The former head of legal at Lloyds Banking Group, Prini Pithouse, has taken the deputy general counsel (GC) role at Visa Europe, following a year serving as the payments business’ executive director of commercial law. Continue reading “Lloyds former head of legal Pithouse takes on deputy GC role at Visa”
Guest post: The new justice secretary – does it matter that she’s not a lawyer?
So, as anticipated, our new prime minister has favoured punishing disloyalty over rewarding competence and sent Michael Gove and his ambitious, compassionate prison reforms to the naughty back benches. Yesterday morning (July 14) brought a transfer-deadline-day-style frenzy to Legal Twitter, anticipation and trepidation converging as rumours and supposition threw up name after name as possible new secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor.
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Here we go again: Law Society to splash £61m on new IT systems after joint project fails
The Law Society, which has overseen several IT failures in the last decade, has agreed to spend £61m on new technology systems.
‘An important step’: K&L Gates launches in Munich through King & Wood hires
K&L Gates has opened its third German office by launching in Munich, with a three-lawyer hire from King & Wood Mallesons (KWM).
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‘Please explain’: Linklaters writes to Olswang to question BHS fees
Arcadia Group adviser Linklaters has questioned Olswang on whether its client Retail Acquisitions Limited (RAL) broke its contract and breached covenants to pay the firm’s fees for the sale of BHS.
Continue reading “‘Please explain’: Linklaters writes to Olswang to question BHS fees”
Differing fortunes: Ince revenue takes another tumble down 4% to £76.2m, as Mills & Reeve sees 7% bump
Shipping and insurance specialist Ince & Co has had another disappointing year financially, with revenue down 4% from £79.4m to £76.2m. This follows on from an 8% drop in turnover last year from £86.7m, which was the worst income drop of all the UK’s top 100 law firms in 2014/15.
Simmons takes leading arbitration lawyer Dutson from Eversheds
Simmons & Simmons has hired Eversheds‘ star arbitration partner Stuart Dutson in a bid to strengthen its Africa practice.
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‘Robust position’: Shepherd and Wedderburn enjoys third year of growth with revenue up 10%
Scottish independent Shepherd and Wedderburn has enjoyed a third year of consecutive growth with revenues up 10% to £53m. Similarly profits have increased by 20% to £21.5m.
Bowing to pressure: DAC Beachcroft amends contract terms with preferred barristers
After pressure from lobby groups at the commercial Bar, DAC Beachcroft has amended its contractual arrangements with its preferred sets of chambers to reinstate a key contract clause that gives barristers insurance cover.
‘How did Grieve not get the job?’ – City lawyers react as Truss becomes new justice secretary
City lawyers have expressed disappointment as Liz Truss has been made the new justice secretary, replacing Michael Gove. Gove, a prominent Brexit campaigner and candidate for Conservative leader following the resignation of UK prime minister David Cameron, had spent just 14 months in the role.
Ringing the changes: Barclays appoints Mark Shelton as GC of corporate & international as divisions split
Barclays has appointed ex-Gibson Dunn & Crutcher partner Mark Shelton as general counsel (GC) of Barclays’ corporate & international business following a ring-fencing restructure which saw the bank split its legal team to create two new divisions – the other being Barclays UK. Continue reading “Ringing the changes: Barclays appoints Mark Shelton as GC of corporate & international as divisions split”
Financials 2015/16: Travers bucks the market to post double digit turnover growth
Travers Smith has posted its seventh year of revenue growth, boosting turnover to £120m, up 13% on the previous year.
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Comment: After the Brexit vote you can kiss the UK’s stability premium goodbye
The dust has yet to settle, indeed the horizon in post-referendum Britain is heavy with smoke and particles of an uncertain nature. But as the market turmoil of the vote to exit the EU subsides, the profession is left asking: what now?
Continue reading “Comment: After the Brexit vote you can kiss the UK’s stability premium goodbye”
De Souza resurfaces as GC for Goldman Sachs-backed property firm
Former Land Securities Group general counsel and company secretary Adrian de Souza has joined student accommodation firm Vero Group as interim general counsel and company secretary.
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‘Work to do’: Almost a quarter of GCs have reduced in-house headcount, study finds
More than half of GCs face budget cuts and almost a quarter have cut their in-house team internal headcount, a new survey has found.
Securities litigator Lascelles latest to exit King & Wood Mallesons
Struggling to plug a stream of exits, litigator Greg Lascelles has become the latest partner to depart King & Wood Mallesons and is set to join Covington & Burling in July.
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Chief adviser: Eversheds wins Specsavers preferred supplier tender
Following an extensive tender process, Eversheds has been appointed as preferred supplier for Specsavers across multiple practice areas.
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Launching Leeds: Shoosmiths takes Gordons employment duo to open eleventh office
Shoosmiths is to open a new office in Leeds with an employment duo from Yorkshire-based Gordons as part of the firm’s ongoing strategy to increase its share of the UK legal market.
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Another Ashurst exit as restructuring partner Roberts quits for Reed Smith
Ashurst has seen yet another partner exit with Reed Smith hiring restructuring partner Diane Roberts into its London office. Continue reading “Another Ashurst exit as restructuring partner Roberts quits for Reed Smith”
‘A little upgrade’: Privacy Shield in force but legal challenge still expected
Despite the European Commission’s new data privacy framework coming into force this week, City lawyers still believe a legal challenge is likely.
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