AI: ‘Is it going to destroy humankind? No. The good parts are worth pursuing’

AI may appear to be a relatively nascent development but in reality this is far from the case. John McCarthy first coined the term back in 1956, and since then we have seen IBM’s Deep Blue and Watson machines beat chess and Jeopardy champions, and Apple create its virtual assistant, Siri. Now, the rise of generative AI models such as ChatGPT have not only significantly changed the performance of AI but have also caught the attention of the mainstream media, exploding into the public consciousness with their accessibility.

At a foundational level, AI uses computer science and datasets to enable problem-solving. The technology takes on a human-like function – learning, reading, writing, analysing and researching. AI can be applied to an extensive range of systems and products, from customer service and recommendation engines to supply chains and document creation, which effectively creates a new world of possibilities. Continue reading “AI: ‘Is it going to destroy humankind? No. The good parts are worth pursuing’”

Sidley continues infrastructure push as firms hire in antitrust, finance and funds

City of London

Sidley Austin has continued to expand its London energy and infrastructure team with its hire of Ben Thompson from Travers Smith. The new hire enhances the firm’s London offering in this practice, which it strengthened in March last year with the hires of James MacArthur and Ed Freeman from Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Continue reading “Sidley continues infrastructure push as firms hire in antitrust, finance and funds”

The future is now – how tech expertise shot to the top of the agenda

For law firms, tech credentials are perhaps more important than ever before. The AI revolution has captured the imagination of all forward-thinking advisers, with its potential to improve process, save costs, and impress clients.

And when it comes to tech clients, it isn’t just about the Apples or Alphabets of this world – with the UK ranking third globally for venture capital investment and home to more than 150 unicorn companies worth more than $1bn, firms are also chasing the next big thing. Continue reading “The future is now – how tech expertise shot to the top of the agenda”

Life During Law: Nick Scott

I’m the only one in my immediate family who isn’t a scientist – they’re all biologists and engineers. My grandfather, though, was a lawyer in a small market town in Fife so I’d always been interested in law as a career. He was a traditional high street lawyer – doing very little corporate work – so training at Clifford Chance (CC) was a completely different professional life from his. But from him I saw someone who was regarded as an upright person in the community.

I began my career at CC which, at the time, was the biggest firm in the world. I came to London to follow my then girlfriend who was a professional violinist, but we’d split up by the time I got there! I wanted the experience and challenge of working in a huge organisation. Continue reading “Life During Law: Nick Scott”

‘We’re all talking about it, but what’s going to happen?’ Why this year’s LIDW is promising in-house lawyers answers around greenwashing, AI, and group litigation

The chairs of next week’s London International Disputes Week (LIDW) are urging in-house lawyers to attend the event to learn about all the latest litigation risks.

Continue reading “‘We’re all talking about it, but what’s going to happen?’ Why this year’s LIDW is promising in-house lawyers answers around greenwashing, AI, and group litigation”

The path to net zero: the legal sector’s blueprint for climate leadership and competitive advantage

With a wave of environmental disclosure legislation on the horizon – CSRD, SECR, and many more – legal firms are filling a new niche: advising clients and organisations with sustainability compliance, greenwashing-proof marketing, and financial communications with new emissions line items. And more than ever, legal firms are recognising the need to implement their own carbon reporting and to build meaningful reduction plans.

This article will explore the main drivers and benefits of carbon emissions reduction in the legal sector, as well as the challenges organisations face and a path forward. Continue reading “The path to net zero: the legal sector’s blueprint for climate leadership and competitive advantage”

Latham lands Cahill City finance trio as Greenberg, McDermott and Cleary bolster London ranks

In the most notable London lateral move of recent weeks, Latham & Watkins bolstered its banking and finance practice with its hire of partners Jonathan Brownson, Joydeep Choudhuri, and Prue Criddle from New York banking heavyweight Cahill Gordon & Reindel’s City office.

Continue reading “Latham lands Cahill City finance trio as Greenberg, McDermott and Cleary bolster London ranks”

‘Your mindset is more important than it seems’ – how Maxwell Chambers shook up Singapore’s disputes landscape

Jiun Ean Ban, chief executive of Maxwell Chambers in Singapore, recently sat down with Legal 500 senior research editor Allan Cohen to share the story of his journey to his current position, as well as the latest developments from Maxwell Chambers, the influence of technology in disputes, and his sideline in fantasy novels and educational board games Continue reading “‘Your mindset is more important than it seems’ – how Maxwell Chambers shook up Singapore’s disputes landscape”

‘Ultra-focused on culture and hungry to build’ – McDermott’s new London head sets out stall

Earlier this month McDermott Will & Emery announced that leveraged finance partner Aymen Mahmoud will take the reins from Hamid Yunis as managing partner of the US firm’s London office.

