US firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has bolstered its funds practice as it continues to build its City presence with DLA Piper’s London head of funds Gawain Hughes – adding to the structured finance trio hired from K&L Gates last week.
Continue reading “Morgan Lewis continues City ramp-up with DLA Piper’s head of funds”
In a ‘sign to the market of our commitment to grow our private equity practice’, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has rehired Adrian Brown from Nabarro, where he formerly led the firm’s financial services regulation group after having joined from SJ Berwin in 2010.
After more than two decades operating in the Swiss city, Winston & Strawn is to shut its Geneva office at the end of September as the firm looks to service arbitration work from London and Paris.
The Minstry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a consultation on plans to close one fifth of courts and tribunals across England and Wales in a bid to tackle the issue of ‘underused’ court buildings and to cut costs.
Michael Gove’s performance before the justice select committee on Wednesday was a skilful one. Thoughtful, reasonable, non-dogmatic – two months into his time as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, he continues to win plaudits simply by virtue of not being Chris Grayling.
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr is set to close one of its two London offices, with its 10-lawyer transactional outpost in the City currently being reviewed amid expectations that the office will be wound down. The review is likely to result in the US law firm refocusing its London practice heavily around its arbitration team at its existing Mayfair office, according to two current partners.
Continue reading “WilmerHale review set to shut City branch to refocus on Mayfair arbitration team”
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has made up just two London partners, focused on boosting its real estate offering, in an expanded global promotions round this year that saw 36 lawyers join the partnership.
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) have advised the consortium picked to deliver a £4.2bn super-sewer stretching 15 miles under London to prevent untreated sewage flowing into the Thames.
Tech specialist Bird & Bird, despite stating that it has faced ‘challenging economic conditions in many of our major markets’, has posted a 6% rise in revenues to hit €325.5m.
Continue reading “Bird & Bird’s turnover climbs 6% to €325.5m but stays flat in sterling”
The Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales (CBA) has voted to support solicitors in their strike action over the 8.75% cut to legal aid fees that was imposed at the start of July this year.
In an appearance in front of the Justice Select Committee this morning [15 July], Lord Chancellor Michael Gove (pictured) has confirmed plans to review the Legal Services Act 2007 as he pitched what he would like to achieve as Justice Secretary.
In a fillip to its international arbitration practice, Shearman & Sterling has hired the US Department of State’s Jeremy Sharpe (pictured) in London and Nils Elisasson in Hong Kong from Nordic firm Mannheimer Swartling.
Continue reading “Shearman boosts arbitration practice with partner hires in London and Hong Kong”
Birmingham-based Sandra Wallace (pictured) has been appointed DLA Piper’s next UK managing partner, the first time that the position has gone to a partner outside the City.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is looking to carry out the ‘most sweeping reforms to Bar training in a generation’ after research found that parts of the current system were viewed as ‘an absolute disgrace’ and ‘exploitative’.
Greenberg Traurig has launched its first office in Germany with the mass hire of Olswang’s 50-strong lawyer team in Berlin.
Continue reading “Greenberg Traurig lands Olswang’s Berlin office to open in Germany”
Imagine, in sequence, a football player, a surveyor, a figure skater and a managing partner of a law firm – all without gender association. Were you able to do that? Now imagine a carpenter. When you have that image settled in your mind, tell me the colour of her hair.
The past week has seen Allen & Overy (A&O) and Clifford Chance (CC) lose senior lawyers internationally as Morgan Lewis & Bockius bulked up in London with a three-partner hire from K&L Gates. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Magic Circle duo lose international players while Morgan Lewis continues City advance”
Will the real Clifford Chance (CC) stand up? It is, after all, a key moment for what was not that long ago the world’s most influential law firm but working out what it stands for now can be a challenge.
Continue reading “Comment: The Gospel according to Matthew – can CC live up to the legacy?”
Some 200 judges have taken the first step towards suing the UK government, claiming that changes to the judicial pension scheme that will cut the amount paid to those born after 1 April 1957 are discriminatory.
Continue reading “200 judges claim discrimination over UK government’s planned pension cuts”
National firm Shoosmiths has returned to its pre-financial crisis highs, breaking the £100m mark in revenues for the 2014/15 financial year and profit per equity partner (PEP) jumping 44% to £416,000.
