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.
Continue reading “Guest post: How to reduce head count without making new enemies”
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.
Continue reading “Allen & Overy leadership latest: banking co-heads step down”
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 City Council is targeting the UK’s top 100 law firms in a bid to entice them to establish offices in its business hub.
Continue reading “Sheffield reaches out to Magic Circle with northshoring campaign”
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.
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.
Continue reading “Adviser review: Pinsent Masons added to Land Securities panel”
Against sluggish levels of transactional activity of late, Travers Smith and Kirkland & Ellis have landed lead advisory roles on the $540m acquisition by Micro Focus of US firm Serena Software.
One Essex Court has hired banking silk duo Adrian Beltrami QC and Sonia Tolaney QC from 3 Verulam Buildings (3VB), just weeks after announcing Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer disputes veteran Ian Terry will also join the set.
Continue reading “One Essex Court takes banking silk duo from 3VB”
With Japan’s ageing population and cheap debt forcing its biggest corporates to look outside the country for growth, Debevoise & Plimpton has become the latest US law firm to launch in Tokyo.
Counter to the UK’s trade deficit widening at the end of 2015, the UK’s legal industry has again outperformed the rest of the country with its contribution to the economy rising 8% to £25.7bn and its net exports rising rapidly.
Continue reading “State of the industry: UK legal services sector grows 8% as exports rise”
Aedamar Comiskey has entered the race to become the next senior partner at Linklaters, facing off against corporate heavyweight Charlie Jacobs (pictured) and Belgium-based Jean-Pierre Blumberg in the battle to succeed Robert Elliott.
Eversheds, Reed Smith, Dentons and K&L Gates have landed spots on a seven-firm global panel created by US car rental giant Avis.
Continue reading “Eversheds, Reed Smith and Dentons land spots on inaugural Avis panel”
Longstanding adviser Davis Polk & Wardwell has acted for Markit again as the London-based data provider signed a deal with US firm IHS for a $13bn merger.
Continue reading “Data deal: Davis Polk advises Markit on US merger”
As Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) makes a key team hire in Singapore, Morrison & Foerster, Ince & Co and Ashurst have all added to their benches around the globe.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher are advising as Westin owner Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has called off its $12.2bn buyout agreement with Marriott in favour of a $13.2bn offer from a group of investors led by China’s Anbang Insurance Group.
Mining and commodities giant Glencore has instructed Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to sue Colombia over claims the government sought to revoke parts of a coal mining license.
Continue reading “Glencore picks Freshfields as mining giant sues Colombia over coal deal”
Within weeks of electing the firm’s new leadership, Allen & Overy has announced London corporate head Richard Browne has joined Dirk Meeus as joint leader of the firm’s global corporate practice.
Continue reading “A&O names new corporate heads as Ballheimer prepares to join senior leadership”
Barclays has put a ban on its 600 lawyers accepting corporate hospitality as it reviews its legal panel worth around £100m a year to law firms.
Continue reading “Barclays bans lawyers from corporate hospitality during panel review”
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, the last Magic Circle firm to post its trainee retention rate this spring, posted a reduced figure, keeping on 82% of trainees this spring. The firm offered 33 of 38, or 87% of its trainees places.
Fresh from securing an 11-partner financial litigation team from now-defunct Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, Dentons has landed Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) partner Daren Allen (pictured) as it attempts to capture more banking litigation work.
