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Freshfields co-managing partner Pugh steps down a year and a half into role

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer‘s joint managing partner Chris Pugh (pictured) is stepping down less than half way into his term, the second person to vacate the position early in four years and the firm’s third unscheduled c-suite departure since 2013.

Former disputes head Pugh will leave the role but remain at the firm, continuing his client-facing work. He took up the role, which carries a five-year term, in January 2016 after a three-month transition period.   Continue reading “Freshfields co-managing partner Pugh steps down a year and a half into role”

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Morrison & Foerster and SullCrom gear up on Landis+Gyr’s electric smart meter $2.4bn initial public offering

Morrison & Foerster and Sullivan & Cromwell have both advised on major Swiss electricity smart meter producer Landis+Gyr’s $2.4bn (£1.84bn) initial public offering (IPO), Europe’s second largest this year.

The IPO represents Landis+Gyr’s break from Japanese conglomerate Toshiba after it purchased the company six years ago. The IPO is the largest on the Swiss Exchange in the past ten years. Landis+Gyr employs more than 5,700 staff with activity across 30 countries. Continue reading “Morrison & Foerster and SullCrom gear up on Landis+Gyr’s electric smart meter $2.4bn initial public offering”

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Latham and Hogan Lovells act on consortium’s £2.9bn potential offer for Paysafe Group

Latham & Watkins is advising Blackstone and CVC Capital Partners in their £2.9bn preliminary proposal takeover bid for UK online payment company Paysafe.

The FTSE 250 company, which is based on the Isle of Mann, was advised by a Hogan Lovells team led by corporate partner Maegen Morrison with support from corporate partners Don McGown and John Connell.  Continue reading “Latham and Hogan Lovells act on consortium’s £2.9bn potential offer for Paysafe Group”

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Clyde & Co sets up in Los Angeles to focus on aviation and insurance clients with two-partner office

Clyde & Co has launched its ninth US office, opening in Los Angeles with a two-partner team consisting of Julie Hawkinson (pictured) and Jim Koelzer.

The office will focus on providing insurance and aviation clients with insurance coverage and litigation defence services. Continue reading “Clyde & Co sets up in Los Angeles to focus on aviation and insurance clients with two-partner office”

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Labour MP Keir Starmer opts against role advising Mishcon Academy

Keir Starmer QC, the Labour MP and the party’s Brexit spokesperson, has decided against taking on a role advising the Mishcon Academy, Mishcon de Reya‘s in-house training arm in London, citing other commitments.

In a statement, Starmer said: ‘I am grateful to Mishcon de Reya for discussing a possible role advising the Mishcon Academy with me, but, given my other commitments, I have decided not to further the discussions.’ Continue reading “Labour MP Keir Starmer opts against role advising Mishcon Academy”

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Weil, CC and Travers line up on £1bn Canadian private equity pensions deal

Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Clifford Chance (CC) and Travers Smith have advised on the £1bn sale of Civica by the private equity arm of Canadian pensions company OMERS to funds managed by global investor Partners Group.

Weil advised its longstanding client OMERS private equity on the transaction, while CC acted for Partners Group and Travers Smith represented Partners Group’s management. Continue reading “Weil, CC and Travers line up on £1bn Canadian private equity pensions deal”

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Financials 2016/17: Bird & Bird PEP rebounds to top half million pound mark

Bird & Bird‘s profit per equity partner (PEP) has risen for a second consecutive year, leaping 11% to £503,000, in line with the firm’s revenue growth, following a double-digit rise in corporate, intellectual property and employment work.

The technology and intellectual property-focused City firm’s net income rose to £52.8m over the year from £45.4m the previous year. Continue reading “Financials 2016/17: Bird & Bird PEP rebounds to top half million pound mark”

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Financials 2016/17: Expansive Burges Salmon cites Brexit impact as revenue and PEP growth halted

UK firm Burges Salmon’s profitability fell 8% in the year to 30 April for the first time in six years, which the firm attributed to the negative impact of Brexit on its business in a challenging year.

This year, the Bristol-headquartered firm’s revenue stayed at £87m, slightly down from last year’s £87.4m. Continue reading “Financials 2016/17: Expansive Burges Salmon cites Brexit impact as revenue and PEP growth halted”

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Revolving doors: Hogan Lovells and Gibson Dunn expand on continent, McGuireWoods appoint to London, Winston to Dubai

game of hoopla with lawyers

Firms have strengthened their global practices, as Hogan Lovells appointed a key Paris partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher recruited in Munich, McGuireWoods hired in London and Winston & Strawn brought in a new Dubai managing partner.

Hogan Lovells have recruited heavyweight antitrust Francois Brunet in Paris, after a 26-year career building Cleary’s antitrust practice. His practice focuses on complex merger cases and cartel investigations. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Hogan Lovells and Gibson Dunn expand on continent, McGuireWoods appoint to London, Winston to Dubai”

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‘Encouraging results’: Withers’ global expansion breeds revenue growth as PEP leaps 25%

Private wealth specialist Withers has recorded a decade of consecutive growth this year, with a profit per equity partner (PEP) boost of 25% to £381,000.

