Heavyweight financial services silk Andrew Green QC (pictured) of Blackstone Chambers has been appointed as a specialist adviser to the Treasury Select Committee and commissioned to review ‘Maxwellisation’ after it took regulators seven years to publish a report on the failure of HBOS.
Sidley Austin hikes associate pay to secure Kirkland movers amid plans to launch in Munich
Sidley Austin is upping its game in the City by announcing it will increase the salary of all its London associates to at least £100,000.
In-house: Lloyds loses wealth management chief to HSBC
Mired in controversy over the restructuring of its internal legal team, Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has lost another senior figure as it has emerged its head of legal for wealth management and international retail, John Pitt, is set to join HSBC where he will work alongside UK general counsel Hugh Pugsley, also formerly of LBG.
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Hogan Lovells triples Australian partner headcount with new hires
Having long voiced its intention to boost revenues in the Asia-Pacific region Hogan Lovells has recruited four new partners to expand its operations in Australia, hiring Scott Harris from DLA Piper, Richard Hayes from King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), and Gilbert & Tobin duo Andrew Crook and Ros O’Malley. Continue reading “Hogan Lovells triples Australian partner headcount with new hires”
Bar regulator gets green light to approve alternative business structures
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has gained approval from the Legal Services Board (LSB) to become a licensing authority for alternative business structures (ABS) almost two years after it announced its intention to obtain a licence.
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Better in the City: Baker & McKenzie’s London revenues up 9%, as global turnover dips
Despite a poor global performance last year, London revenue at Baker & McKenzie rose 9% in the same period to £145m, as the firm’s City headcount remains flat.
DLA Piper loses Venezuela presence, ending local relationship with InterJuris after five years
DLA Piper has ended its formal relationship with Venezuelan firm InterJuris, reducing its presence in Latin America to Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.
Doughty Street Chambers barrister to take over civil rights group Liberty
Doughty Street Chambers barrister and human rights campaigner Martha Spurrier has been appointed as the new director of Liberty, where she will succeed incumbent Shami Chakrabarti.
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‘A wrong turning’: Lord Chief Justice makes proposals to shift cases away from arbitration
English law took ‘a wrong turning’ in favouring the use of international arbitration to resolve commercial disputes, the lord chief justice of England and Wales said in a lecture earlier this month.
City office grows faster than US as Kirkland posts 7% global revenue hike
While a handful of high-profile departures has meant Kirkland & Ellis has been the subject of much speculation in the City lately, the firm’s non-US revenue is up around 10%, growing faster than the firm’s overall revenue, driven by London growth.
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A change of mind: 3VB’s Beltrami QC pulls out of move to One Essex Court
Confirmed just days ago, 3 Verulam Buildings‘ (3VB) heavyweight silk Adrian Beltrami QC has pulled out of moving to One Essex Court, deciding to remain at his current set.
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Slater and Gordon general counsel jumps ship after less than two months
Australian-listed Slater and Gordon‘s general counsel (GC) and company secretary Moana Weir has resigned after spending less than two months at the troubled firm.
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Ashurst boosts City TMT practice with double Herbert Smith Freehills hire, including global co-head
In a bid to improve its City TMT offering, Ashurst has hired TMT duo Nick Elverston and Amanda Hale from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in London.
Revolving doors: KWM adds one in London while Hogan Lovells makes key international hire
Despite axing 24 partners from its legacy SJ Berwin practice, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has hired one in London, while Hogan Lovells has made a key appointment in the US.
Guest post: How to reduce head count without making new enemies
With the litigation market soft and the deal market at least momentarily out of breath, there may be more lawyers finding themselves leaving their firms sooner than they had planned. Law firm managers have started using the dreaded O word again – O for overcapacity – and such talk is often a prelude to firings and other forced departures.
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Allen & Overy leadership latest: banking co-heads step down
In a run of new leadership announcements, Allen & Overy (A&O) has elected Philip Bowden and Andrew Thomas as the firm’s new global co-heads of banking.
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RBS hires Shaw as GC as the ex-Barclays veteran takes one of the top roles in finance law
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has hired Michael Shaw (pictured) as its next general counsel with the former Barclays and Herbert Smith veteran taking on one of the most prominent GC roles in the UK.
Sheffield reaches out to Magic Circle with northshoring campaign
Sheffield City Council is targeting the UK’s top 100 law firms in a bid to entice them to establish offices in its business hub.
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Heads roll on Queen Street: KWM to axe 15% of European partners in sweeping shake-up
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) told its London partnership this morning that 15% of its European and Middle Eastern partners will be axed, with an additional 45 business services roles in London to be made redundant.
Adviser review: Pinsent Masons added to Land Securities panel
National firm Pinsent Masons has won a place on FTSE 100 firm Land Securities’ legal panel, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has come off the roster following a review.
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