With a far higher percentage of public sector respondents and a high proportion of SME businesses, Wales has unique legal requirements.
South West: Bristol Fashion
Big spending clients in Bristol are keeping a raft of national firms and strong local players particularly busy.
Scotland: Scotland the brave
It’s been a turbulent ride for the Scots legal market post-banking crisis, but with the independence vote settled, the region is feeling more buoyant.
Northern Ireland: Northern Exposure
While the economic downturn and subsequent public sector cuts have hit the region harder than most, Northern Ireland’s resilience is very much in evidence.
North West: Not so grim
Commercially-driven Manchester is helping to lead the North West’s striking transformation from industrial heartland to modern knowledge economy.
North East: Work to rule
Employment law concerns loom particularly large in the minds of North East companies.
Midlands: The middle of somewhere
Amid fierce competition for talent from London, new entrants and closer transport links point to a new chapter for the Midlands legal market.
Overview: Down in albion
Confidence is returning to the national UK economy, to the relief of clients and law firms alike. But, as our Regional Insight report shows, growth in legal services is still a relative term across local markets in continued flux.
The outward indicators are generally strong. Based on economic forecasts in 2014 from the likes of the International Monetary Fund and PwC, the UK is on track to become the fifth largest economy in the world by 2020, overtaking France.
But while PwC’s July 2014 economic outlook for the UK made the bold assertion that ‘all major industry sectors and regions are now showing positive growth trends’, inevitably those regions are starting from different positions, facing varying dynamics and contributing to the overall growth at significantly different rates.
Regional Insight – Leader
If you were to venture outside London to the major regional legal markets ten or 15 years ago, you would probably have been surprised. The energy, ambition and cohesive professional communities in these markets went well beyond expectations.
In the bars of Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester you would often meet individuals with that mix of personality, judgement and charisma that marks out the best commercial lawyers. No wonder so many of London’s sharpest legal operators used to be bred in the sticks.
Guest post: The PM’s ‘foreign fighters’ plan – probably lawful
In Australia, the Prime Minister announced new counter-terrorism powers which he intends to introduce in a bill in the next few weeks. He said there’d be ‘new powers for police at ports to seize passports, to stop suspects travelling and to stop British nationals returning to the UK unless they do so on our terms.’
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‘Shining examples’: Three law firms make Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list
Weightmans, Addleshaw Goddard and Oxfordshire-based Brethertons Solicitors have all made it on to the top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list.
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A €20m loan: Fried Frank faces multi-million pound professional negligence claim
US firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson is facing a €10m-plus professional negligence claim at London’s High Court made by a former client alleging multiple breaches of duty over advice provided on the enforcement of a commercial loan in France.
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£58.11 per sq ft: Bird & Bird loses major patent litigator as it commits to £8.3m annual rent bill
Mark Heaney, who heads Bird & Bird’s highly regarded electronics sector group, is leaving for US firm Baker Botts at the end of the year.
Diversity: Norton Rose Fulbright sets 30% female partner target for 2020
Norton Rose Fulbright has set a target for its female partnership globally, aiming for 30% representation by 2020.
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‘Second major addition to the European disputes practice in as many months’: Skadden hires Dechert’s London arbitration head
US firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has enhanced its respected disputes practice having today (18 November) announced the hire of Dechert’s London arbitration head, Daniel Gal.
Troubled markets: Allen & Overy lays off four Moscow associates as firms face sanctions fallout
The US and EU sanctions in Russia are taking their toll on some of the international firms located in the country with Allen & Overy’s (A&O) Moscow office offering redundancy packages at associate level.
RBS Litigation: Bird & Bird loses major instruction on RBS Group Action to Fladgate
A major blow has been dealt to Bird & Bird as it has emerged that the firm has lost its advisory role on the highly complex Royal Bank of Scotland shareholder dispute, a significant instruction which has subsequently been given to Fladgate.
2,000 lawyers across 28 offices: Bingham loses out on rescue merger as Morgan Lewis acquires 227 partners
Following much touted speculation of the potential merger between US firms Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Bingham McCutchen, Morgan Lewis has decided to cherry pick 227 partners.
Bringing a ‘new dimension’: King & Spalding hires Linklaters securities partner
Linklaters’ partner Tom O’Neill has swapped Silk Street for Old Broad Street with King & Spalding making a double hire to anchor its capital markets practice in Europe.
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‘Naturally delighted’: Jeremy Hoyland re-elected as Simmons & Simmons managing partner
Simmons & Simmons’ partnership re-elected Jeremy Hoyland as managing partner after an uncontested election, seeing him begin a second four-year term on 1 May 2015.