The UK’s regional hubs saw a spree of hiring as TLT strengthened its corporate practice in Manchester after a law firm’s collapse and Squire Patton Boggs bulked up in Leeds. Meanwhile, Ashurst enlarged its finance practice in Europe with the addition of two new partners and Fladgate recruited an employment partner.
Legal watchdog overhauls handbook to green light apprenticeships as it ushers in ‘inconceivable’ changes
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has inched closer to controversial apprenticeship qualifications while green lighting a raft of changes to the SRA handbook.
In-house: Network Rail corporate legal chief stands down after almost a decade
After nearly ten years of service at Network Rail including helping to restructure the body’s legal team and transfer to the public sector, corporate legal chief Natalie Jobling is standing down.
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Comment: The Dirty Conversation – hard choices for leading US firms as the Boomers clock out
With the first wave of the Baby Boom about to turn 70, firms are asking the hard question, earlier and earlier. Guest writer Aric Press discusses the best way to have the Dirty Conversation.
Guest post: Luxury lawyering and the Bergdorf effect – getting your price right
A week or two ago, we were having drinks here in New York with two senior corporate partners at an AmLaw-25 firm that is quite self-aware enough to know it’s not in the realm of the super-elite, and the topic turned to pricing.
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‘A hole in the market’: Scott + Scott opens in the City with plans to exploit conflicts and cash in on competition class actions
In anticipation of a boom in competition-based disputes as the Consumer Rights Act comes into force, US firm Scott+Scott is planning to kick-start its City offering by pursuing banks found guilty of manipulating the foreign exchange market in a multi-million pound lawsuit.
In-house: Lloyds Bank hires JP Morgan EMEA litigation head as new disputes chief
JP Morgan’s Europe, Middle East and Africa head of litigation Wilson Thorburn has been appointed by Lloyds Bank as its new litigation chief.
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Life after Kaplan: Ince & Co picks BPP while Mills & Reeve lets its trainees decide
BPP has picked up Ince & Co as a client while Mills & Reeve is allowing trainees to pick for themselves following Kaplan’s announcement it will close its law school.
‘The final piece of the jigsaw’: DAC Beachcroft launches Miami office targeting Latin America
DAC Beachcroft has opened an office in Miami, led by a former AIG lawyer, as it looks to strengthen its Latin American offering by connecting local insurance clients to the rest of its network.
Q&A: John Quinn talks competition, class action and China
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan was the talk of the town when it took on some of the world’s largest banks in post-crisis related litigation. The concept paid off for a firm which this year posted revenues just over $1bn with profits per equity partner reaching just under $5m – the second highest recorded in the Global 100. However, as crisis-related disputes reach their tail-end, founder and managing partner John Quinn (pictured) speaks to Legal Business about the firm’s current growth plans.
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Addleshaws enters booming contract lawyer market with AG Integrate
As it continues its revamp in the hope of becoming a top 20-firm by 2019, Addleshaw Goddard has launched a contract lawyer offering labelled AG Integrate, targeting both clients and as a service to supplement its own workforce.
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Comment: Leadership by soundbite is fuelling a well-being crisis for in-house counsel
As a consultant spending most of my professional time working with general counsel (GCs), so concerned have I become at the pressures and strain on the mental health of in-house counsel, that this summer I authored a report on what I see as the crisis in well-being in-house.
Dealwatch: Sullivan & Cromwell’s City office and CC advise on nearly £6bn worth of deals
Sullivan & Cromwell’s City office has been busy this summer winning roles on two headline deals announced yesterday [8 September], working alongside Clifford Chance (CC) on both Cinven’s £2.3bn sale of pharmaceuticals group Amdipharm Mercury Company (AMCo) and advising Goldman Sachs on Mitsui Sumitomo’s £3.5bn Amlin purchase.
Hedge funds pick Quinn Emanuel and Boies in multi-million dispute with Indian car parts maker
Litigation powerhouses Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Boies, Schiller & Flexner, have been selected by hedge funds who purchased bonds issued by India’s Castex Technologies to prepare for a $200m dispute in the English courts.
BPP continues to lure Kaplan clients as it wins Mayer Brown’s business
Despite already having a relationship with The University of Law (ULaw), Mayer Brown has become the latest firm to opt for BPP as their Legal Practice Course (LPC) provider after Kaplan announced the closure of its law school at the end of 2016.
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In-house: Standard Life hires RBS stalwart Rushad Abadan as GC
After nearly a year since its previous permanent general counsel (GC) exited the insurer, Standard Life has hired Rushad Abadan from British banking giant RBS as its new legal head.
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Asia: US firms chase disputes work as Kobre & Kim and Alston & Bird launch new offices and Reed Smith builds in Singapore
The past week has continued to see law firms invest in Asia with US litigation outfit Kobre & Kim chasing litigation work with a new office in Seoul, Alston & Bird targeting intellectual property (IP) mandates with its first Asian office and Reed Smith building its projects practice with a focus on disputes.
Voting with your feet: Nabarro and HFW pick BPP after Kaplan shuts law school
After more than five years at Kaplan, both Nabarro and Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) have opted for BPP as their Legal Practice Course (LPC) provider over the University of Law (ULaw).
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A&O turns the tables on Latham with structured finance partner Oddy’s hire
Reversing the flow of partners from the Magic Circle to US firms, Allen & Overy has made a rare lateral hire in London and recruited structured finance lawyer Lucy Oddy from Latham & Watkins.
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Big four pacesetter A&O maintains expansive form to launch in much-hyped Seoul
Global firms continue to pile into South Korea with Allen & Overy (A&O) the latest to announce it will launch an office in Seoul as the firm aims to offer clients antitrust, arbitration and IP advice, alongside the traditional projects, capital markets and M&A.
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