After six years as deputy group general counsel (GC), Michael Shaw has become the latest senior exit from Barclays‘ legal team which has suffered multiple departures since the start of the year.
Continue reading “Mounting departures: Barclays’ Michael Shaw resigns as deputy general counsel”
Deputy senior partner Mark Crean (pictured), who served as chairman of Freehills until its 2012 merger with Herbert Smith, has resigned from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) to join Jones Day.
In its latest annual report, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has reported that its disputes unit has ‘faced difficulties in retaining staff’, causing delays to panels being established amid a surging caseload.
Continue reading “WTO failing to cope with trade disputes burden as staff exits mount”
Having received fines from investigations relating to Libor manipulation and the unexpected resignation of its joint chief executives this week, Deutsche Bank has shaken up its legal department and reassigned its legal affairs chief Christian Sewing.
Continue reading “After seven months in the job Deutsche Bank reassigns legal affairs chief”
White & Case has announced it is making significant increases in salaries across its associate pay scale with newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers set to receive 20% more in 2015 and take home £90,000.
As Clyde & Co’s Manchester office revenues look to hit £26m for 2014/15, the firm is expanding the presence it gained in the city through its 2011 tie-up with Barlow Lyde & Gilbert with a move into new premises and the hire of two partners from Squire Patton Boggs.
The University of Law (ULaw) has lost another law firm’s business to rival BPP with Baker & McKenzie becoming the latest to switch its training provider.
Continue reading “University of Law loses another client as Bakers opts for arch-rival BPP”
Having re-shuffled its City management almost a year ago, Ropes & Gray has added three more practice heads in London while Mike Goetz (pictured) steps down as co-finance chief.
In a ‘strategic play’ to build its debt capital markets offering, Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has hired a pair of finance partners from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson’s City office.
Continue reading “Watson Farley hires Fried Frank London duo to launch structured finance practice”
As the firm ramps up for a defining election, DAC Beachcroft has announced its financial figures for 2014/15 saying it had seen a 3% rise in its total billings to £200m up from £194.4m last year.
The Bar is set to avoid further reductions in advocacy fees as the Ministry of Justice confirmed that it would make further cuts to criminal legal aid but for solicitors only – a move condemned by The Law Society which said it was ‘deeply concerned not only for the immediate future of the justice system but for its continued survival.’
In a conspicuously early move by Dentons‘ chief executive Elliott Portnoy and global chairman Joe Andrew, both have revealed they will stand as candidates for the firm’s scheduled management elections in 2017.
Continue reading “Forward planning: Dentons management Portnoy and Andrew to stand in 2017 election”
An interesting battle is raging in Scotland on levels large and small. In early May, the Scottish National Party (SNP) swept to victory in 56 of the 59 seats available to it in the General Election and party leader Nicola Sturgeon pressed prime minister David Cameron to revisit the draft legislation on devolving more powers to Holyrood.
Continue reading “Comment: Be wary of vaulting ambition as competition ramps up in Scotland”
A trio of LB100 firms –Travers Smith, Clifford Chance, Pinsent Masons – have lined up alongside Debevoise & Plimpton in landing key roles on Patron Capital’s recent £500m sale of one of the UK’s biggest independent petrol station operators, Motor Fuel Group, to US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R).
The High Court has today (9 June) handed down its judgment in favour of Barclays Bank in a long running battle to secure repayment of a $540,000 loan together with interest from former Dewey & LeBoeuf partner Londell McMillan. Continue reading “‘Not a naïve or vulnerable consumer’: Barclays wins capital loan claim against former Dewey partner”
Within days of Clifford Chance (CC) announcing its pay bands in the associate salary race to match Magic Circle peers, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has decided to freeze salaries for junior lawyers at 2014’s levels.
Teams at the London offices of Paul Hastings; Weil, Gotshal & Manges, and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy all took on key roles in the three-year negotiations over Simmons & Simmons-client General Healthcare Group’s (GHG) £1.5bn debt restructuring.
Gateley’s partners are set to receive £25m, more than 80% of the £30m total raised, as the West Midlands firm started its first day of dealings on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).
Continue reading “Gateley’s partners take home over 80% of £30m raised in landmark law firm listing”
Just five months after making the final two to succeed Neville Eisenberg as managing partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, corporate chief David Collins has resigned from the firm.
Continue reading “‘A personal decision’: BLP’s David Collins resigns after missing out on top job”
National firm Weightmans is looking to establish an offering in Yorkshire, announcing it is in final merger negotiations with single office, Leeds-based Ford & Warren.
Continue reading “Weightmans targets July for merger with Leeds-firm Ford & Warren”
