Taylor Wessing has enhanced its City private client credentials with the appointment of contentious trusts and litigation partner Emma Jordan, who joins from Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (WLG) where she will lead the firm’s practice and ‘add a new dimension to [its] contentious capability.’
Hamlins boosts media offering with senior BBC lawyer hire
West End firm Hamlins has enhanced its media offering with the recruitment of BBC lawyer Julian Ward, who after a decade in-house, will join the firm’s media and entertainment practice as a partner.
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Herbert Smith Freehills renews commitment to Singapore with local firm alliance
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has established a formal alliance with Singapore firm Prolegis, almost two years after it chose not to renew its licence to practise locally.
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Mixed reviews over impact of first SFO deferred prosecution agreement
Corporate crime specialists are divided over the likely impact of Lord Justice Leveson’s approval of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office’s deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with ICBC Standard Bank (formerly Standard Bank).
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‘Opportunity-filled economies’: Dentons to launch in Latin America with proposed local tie-up
Days after announcing its fifth merger of 2015 with Luxembourg outfit OPF Partners, Dentons has today (30 November) announced it will launch a presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, and is considering combining with Colombia’s Cárdenas & Cárdenas, and Mexico’s López Velarde, Heftye y Soria (LVHS).
Plea pioneers: HSF advises bank on first deferred prosecution agreement with SFO
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) is advising ICBC Standard Bank on its deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) – the first deal to be struck since DPAs came into force in February 2014.
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Guest post: Innovation makes you dodgy. Discuss
Those of you who follow my work closely (*hello mum and dad*) will observe that I am a cautious proponent of innovation but – because the day job demands it and because it is interesting – I also spend some time talking and writing about the ethics of innovation.
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Free agents: SRA could allow solicitors to practise outside regulated firms
As part of yet another review of how it manages the profession, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is mulling a ‘fundamental shift away from prescriptive rules’ with a proposal to allow practising solicitors to give advice from unregulated firms.
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The £250m ‘expertise merger’: Irwin Mitchell agrees takeover of south east stalwart Thomas Eggar
After six months of talks national firm Irwin Mitchell and LB100 firm Thomas Eggar have voted to approve their union, creating an £250m firm with plans to establish a leading private wealth business.
Addleshaws abandons ‘bottleneck’ reforms restricting senior exits amid all-equity partnership shake-up
Addleshaw Goddard‘s leadership has floated a major shake-up of its partnership terms and governance structure in what promises to be a sensitive process as the firm holds merger talks with Maclay Murray & Spens.
Guest post: Osborne’s bizarre personal injury proposals
Many of us watched the Chancellor’s Spending Review speech because of controversial proposals such as cuts in tax credits for the low paid. He gave us a pleasing U-turn on that. Then he surprised us all with an attack on lawyers and victims of accidents. Don’t ask me what this had to do with a review of public spending.
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Slater & Gordon share price halves following ‘unexpected’ government personal injury proposals
Australian-listed Slater & Gordon (S&G), which makes 80% of its UK revenue from personal injury claims, lost half its stock market value yesterday (25 November) after the UK government announced plans to limit the number of personal injury claims.
H1 2015/16: Steady as she goes – A&O attributes 4% revenue rise to London performance
Allen & Overy (A&O) has posted a 4% revenue increase for the first six months of the 2015/16 financial year. Turnover rose to £642m rising 3.6% from the same period last year.
RBS litigation: judge takes defence team to task over ‘less than wholly satisfactory’ disclosure process
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and its client the Royal Bank of Scotland have been criticised for their role in a ‘less than compelling’ and ‘unfocused’ disclosure process in the long running £4bn shareholder dispute against the bank.
Guest post: Where now for personal injury lawyers?
It is two years and one month since the coalition government decided not to raise the small claims limit for personal injury (PI) from £1,000 to £5,000.
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More investment planned as DWF notes profit fall and borrowings rise in annual review
Profit at top-25 firm DWF fell 7% for the year ending 30 April 2015 from £50.4m to £46.7m, which the firm has attributed to a ‘focus on the integration of our people as well as consolidation following our mergers and acquisitions’.
Partner promotions: Weil Gotshal focuses on New York and London in reduced round
Seven of the eight promotions to partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges were made in New York and London this year, as the firm carried out a slimmed down promotions round.
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Addleshaws in bid to merge with Glasgow’s Maclays as run of Anglo-Scots consolidation continues
Addleshaw Goddard is in talks to merge with Scots law firm Maclay Murray & Spens in a deal that would create a national practice with combined revenues of around £230m and offices in eleven locations, including London, Manchester, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Hong Kong.
Parabis founders take £4m loan to complete Plexus MBO
A buyout team comprising the founders of the now-defunct Parabis Group has formally acquired its defendant insurance firm Plexus Law, in a deal that will see the transfer of over 900 staff, supported by a £4.2m loan.
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Dentons continues international expansion with Luxembourg tie-up
Dentons has announced its fifth merger of 2015 and today (25 November) confirmed a tie-up with Luxembourg firm OPF Partners, a deal which will add 34 lawyers including nine partners to the roster and incorporate the latter firm into Dentons’ European LLP.
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