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Client profile: Carolyn Jameson, Skyscanner

Skyscanner is truly a business of the digital age. Officially launched in 2003, the travel search site, which provides instant online comparisons for over 1,000 airlines, as well as car hire and hotels, has grown to become the number-one flight search engine in Europe and now operates worldwide with offices in eight countries and travel searches in more than 30 languages.

For senior director and general counsel (GC) Carolyn Jameson, this was just one of the factors which encouraged her to join the team as its first legal head two years ago.

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You can’t buy loyalty – the dos and don’ts of making the lateral hiring game pay off

Fieldfisher’s Matthew Lohn argues that patience, structure and a dash of decency go a long way in hiring a partner

For most law firms, growth connotes success. Strategies to deliver the desired growth will usually rely on a steady, sometimes significant, stream of lateral partner hires. These new partners are perceived to be integral to the future success of a business – a supply of fresh talent which can expand different practice areas, enable a firm to enter new jurisdictions and access new clients. Successful law firms openly entice an assortment of lawyers from other firms to initiate or strengthen their offering. Success or failure of lateral hiring has consequently become important and the art and science of the lateral hire is becoming an increasingly analysed issue. Firms need to understand how a ‘lateral’ becomes an established and successful partner of their new firm – so what is the magic formula for success?

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Faster, higher, stronger – a vision for a better transport policy

Brodies’ Bill Drummond argues that lack of infrastructure investment is damaging the UK’s major business and legal hubs

Writing this in early May, I’m conscious that many managing partners across the UK are, for once, doing much the same thing at the same time; mulling over the numbers for the past financial year. As I do so, my mind turns to one of the conundrums taxing economists – the UK’s stubbornly low level of productivity, despite our climb out of recession.

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We need to talk… about technology

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Stephen Gibb argues that the law must keep pace with change when it comes to connected networks

Innovation lies at the core of technology. Evolution and improvement in the ways we design and use basic utilities and infrastructure such as telecoms, water and energy are key to ensuring perennial and adaptable services for an ever-growing global population.

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The Last Word: The vision thing

Senior legal figures provide their take on how the market will shape up over the next 25 years


RISE OF THE ACCOUNTANTS

‘The Big Four are challenging and will be one of the competitive threats over the next five years as they have tremendous resource, access to businesses and more sophisticated models than law firms.’

Roger Parker, EMEA managing partner, Reed Smith


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Life During Law: Niri Shanmuganathan, Taylor Wessing

I’ve always been interested in two things. One is people and that is a key part of the business. I’ve always liked the business of law and I wanted a role in the direction of the firm because I am home-grown. I’ve been here a long time – it means a lot to have some influence.

I did a history degree at Durham and I was looking at film and TV production, journalism and law. My family are pretty much all professionals – they would have been concerned if I went down the journalism or TV route.

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Six months after surprise exit, ex-Olswang head Stewart packs his bags to re-emerge at Caribbean law firm

After having unexpectedly stepped down from his role as Olswang’s chief executive in October last year amid differences with other partners, David Stewart (pictured) has re-emerged away from the City as a partner at Turks and Caicos firm Griffiths & Partners. 

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After downsizing Germany Orrick bucks trend with Geneva launch as US firm bolsters arbitration credentials

Having recently shut two out of four of its German offices as it refocuses its European strategy, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is opening a new base in Geneva to build its arbitration presence on the continent with the hire of Vanessa Liborio from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

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Defendants shift advisers in favour of Quinn Emanuel in Arcadia $335m oil trading case

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s Ted Greeno has been brought in to defend ex-Arcadia Petroleum chief executive Peter Bosworth and former chief financial officer Colin Hurley against a $335m fraud suit at the High Court from their past employer after Allen & Overy (A&O) was dropped from the case.

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Having lost two Magic Circle clients, University of Law sold to GUS less than three years after purchase

Europe’s largest law school The University of Law (ULaw) has been sold by Montagu Private Equity to Global University Systems (GUS), less than three years after the private equity house acquired it and after losing two Magic Circle clients to rival BPP last year.

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Garrigues in Latin America: a step ahead – Javier Ybañez discusses the firm’s international position.

We would like to think that staying one step ahead is one of Garrigues’ hallmarks – one of our obsessions. Garrigues was the first Spanish law firm to become an institutional organisation and leave behind the traditional model of an inherited family business to become a firm owned purely on merit, and this some decades before our competitors chose the same route.

Being the first to take such a difficult step is probably what instilled our enduring pioneering spirit. Many years ago we were the first major Spanish law firm to open an office in New York and, more recently, the first to publish a corporate social responsibility report. To some extent, this background has undoubtedly driven us to be the first major Spanish law firm to open its own offices in the principal Latin American cities.

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Team moves – Alec Harvey and Richard Nicolle discuss the risks

Team moves in London’s legal market are on the rise, particularly among US law firms establishing new offices or practice groups.

The potential benefits of a team move are not limited to critical mass – the new employer may gain a significant competitive headstart by acquiring a ready-made team, client relationships and increased market credibility.

Even where single partners are targeted, they are frequently asked whether they require support from existing team members and acquiring junior lawyers, who often service the daily needs of clients, can enhance the ability to leverage client relationships. Continue reading “Team moves – Alec Harvey and Richard Nicolle discuss the risks”

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‘A Chinese firm for Chinese clients’: Michelmores supports first UK launch by Chinese-owned law firm

YangTze Law has become the first wholly Chinese-owned law firm to launch in London, targeting Chinese corporates investing in Europe as China’s outbound direct investment overtook investment into the country for the first time earlier this year.

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