Top 50 UK law firm Burges Salmon has promoted four individuals to partner, and made one lateral hire from Travers Smith, in a move to build up what it sees as its key growth areas.
Half a million documents later: SFO drops forex investigation due to lack of evidence
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has dropped its investigation into allegations of rigging in the foreign exchange (forex) market after it found insufficient evidence to prosecute.
Comment: Too many reasonable men? What ails law firm leadership
As two of the most highly regarded leaders in the Square Mile – David Morley at Allen & Overy (A&O) and Chris Saul at Slaughter and May – prepare to hand over, it’s an apt moment to reflect on the state of leadership at leading UK law firms. It’s not clear that what emerges from the profession is all that flattering.
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Revolving doors: Eversheds takes Squire team in pensions play, while DLA Piper, Mayer Brown and Dentons make international hires
Eversheds has hired a trio of lawyers from Squire Patton Boggs, while DLA Piper, Mayer Brown and Dentons all added to their benches around the globe.
Mishcon secures another lateral hire from Addleshaw Goddard in continued disputes push
Mishcon de Reya has today (14 March) announced the arrival of former Addleshaw Goddard partner Sonia Campbell as it continues the steady expansion of its commercial disputes team.
Watchdog to raise bar on the Bar in toughened pre-vocational test
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has stepped in to the long-simmering debate on costs and access to the profession to confirm it will toughen the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) amid controversy regarding 99%-plus pass rates.
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Guest post: How Boris Johnson is wrong on parliamentary sovereignty
Since I wrote about David Cameron’s ‘sovereignty plan’, it seems to have been forgotten. It’s clear the idea was aimed at keeping politicians in the Remain camp, and has failed.
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Comment: We must run just to stay in place – Macfarlanes’ head asks what it takes to be a partner in 2016
I confess the analogy is not perfect, but reflecting on the bizarre and often contradictory pressures on partners in law firms today brings to mind the world of Alice in Wonderland. Today, many question the appropriateness of the partnership model itself. They certainly question the strange, often opaque feudal master/servant process by which the aspiring lawyer serves their apprenticeship.
Linklaters ramps up associate salaries and rolls out flexible working after remuneration review
Magic Circle firm Linklaters has ramped up associate take-home pay after a lengthy review of its remuneration.
Legal heavyweights including A&O, Travers Smith, KWM and Simmons leaders back anti-Brexit report
A 250-strong group of lawyers including leaders from Allen & Overy (A&O), King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), Simmons & Simmons and Travers Smith have joined the ‘Lawyers – In For Britain’ group lobbying for the UK to remain in the EU.
Stewarts Law latest to develop trusts practice with Farrer hire
Litigation specialist Stewarts Law has hired James Price from Farrer & Co to launch a trusts litigation practice in the City.
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Comment: Why it’s time for the Law Society’s levy to go
There is a reason that the slogan ‘No taxation without representation’ has echoed through history. The rally cry of the American revolution demonstrates a basic truth that institutions and figures of authority hitting up constituencies for money without broadly representing their interests are in the long run asking for trouble.
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Dentons’ venture NextLaw Labs invests in fee transparency firm Apperio
Dentons‘ NextLaw Labs, a venture launched last year for financing new legal services technologies, has made its second major investment with legal tech start-up Apperio.
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Reed Smith blames poor energy prices as global revenues dip 2.5%
Reed Smith has reported global revenues fell 2.5% in 2015 to $1.12bn from $1.15bn, while profits per partner were lower by 8.1%, which the firm has said is due to poor commodity prices and early resolution of some litigation matters.
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Milbank posts flat global results as London turnover rises 6% to $110m
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has become the latest firm to post flat results following the economic slowdown in some of its key markets, including energy and infrastructure, as its London office put in a strong 6% revenue increase to $110.2m.
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Freshfields makes key competition hire as Clifford Chance City partner to relocate to lead Hong Kong practice
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has hired Clifford Chance’s Alastair Mordaunt to become the new competition head of its Hong Kong practice.
Allen & Overy and Wachtell take leads on Deutsche Börse spin-off
Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy (A&O) has taken a lead role acting for Deutsche Börse as it spins off its US options exchange operator International Securities Exchange, in a move which looks to aid the German stock exchange operator’s proposed merger with the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
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Reed Smith replaced as Addleshaw Goddard joins Siemens UK legal panel
Eversheds and Osborne Clarke have been reappointed to Siemens UK’s legal panel, while newcomer Addleshaw Goddard will replace Reed Smith, following a review.
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BLP promotes 82% of its global round in London in property-focused promotions round
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has made 17 partner promotions worldwide, in a bumper round more than three times last year’s round of five. Of these 17, 82% were promoted in London and six in the firm’s real estate practice.
Legal pathway to the story of the century
GC: Obviously the Snowden story was a huge scoop for The Guardian. How did you first hear about it, and what were your initial thoughts?
Gill Phillips (GP): I was actually in Australia as we were in the process of opening our office there. I got a cryptic phone call from Alan Rusbridger [then editor-in-chief] one night saying, ‘I can’t really talk about this as using the phone might be unreliable. Could you put me in touch with a US national security lawyer?’ I began to think, ‘Ok, something is going on,’ but I gave him a few names. Continue reading “Legal pathway to the story of the century”