Slaughter and May, which is well known for its high retention rates, has kept on 33 out of its 34 qualifying trainees, giving it a retention rate of 97%. In March, the firm retained 36 people from a cohort of 38, a rate of 95%.
Continue reading “Slaughters posts high trainee retention rate while BLP keeps on 83%”
In a move that has been welcomed by the Legal Services Board, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has granted an alternative business structure (ABS) licence to local authorities for the first time, as Buckinghamshire County Council enters into a joint venture with Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority.
The past year has seen a number of UK firms scale back their back-office support teams to become more efficient and save costs, with international firm Ashurst being the latest and placing half of its overnight support team in London at risk.
Continue reading “Ashurst starts out-of-hours worker redundancies”
The largest drug retailer in the US, Walgreens, has instructed Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy to handle its full combination with Nottingham-based chemist Alliance Boots.
Continue reading “Wachtell, A&O and Gibson Dunn lead on Walgreens acquisition of Boots”
Herbert Smith Freehills has landed a blow on Magic Circle firm Freshfields with the hire of the firm’s former co-head of energy and natural resources Dirk Hamann as the Anglo-Australian firm looks to build out its German offices.
Continue reading “HSF snatches Freshfields former energy co-head”
Two of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s lawyers have set up an IP/IT specialist boutique in Spain following the closure of the firm’s Barcelona office in April this year.
Scottish firm Burness Paull is the latest to release its 2013/14 financial results and has today (7 July) announced a hefty 20% turnover increase to £46.3m while profits have risen to £20.7m from £16.5m, constituting a 25% increase.
‘Call it the Great Recession, the Great Reset, or whatever, the world palpably shook in September 2008 and the repercussions are still very much with us.’
Bruce MacEwen wrote the above in his 2013 book Growth is Dead, and while changes have been made, much of it still rings true today – including for law firm technology.
Continue reading “Guest post: Change is neither good nor bad: It is”
A healthy uptick in transactional activity has brought a handful of players in line for a windfall, as City-firm Travers Smith and US-firm Baker Botts secured leading roles advising on the $1bn demerger of Paragon Offshore from drilling company Noble Corporation. Continue reading “Dealwatch: Travers Smith and Baker Botts lead on $1bn demerger; Mills & Reeve and Burges Salmon advise on Co-op farm sale”
Nabarro and Fieldfisher have kept on a high number of trainees this month with the latter firm retaining 100% of its intake, while Trowers & Hamlins posts a lower rate of 64%.
Chadbourne & Parke’s Adam Mycyk has moved to Dentons following Chadbourne’s decision to close its Kiev office.
Continue reading “Dentons picks up partner as Chadbourne closes Kiev office”
Ince & Co’s global revenues fell to £86.7m in the 2013/14 financial year from £93.2m in the 2012/13 LB100. Against the firm’s latest audited figures, this works out to be a drop of 5% from £91.7m.
Dentons is suing the Republic of Guinea and its Ministry of Mines and Geology for $10.2m over alleged unpaid legal fees, as well as costs that the country has ‘repeatedly acknowledged they owe’ the firm. US firm Williams & Connolly is representing Dentons in the dispute.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has become the second Magic Circle firm to post a high retention rate keeping on 82% of junior lawyers.
Continue reading “Trainee retention: Freshfields keeps on 82% of junior lawyers”
This week’s lateral hiring has seen international firms King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin (KWMSJB) and US firm Kaye Scholer expand in London, while Dentons made a c-suite recruit in Europe and Eversheds hired in Hong Kong.
Stephenson Harwood will open its Seoul office in autumn this year after the Korean Ministry of Justice awarded the firm a licence to practice in the region.
Continue reading “Stephenson Harwood gets licence to open Seoul office”
Berwin Leighton Paisner arbitration partner Amir Ghaffari has switched to Vinson & Elkins as the firm looks to gear up for an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration over the standoff between contractors and authorities concerning a historic expansion of the Panama Canal.
Continue reading “Vinson & Elkins snatches BLP arbitration partner ahead of Panama Canal dispute”
Parabis Law has placed two of its regional offices under review as of today (4 August) affecting 41 employees.
Continue reading “Redundancy watch: Parabis Law reviews 41 roles across two regional offices”
In what becomes the second multibillion dollar award against Russia in the space of a week, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg has ruled that the country must pay 50,000 Yukos shareholders €1.9bn ($2.5bn) for unlawful tax penalties and disproportionate enforcement in the run up to the oil company’s bankruptcy.
Top-20 UK firm Simmons & Simmons has become the latest firm to establish a presence in Africa, by forming an alliance with Fasken Martineau, in a bid to ‘enhance their respective African offerings’.
Continue reading “Simmons & Simmons forms Africa alliance with Fasken Martineau”