Mahmoud (pictured), who has been at the firm since 2020 after joining from Willkie Farr & Gallagher, will take the helm on 1 June, while also continuing as co-head of the firm’s London transactions group and the finance, restructuring, and special situations group.

Continue reading “‘Ultra-focused on culture and hungry to build’ – McDermott’s new London head sets out stall”

‘I have this condition, and I’m owning it’: HSF’s Samantha Brown on managing mental ill health alongside a legal career

For Mental Health Awareness Week, Samantha Brown, partner and regional head of Herbert Smith Freehill’s employment, pensions, and incentives group, spoke to LB about her own experiences with anxiety and depression, lessons from returning to work after taking time off, and how attitudes and language around mental health have changed for the better

Continue reading “‘I have this condition, and I’m owning it’: HSF’s Samantha Brown on managing mental ill health alongside a legal career”

‘I mistakenly thought severe anxiety was a good thing’ – Vinson’s London head on opening up about mental health

For Mental Health Awareness Week, Vinson & Elkins London managing partner Nick Henchie talked to LB about recognising mental health issues, seeking support, the importance of openness and honesty, and supporting the next generation of lawyers facing similar challenges
Continue reading “‘I mistakenly thought severe anxiety was a good thing’ – Vinson’s London head on opening up about mental health”

Bird & Bird to launch in Tokyo with Ashurst corporate hire as firm sets sights on €1bn revenue mark

Bird & Bird has announced it will open in Tokyo before the end of the year, with the new base set to be led by corporate partner Hiro Iwamura, who is joining from Ashurst.

The launch marks the first significant move for the firm since February’s unveiling of its new five-year strategy – which includes the ambitious goal of reaching €1bn in revenue within the next half-decade.

Continue reading “Bird & Bird to launch in Tokyo with Ashurst corporate hire as firm sets sights on €1bn revenue mark”

‘We have an insatiable appetite for recruiting’: Keystone posts double-digit revenue rise as hiring picks up

James Knight

Keystone Law has released its financial results for 2023-24, posting a 15.1% revenue boost to reach £87.9m.

The results, which cover the financial year to 31 January 2024, come after a sustained period of recruitment for the firm, which is continuing to sign up lawyers attracted to its non-traditional, decentralised model. Continue reading “‘We have an insatiable appetite for recruiting’: Keystone posts double-digit revenue rise as hiring picks up”

‘I have near total freedom to build a practice’: ex-Kirkland Hall of Famer Tumani on his new challenge

Legal 500 Hall of Famer Satnam Tumani, previously head of the SFO’s anti-corruption and bribery unit and a longstanding partner at Kirkland & Ellis, recently moved to boutique firm Edmonds Marshall McMahon. He spoke to LB about his brief to build a new practice, the contrasts between Big Law and boutique law, and his nostalgia for the days of letter-writing

Continue reading “‘I have near total freedom to build a practice’: ex-Kirkland Hall of Famer Tumani on his new challenge”

Travers departures continue as Linklaters and Fried Frank pick off transactional trio

Selecting recruits

In another blow for Travers Smith, respected corporate M&A and ECM partner Richard Spedding has left to join Linklaters, on the back of the departure of a private equity duo to Goodwin late last month.

A Legal 500 Hall of Famer for small to mid-cap equity capital markets, Spedding was at Travers or 25 years. Experienced in public M&A and the UK Takeover Code, Spedding recently co-led the firm’s team advising key private equity client Inflexion on its £342m takeover of DWF.

Continue reading “Travers departures continue as Linklaters and Fried Frank pick off transactional trio”

‘Nobody will want to feel like they are the poor cousin’: Freshfields reignites talent war with £150k NQ pay hike

standing on coins

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has broken ranks from its Magic Circle peers on associate salaries, increasing newly-qualified (NQ) pay from £125,000 to a new high of £150,000.  

The move puts clear water between the firm and Slaughter and May, Linklaters, ‎A&O Shearman, and Clifford Chance, all which pay their NQ lawyers £125,000.

Continue reading “‘Nobody will want to feel like they are the poor cousin’: Freshfields reignites talent war with £150k NQ pay hike”