There are many careers that are worthwhile. All jobs should be important to the people who do them. And all roles have their elements of drudgery, anxiety and exasperation. This is true of being a lawyer as well, so if you think you want to be a lawyer can I offer you anything worthwhile?
Dealwatch: Phones 4u, with £105m profit and ‘cash in the bank’, enters administration with CC, A&O and CMS acting
Allen & Overy (A&O), Clifford Chance and CMS Cameron McKenna have all landed key roles advising on the administration of high street retailer Phones4u.
Comment: Converging on boom-time profits without a boom – the big four now and then
They say averages lie, though in my experience not as much as people, but producing an annual report with 2,000 data points as we do with this month’s LB100 means it can be hard even for professional anoraks such as myself to find the nuggets of meaning in the thickets of information.
Secured: Akin pulls off one of the largest ever City acquisitions with 22-partner Bingham team
Bingham McCutchen’s London office, which turned over $52.3m last year, will merge with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in a move that will more than double the size of the firm in the City.
‘A key strategic objective’: Shearman continues to build its global M&A/private equity practice with London hire from Addleshaws
Addleshaw Goddard partner Ben Rodham, who joined the firm only 18 months ago, has joined Shearman & Sterling’s fast growing private equity group in London as the US firm eyes more work in the sector.
Guest post: Scotland, the day of the referendum – a look at the consequences of a Yes or No vote
18th September 2014 – Referendum Day in Scotland on the question of independence from the remainder of what is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
BLP brings in Magic Circle veteran Bob Charlton to lead on its Asian expansion plans
Berwin Leighton Paisner has parachuted in Bob Charlton to head its Asia group, a role he held at DLA Piper until late last year when a management reshuffle led to his exit.
Stephenson Harwood scales back on Asia offering with Guangzhou office closure as Hogan Lovells makes another hire
UK firm Stephenson Harwood has closed its office in Guangzhou as the firm reviews its strategy in China, while Hogan Lovells has continued to bolster its Asia offering with another lateral hire, as Paul Hastings’ Tokyo project finance head Joe Kim joining the firm.
Cadwalader grows London team as Ashurst capital markets partner returns to the firm
US firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft has made a key hire to its global capital markets practice with Ashurst partner David Quirolo, as the New York-headquartered firm continues its efforts to rebuild its London finance team.
Freshfields further bulks out US M&A leadership team with Shearman hire
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is continuing to boost its New York M&A practice’s leadership, installing Shearman & Sterling partner Peter Lyons as co-head of its global public M&A group, after hiring Skadden and Wachtell veterans earlier this month to take leading roles.
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Dentons hires Inter-American Development Bank GC as Latin American chief executive aiming for mergers
Global 100 firm Dentons has made a key strategic hire to enhance its offering in Latin America and the Caribbean, appointing the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) general counsel (GC), Jorge Alers, to be chief executive officer for the region.
Berwin Leighton Paisner scales back Paris office as French head leaves
Eight years after opening an office in one of Europe’s biggest legal services market, Berwin Leighton Paisner is set to cut back its Paris offering leaving only a liaison outpost with the exit of its French head, partner Antoine-Audoin Maggiar.
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Dissent: Platitudes and a missed debate – how GCs are pushed off their ethical course
It’s stated so often but never questioned: everywhere you turn, in-house lawyers pay tribute to the holy grail of ‘being commercial’. But, as I will argue, such an approach raises substantive and troubling questions regarding the influence on the ethical compass that is supposed to be an in-house lawyer’s most important tool.
Revolving doors: HSF appoints Singapore head, while Kirkland and Hogan swap partners in Hong Kong
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) announced its management successor in Singapore, while Kirkland and Ellis, and Hogan Lovells made partner exchanges in Hong Kong.
Weil boosts finance practice with Ashurst hire in New York
US firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges continues to boost its global finance practice with the hire of Ashurst banking partner Damian Ridealgh in New York.
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‘A true litigator’: O’Melveny & Myers hires Asian heavyweight Denis Brock from King & Wood Mallesons
Litigation partner Denis Brock, who headed Clifford Chance’s Asian disputes practice for nine years, has swapped King & Wood Mallesons for US firm O’Melveny & Myers.
Linklaters names Stuart Bedford as London head of corporate
Linklaters has appointed its third London head of corporate this year, with Stuart Bedford stepping up to lead its City offering following Sarah Wiggins’ switch to global head of client sectors just two months into the role.
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The Friday edit: Endangered female partners, endangered insurance lawyers and more mergers
Welcome to the second of our new series the Friday Edit in which we take an informal look back at the week’s more interesting events and put a little context on current events in the commercial law game.
Consolidation in US mid-tier continues as Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman set to merge
The run of consolidation in the US national market continues with Dallas-bred Locke Lord and Boston’s Edwards Wildman this week announcing plans to merge, forming a $675m practice that would sit just outside the top 50 of the Global 100.
Latam briefing: Garrigues extends local network, foreign players continue push and Brazil leader secures antitrust coup
Market developments around the region continue apace: in the Dominican Republic, where the recent tie-up between Squire Saunders and Patton Boggs will be particularly felt (the former Squire Sanders, Peña Prieto & Gamundi was a key market player), further movement has seen the departures of Marielle Garrigó and Fabiola Medina (from Pellerano & Herrera and Medina Rizek, respectively), to establish new firm Medina Garrigó.