The US Chamber of Commerce, scarred by the American litigation culture, has long been spreading the word about the pain that litigation can cause, and has a particular bee in its bonnet about third-party litigation funding (TPLF).
Continue reading “Guest post: Making the case to regulate third-party funding – badly”
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired two partners, Norbert Impelmann and Albrecht von Breitenbuch, along with four other lawyers from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe for its Berlin office.
Continue reading “BLP boosts Berlin practice by six with lateral hires from Orrick”
Property developer British Land has hired HSBC deputy company secretary and former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Elaine Williams as its first general counsel.
Continue reading “In-house: HSBC executive picked for British Land GC role”
White & Case partner Ian Forrester QC has been appointed as the UK’s judge at the General Court of European Union, succeeding judge Nicholas Forwood QC. Forrester QC, who is based in Brussels will sit at the court based in Luxembourg from October of this year. Continue reading “Called to the bench: White & Case partner Ian Forrester QC made an EU judge”
Securitisation lawyers have been hard pressed since the financial crisis, diversifying their practices and often even ditching the S word. Continue reading “The finance view: Bigger, simpler, cheaper? How to position the modern securitisation counsel”
Trowers & Hamlins has combined with Devon based Stones Solicitors to create a firm with turnover of about £85m, in a deal to boost its regional presence in the UK.
Continue reading “Trowers & Hamlins unites with Devon firm as part of regional push”
I have on a few occasions blogged on the High Court’s (and indeed the now Lord Chief Justice’s) exasperation, justified or not, with the conduct of some immigration solicitors.
Continue reading “Guest Post: It’s all in the Game: Immigration Lawyers vs the High Court?”
US firm Winston & Strawn has shaken up its global executive committee, and replaced London board member and disputes partner Michael Madden with corporate partner Zoe Ashcroft, signalling a shift in focus for the global 100 firm.
After months of negotiations, Clyde & Co has successfully secured a merger with Scottish firm Simpson & Marwick, following other London-based insurance players in establishing a presence in Scotland and adding around £30m to the Global 100 firm’s top line.
Continue reading “Scottish play: Clyde & Co seals Simpson & Marwick deal”
‘What’s your ambition son?’
‘Well dad, I’d like to be a plausible adviser’
‘Good boy. And then one day you might even be a trusted adviser too.’
Continue reading “Guest post: WTF is a trusted adviser and how did GCs come to strive for it?”
London commercial and chancery chambers 11 Stone Buildings (11SB) is set to dissolve on 30 October 2015.
Herbert Smith Freehills’ global capital markets chief, Steve Thierbach, is set to leave the firm for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher as part of a double swoop by the US firm, with capital markets partner also Christopher Haynes departing, HSF has confirmed.
Continue reading “Gibson Dunn strikes again to land HSF’s global head of capital markets”
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer global head of Islamic finance Tarek El-Assra has quit the firm to join Morgan, Lewis & Bockius as a partner, as the Morgan Lewis targets the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia
Continue reading “Freshfields head of Islamic finance to leave for Morgan Lewis”
If there is one big trend in the analysis of Legal Business in recent years it is the encroaching existential threat represented by US-bred law firms.
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, has been appointed as the company’s president and chief legal officer in a rare move that will see the lawyer take a broader role.
Continue reading “Microsoft general counsel promoted to president and chief legal officer”
New research suggests US firms are picking up top talent by taking advantage of the misconception that UK firms exit their partners in their late 50s.
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.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has inched closer to controversial apprenticeship qualifications while green lighting a raft of changes to the SRA handbook.
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.
Continue reading “In-house: Network Rail corporate legal chief stands down after almost a decade”
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.
