Jonathan Ball of Norton Rose Fulbright initially worked as a scientist before becoming a lawyer, and is now an Intellectual Property and Technology disputes partner. Here, Jonathan discusses his career and the nature of his work and offers some helpful tips for students and professionals from other careers who are interested in a career in law.
H1 2014/15: ‘The way we’d planned it’ – RPC half year revenue rises by 16%
City law firm RPC has recorded a 16% rise in its first half-year revenue from £38.7m in the same period last year to £46m. The firm said the rise, covering the period May to October, was a ‘direct result’ of its investment strategy and was spread across most of its practice areas and offices.
Continue reading “H1 2014/15: ‘The way we’d planned it’ – RPC half year revenue rises by 16%”
‘A testament to our strategic direction’: Naunton and Jones ditch real estate boutique dream to join King & Wood Mallesons
Senior Eversheds partners William Naunton and Clive Jones, who handed in their resignations at the start of this year with plans of launching a City boutique for high-end real estate work, will join King & Wood Mallesons in the New Year.
The Friday Edit: Property is hot once more and the dangers of upsetting Susan
We’re halfway through November and it’s Friday, so here’s our regular look back at some of the stories that have drawn everyone’s attention over the last five days. For access to subscriber content, click here for full access to Legal Business or contact [email protected].
Also, a friendly reminder that the deadline for submissions for the 2015 Legal Business Awards is this Monday (17 November).
Continue reading “The Friday Edit: Property is hot once more and the dangers of upsetting Susan”
Comment: Magic Circle real estate withdrawal isn’t a myth, but it’s not that simple
In a 2011 piece on the decimated real estate market in the City, we noted that few senior property partners were in their mid-40s, due to the fact that law firms largely ceased hiring junior real estate lawyers following the early ’90s crash. It looks like history will repeat itself in roughly 15 years’ time: post-credit crunch, the most established real estate practices went into hibernation. Some started to disintegrate. Either way, if you were a trainee interested in real estate around 2010, pickings were slim.
A major instruction: DLA Piper instructed by Vodafone for Spanish tax fraud investigation
DLA Piper lawyers from London and Madrid have been called in by Vodafone to investigate allegations of tax fraud at Spanish cable operator Ono, which the telecoms giant acquired in July for €7.2bn.
Partner exits pile up: Edwards Wildman loses leading Hong Kong insurance partner to Simmons & Simmons
Having been plagued with a series of partner departures from London, Edwards Wildman Palmer has now taken a hit to its Hong Kong offering with the departure of insurance partner Martin Lister, who established the office in 2006, to Simmons & Simmons. Simmons, meanwhile, has also expanded its Africa group with the appointment of Paul Bugingo from Dentons, where he served as co-chairman of the firm’s Africa committee.
‘Rather impersonal’: Financial Services Compensation Scheme set to create first legal panel
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK’s statutory compensation scheme for customers of authorised financial services firms, is currently undergoing a tender process to create its first ever legal panel.
‘Inspired by common law’: EU damages Directive opens door for competition disputes but steers clear of class actions
Monday (10 November) saw the EU Council of Ministers formally adopt the European Commission’s Directive on antitrust damages, a move to standardise multiple aspects of competition litigation across the EU and one which City competition lawyers believe will generate an uptick in potential cases.
Media attention: Latham & Watkins hires six-partner team from O’Melveny & Myers
US firm Latham & Watkins continues its aggressive hiring strategy with the recruitment of a six-partner team from O’Melveny & Myers, including the firm’s entertainment, sports and media group head Joseph Calabrese and high profile London-based partner Libby Savill.
Continue reading “Media attention: Latham & Watkins hires six-partner team from O’Melveny & Myers”
Clifford Chance leads for Barclays in ongoing Forex investigation as regulators levy £2bn fine on five banks
Five banks have been collectively fined £2bn by UK and US regulators for failing to stop traders from trying to manipulate the foreign exchange market, in what constitutes the first settlement in a global investigation and the largest-ever imposed by the FCA.
Comment: Join our club – law firms’ obsession with the in crowd is beyond parody
As I reach my middle years I find much to admire and celebrate about the legal profession, and lawyers in general. This column is not going to be about any of that stuff. Instead, we turn to a facet of the typical lawyer’s character that does them no credit: the obsession with joining a crowd, or rather a club that the lawyer believes says something ego-stroking about them.
Continue reading “Comment: Join our club – law firms’ obsession with the in crowd is beyond parody”
Significant departures: BLP and Olswang heads of arbitration both leave for the bar
Nicholas Fletcher QC, who has led Berwin Leighton Paisner‘s international arbitration practice for the last five years, has resigned from the firm to join barristers’ chambers 4 New Square while Olswang arbitration chief Andrew Aglionby is also set to leave for the bar.
Dealwatch: Davis Polk and Linklaters act on UBM’s £565m rights issue
Corporate partner Simon Witty, who Davis Polk & Wardwell hired from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 2012 to launch its English law practice, has been selected by FTSE 250 events company UBM to run a £565m rights issue to fund the purchase of trade show organiser Advanstar.
Continue reading “Dealwatch: Davis Polk and Linklaters act on UBM’s £565m rights issue”
‘A fundamental misunderstanding of DBAs’: Government rules out hybrid Damages Based Agreements
In what constitutes the latest controversial move over Damages-Based Agreements (DBAs) regulation, the Government has ruled out hybrid versions of the agreements after tasking the Civil Justice Council (CJC) with reviewing some ‘technical revisions’.
Management changes: DLA Piper overhauls board as Ince & Co picks new senior team
A mass reshuffle has taken place of DLA Piper’s executive managment team, with the firm’s Dutch head of corporate Barbara van Hussen and chief of practices and sectors Juan Picon being made joint managing directors of Europe and the Middle East. Meanwhile, Ince & Co has selected Hamburg-based partner Jan Heuvels to succeed James Wilson as international senior partner.
Continue reading “Management changes: DLA Piper overhauls board as Ince & Co picks new senior team”
Revolving Doors: Bakers hires in the UAE, while Eversheds, Bristows, and Stewarts Law grow in the City
London, last week, saw Bristows hire another Bird & Bird partner into its TMT and life sciences practice while Eversheds appointed a new head of its London tax practice and Stewarts Law launched a City tax litigation practice. In the Middle East, Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla hired Simmons & Simmons COO for the region.
A relief result – Turf war avoided as Palmer defeats Crean in HSF senior partner battle
London-based corporate partner James Palmer has triumphed over Sydney-based Mark Crean to become the next senior partner at Herbert Smith Freehills.
‘A very different role’: Q&A with HSF’s new senior partner James Palmer
James Palmer (Profile) talks to Legal Business about being elected the first senior partner at Herbert Smith Freehills since the merger and what he will bring to the role.
Continue reading “‘A very different role’: Q&A with HSF’s new senior partner James Palmer”
Selling icons: Bakers and Taylor Wessing lead on Gherkin sale to Safra Group while Magic Circle duo act on Canary Wharf bid
Baker & McKenzie and Taylor Wessing have helped finalise the sale of London’s iconic Gherkin building to the Safra Group for over £700m, while Linklaters and Slaughter and May acted on the unsuccessful preliminary bid for Songbird Estates, the owner of Canary Wharf Group.