‘Something looks wrong.’
So begins a recent Greg Ip column in The Wall Street Journal.
What exactly ‘looks wrong?’
Well, the economy, stupid.
Comment: Not ‘looming’, the judiciary is already in crisis
If there was much to celebrate amid the continued rise of London as an international disputes centre at Legal Business’ second Commercial Litigation Summit on 24 May, the cloud on the horizon was apparent: the mounting conviction that the UK judiciary is near crisis.
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Accessing America: Bond Dickinson makes unique US play with Womble Carlyle tie-up
While much has been made of US merger plays by Eversheds and Addleshaw Goddard, fellow mid-market firm Bond Dickinson has secured an exclusive strategic alliance with full-service US firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice.
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DLA Piper partner caught up in sexist email scandal with Premier League chairman fined £15,000
Nick West, a London-based partner at DLA Piper, has been fined £15,000 for sending ‘despicable’ emails to the Premier League’s executive chairman Richard Scudamore. Continue reading “DLA Piper partner caught up in sexist email scandal with Premier League chairman fined £15,000”
BHS updated: Green claims Olswang ‘knee deep’ in deal, accuses firm of covenant breach
Former BHS owner Sir Phillip Green criticised Olswang and other advisers as he faced questions today (15 June) over the sale and contentious administration of the retailer. Continue reading “BHS updated: Green claims Olswang ‘knee deep’ in deal, accuses firm of covenant breach”
Pearson kicks off second US panel review after finalising litigation roster
Pearson, the largest education company and book publisher in the world, has launched its US corporate panel review after finalising spots on its litigation roster for the region. The US changes come after Pearson finalised its UK roster in recent months with the help of Accenture. Continue reading “Pearson kicks off second US panel review after finalising litigation roster”
Adviser review: Drinks giant Diageo assesses UK roster
Global drinks brand Diageo has confirmed it will review its UK legal panel as its current roster was due to expire this month.
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Quinn Emanuel expands in London again, appointing HSF’s Bremen as City construction chair
US firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has strengthened its construction offering with the appointment of Herbert Smith Freehills’ James Bremen as its chair of the construction practice based in London.
Sullivan & Cromwell makes another M&A heavyweight head of London practice
Sullivan & Cromwell has appointed its leading M&A partner Richard Pollack as managing partner of its London office replacing Richard Morrissey who has held the role since 2011.
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Easy as Pi: Magic Circle duo acts on £615m deal as Swiss manufacturer buys Premier Farnell
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughter and May have advised on the acquisition of British electronics company Premier Farnell by Swiss manufacturing giant Dätwyler for £615m.
The robots keep coming: DLA Piper makes major AI play with Kira software deal
Intent on driving automation throughout the business, DLA Piper has partnered with Canadian tech firm Kira Systems to launch an artificial intelligence tool for document review during M&A transactions.
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Bucking the trend: Shepherd and Wedderburn to re-enter Aberdeen with Pinsents hire
Despite predictions of doom and gloom around Aberdeen and its oil and gas offering, Scottish LB100 firm Shepherd and Wedderburn is bucking the trend and will re-enter the market with the recent hire of Pinsent Masons‘ John Rutherford as a consultant.
Magic Circle meets big four – A&O teams up with Deloitte for pioneering JV targeted at banking giants
In the first marquee joint venture between a Big Four accountant and a Magic Circle law firm, Allen & Overy (A&O) has teamed up with Deloitte to create a tech-driven service to help banks handle post-Lehman regulation.
US firms Simpson Thacher and Wilson Sonsini connect for Microsoft’s $26.2bn LinkedIn purchase
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati have advised on Microsoft’s acquisition of professional social network LinkedIn for $26.2bn.
Douglas to step down as CLLS boss ahead of new era of legal regulation
Alasdair Douglas will step down as chair of the City of London Law Society (CLLS) later this year as the legal sector moves closer to substantive reform of its representative bodies, with the government exploring making legal service regulators independent from their representative bodies. Continue reading “Douglas to step down as CLLS boss ahead of new era of legal regulation”
Turf wars continue as SRA reiterates need for separation from Law Society in response to Treasury money laundering regime
In its latest plea for independence, The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) is making its case for separation from the Law Society in its response to Treasury’s call for information on its re-evaluation of the anti-money laundering (AML) supervisory regime.
Revolving doors: Osborne Clarke and RPC strengthen City practices as WFW makes major New York hire
Several LB100 firms have announced a range of lateral hires this week, with Osborne Clarke, Watson Farley & Williams (WFW), RPC and DAC Beachcroft all adding new partners.
Holman Fenwick continues recruitment drive with HSF litigator Foster
Holman Fenwick Willan has recruited another key lateral to its City practice, this time with Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) solicitor advocate and partner Christopher Foster.
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Financials 2015/16: Revenue growth slows at CMS as group posts 8.4% lift
CMS has reported revenue and profit growth for 2015, with turnover increasing 8.4% year-on-year to £735.2m, and profits up 6.8%. The revenue figure includes fees from CMS’s ten member firms which operate under the CMS brand as part of a European Economic Interest Grouping.
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Comment: The Legal 500 perspective on EMEA – more ways than ever to skin a cat
The shifting interests of international business are echoed in recent law firm moves across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and reflected in the recently published 2016 The Legal 500 EMEA, which added 15 countries to its coverage over the past two years to address growing interest in Africa, as well as the return of international work to jurisdictions such as Iran and Iraq.
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