With 2016/17 revenues up 8% to £174.5m, the pace of growth slowed from last year, when the top line figure was up 21% to £161.5m, but the firm’s international expansion appeared to continue to pay off. Continue reading “‘Encouraging results’: Withers’ global expansion breeds revenue growth as PEP leaps 25%”

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Linklaters strengthens German private equity arm with former Clifford Chance heavyweight

Linklaters Logo on Wall

Former Clifford Chance(CC) Germany private equity (PE) head, Christopher Kellett, who retired from the firm’s partnership in April, is understood to be joining Linklaters’ Frankfurt office as the firm strengthens its capabilities.

Kellett joined CC in 1996. The firm appointed him head of PE in Germany in 2015. Continue reading “Linklaters strengthens German private equity arm with former Clifford Chance heavyweight”

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‘Firing on all cylinders’: Freshfields appoints Paul Weiss lawyer to head US IP team

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringerhas appointed Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrisonlawyer Menachem Kaplan (pictured) as its first partner to head up the firm’s intellectual property (IP) capabilities in the US.

Kaplan joins Freshfields today (24 July) as the firm’s first IP partner to be based in New York. He joins Freshfield’s international IP offering led by three existing IP partners elsewhere – Avril Martindale and Giles Pratt in London and Frank-Erich Hufnagel in Dusseldorf. Continue reading “‘Firing on all cylinders’: Freshfields appoints Paul Weiss lawyer to head US IP team”

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Ashurst to lose five remaining New York structured finance launch partners to US firm

Five New York-based partners are to leave Ashurst for US finance firm Chapman and Cutler, completing the full departure of the ten-partner team the firm hired from McKee Nelson in 2009 to launch a structured finance practice.

Collateralised loan obligation (CLO) partners Pat Quill, David Nirenberg, Steve Kopp, Doug Bird and Tom Glushko will all leave Ashurst this week, after originally arriving as part of a 30-lawyer finance team which included ten partners in 2009. The deal gave Ashurst a presence in both New York and Washington DC. Continue reading “Ashurst to lose five remaining New York structured finance launch partners to US firm”

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Charles Russell unveils 8% PEP rise amid modest revenue growth in year of consolidation

Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) has revealed 3% revenue growth for the 2016/17 financial year, alongside an 8% jump in profit per equity partner (PEP) in its second full year since the merger of Charles Russell and Speechly Bircham in 2014.

CRS managing partner James Carter said last year was one of consolidation for the merged firm, while dealing with costs associated with several office openings against the backdrop of a largely flat UK market. Continue reading “Charles Russell unveils 8% PEP rise amid modest revenue growth in year of consolidation”

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20% hike at Vinson pushes associate starting pay to £120k as US leaders heat up City talent market

Vinson & Elkins(V&E) has increased its London associate and trainee solicitor salary levels, boosting newly qualified salaries 20% to £120,000 and first-year trainee salaries by 11% to£50,000.

The firm announced the rates this week (20 July), alongside its second-year associates pay. They will receive a pay rise of 15% to £127,000 (from £110,000 previously), while the firm boosted third-year salaries to £140,000, a 17% increase from £120,000 last year. Meanwhile, the firm hiked second-year trainee salaries 17% to £55,000. Continue reading “20% hike at Vinson pushes associate starting pay to £120k as US leaders heat up City talent market”

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Dentons to merge with Scotland’s Maclay Murray & Spens to gain foothold in European oil and gas centre

Dentons is to combine with Scottish firm Maclay Murray & Spens, embarking on the latest phase of its European expansion into Scotland’s oil and gas markets and bringing its total UK lawyers to over 800.

The merger is the latest in a series for the Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by number of fee earners, as it adds three more offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Dentons’ European offices will total 31 on completion of the deal. Continue reading “Dentons to merge with Scotland’s Maclay Murray & Spens to gain foothold in European oil and gas centre”

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Brexit government department spent £3.7m in legal costs in year since EU referendum

The government department for exiting the European Union (DExEU) has spent £3.7m in legal costs since it was set up last summer, the most significant area of expenditure for DExEU after overall staff costs of £14m.

A government report published on Wednesday (19 July) revealed that DExEU cost taxpayers £1.2m in legal fees for the cases brought against the government, including that on triggering of Article 50, which formally started the UK’s withdrawal process from the European Union (EU). Continue reading “Brexit government department spent £3.7m in legal costs in year since EU referendum”

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Court rejects landmark application for £14bn class action against MasterCard in Freshfields win

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has today (21 July) ruled against certifying one of the first US-style £14bn opt-out consumer damages antitrust class actions, against payment giant MasterCard, in what would have been the UK’s largest claim.

CAT president Mr Justice Roth ruled against allowing the collective proceedings application on grounds that potentially disparate groups of claimants could not form a single class action for the purposes of this claim, regardless of the means of payments used or the retailer from whom the purchase was made. Continue reading “Court rejects landmark application for £14bn class action against MasterCard in Freshfields win”