Eight years after founding Sidley Austin’s office in Frankfurt, Jens Rinze, the firm’s last remaining partner in the country after a spate of exits, has departed for Squire Patton Boggs.
News in brief – September 2014
Squire Patton Boggs loses 23-strong team in Middle East
Squire Patton Boggs saw the departure of five partners and 18 supporting lawyers from its Middle East offices after tensions arose as the recently merged firm integrated its regional affiliates. The exits came as legacy Patton Boggs’ Khalid Al-Thebity was appointed managing partner of the Riyadh office.
Clydes settles whistleblower case
Clyde & Co has settled its dispute with former partner Krista Bates van Winkelhof out of court after she alleged she was forced to leave after blowing the whistle on the managing partner of its Tanzanian associate firm and announcing her pregnancy. The case involved a landmark Supreme Court decision which held that members of an LLP could be considered workers. Continue reading “News in brief – September 2014”
The Second 50 – Batten Down
The LB100’s regional players have seen starkly divided fortunes with the South West players sailing ahead while northern firms face choppy waters
Collectively, the 29 regional firms in the second half of the Legal Business 100 (LB100) trail in the wake of other peer groups. While average revenue is £38.4m, a little below the £39m of the second 50 as a whole, revenue per lawyer (RPL) is 9% lower than the average for firms ranked 51-100. In terms of profits, average profit per lawyer (PPL) is £45,000, some 10% lower than the bottom 50 average, while profit per equity partner (PEP) is £309,000. Continue reading “The Second 50 – Batten Down”
Women in law – rising up the agenda but female lawyer numbers continue to slide at elite UK law firms
Even for the most jaded denizen of the City legal community it’s been hard to avoid noticing the greater emphasis that law firms have put on diversity in recent years. While social mobility was in the spotlight several years ago with the cross-industry launch of PRIME, 2014 has seen a rash of law firms announce concrete targets to improve female representation in their partnerships.
Olswang appoints first board non-executives as it continues management overhaul
David Chance and Andreas Raffel have joined Olswang today (1 September) as the firm’s first non-executive directors to monitor and support the firm’s executive, develop Olswang’s international strategy and bring an outside perspective.
Continue reading “Olswang appoints first board non-executives as it continues management overhaul”
Asia: Simmons & Simmons launches Beijing IP agency as Bakers hires from Magic Circle firms in HK push
Simmons & Simmons has created a specialist trade mark practice in China, hiring George Chan as a partner from Asia Pacific IP agency Rouse to head the new agency.
A&O closer to launching new South Africa office with Bowman team
Allen & Overy (A&O) is getting closer to becoming the first Magic Circle firm to launch a South Africa base following the hire of banking head Lionel Shawe from local firm Bowman Gilfillan, along with a team of partners.
Continue reading “A&O closer to launching new South Africa office with Bowman team”
Ropes & Gray loses high yield partner Bloom as Jones Day builds capital markets practice
High-yield expert Jonathan Bloom has quit Ropes & Gray after five years to join rival US firm Jones Day’s London office in a bid to develop the firm’s high yield practice.
Reviving deal market lifts LB100 as top UK firms edge up profits and fees
While the headline Legal Business 100 (LB100) results are once again inflated by significant merger activity at every level, there is evidence that many of the top 100 grossing firms in the UK are enjoying organic growth again.
Continue reading “Reviving deal market lifts LB100 as top UK firms edge up profits and fees”
Trainee retention round up: Slaughters leads Magic Circle as A&O keeps on 82% of trainees
All of the Magic Circle firms have unveiled their trainee retention rates for the September 2014 intake with Allen & Overy (A&O) being the last to announce a retention rate of 82%, giving Slaughter and May the highest rate of the pack at 97% with Clifford Chance at the back with 75%.
Mishcon seeks greater collaboration with law firms in Russia, the US and the Middle East
Mishcon de Reya has appointed commercial partner Adam Rose as head of international development following Rita Jardim’s exit in July to launch Portuguese private client boutique Mayer Jardim.
Winckworth Sherwood and Richard Buxton advise as Queen’s former doctor takes action against City of London and St Barts
Winckworth Sherwood and Richard Buxton have won roles advising on the judicial review of planned development works to Barts hospital’s Grade I-listed North Wing.
Shearman & Sterling and Slaughters lead on Bridgepoint’s £212m purchase of Moneycorp
Shearman & Sterling has advised European private equity group Bridgepoint on its £212m acquisition of Moneycorp, a foreign exchange provider, owned by SOF Investments which was advised by Slaughter and May.
Guest Blog: Are you behaviourally challenged? How you frame advice could influence client decisions
I finally got round to reading this report from John Maule on the Legal Services Board research pages. It sells itself a little short with the title: Helping Legal Services Consumers Make Better Decisions: Methods to Identify and Respond to Legal Problems, because it also looks at professional decision making and strategic decision making. There’s an interesting section on what might make law firms bad at strategic and management decision making.
Government body’s report criticises ‘slow’ move from elitism in legal sector
The top jobs in the legal sector are still dominated by private schools, with ‘patchy evidence of Law, Medicine and Accountancy attempting to widen their search for talent’, according to a report published today by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty (SMCP) Commission.
Continue reading “Government body’s report criticises ‘slow’ move from elitism in legal sector”
Law Society foresees return to pre-recession growth for industry by 2015
The Law Society has forecasted the UK legal industry will return to pre-Lehman levels of growth by next year, according to a report published by the regulator yesterday (28 August).
Continue reading “Law Society foresees return to pre-recession growth for industry by 2015”
Withers wins roles representing property investors suing banks over swaps
Property tycoons are preparing to hit UK’s courts over allegations that some of the UK’s leading lenders mis-sold hedging products including those involving LIBOR.
Continue reading “Withers wins roles representing property investors suing banks over swaps”
‘A true asset’: Travers Smith private equity star Phil Sanderson set to join Ropes & Gray
City firm Travers Smith has lost heavyweight private equity partner Phil Sanderson who is set to join US firm Ropes & Gray.
Baker & McKenzie to open legal services outpost in Belfast
Baker & McKenzie has become the latest law firm to open a legal services office in Belfast as greater differentiation between high and low value work appears within mandates.
Continue reading “Baker & McKenzie to open legal services outpost in Belfast”
Revolving doors: US sees spate of lateral hires
Lateral hires last week have seen Mayer Brown, DLA Piper and Reed Smith make key hires in their US practices, while a Bingham McCutchen partner exits to go in-house.
Continue reading “Revolving doors: US sees spate of lateral hires”