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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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‘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.
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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.
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Scottish firms: Burness Paull awards staff 10% bonus while Shepherd and Wedderburn grows construction team
Scottish firm Burness Paull is awarding a 10% bonus to all its eligible employees across the firm’s three offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow following a strong set of annual results which saw a 20% rise in turnover and a 25% increase in profit.
Clydes hires Kennedys aviation heavyweight as it builds practice
Clyde & Co has hired Kennedys’ aviation liability and insurance star David Johnston with further lateral hires expected.
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Dewey liquidators confirm payout while Cobbetts’ payments are postponed
As the fallout from the demise of Dewey & LeBoeuf continues, liquidators of the UK arm are assessing paying an interim dividend to unsecured creditors of the City office having finished disbursements to secured and preferential creditors. Continue reading “Dewey liquidators confirm payout while Cobbetts’ payments are postponed”