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Life During Law: Georgia Dawson

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I was growing up. I went through periods of thinking maybe I’d become an architect. There’s also this amazing magazine in Australia called Gourmet Traveller. It’s about food and travel, and I thought it would be quite nice to be a journalist for them. I still enjoy looking at architecture and I love the built environment, food, and travel.

I had a conversation with the career counsellor at school. She said, if you’re not sure, then law is a great general degree that gives you options for the future. My dad happens to be a lawyer as well, so I had some familiarity with the law. When I started the degree, I still wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do but I really enjoyed it. I loved the problem solving. Continue reading “Life During Law: Georgia Dawson”

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The Client Profile: Sebastian Goldsmith, Medigold Health

‘I came into law by accident,’ admits Sebastian Goldsmith, general counsel (GC) of occupational health service provider Medigold Health. ‘I guess it was a second choice. I did Spanish and Portuguese at university, and I was going to work for an investment bank, as I did an internship with HSBC during my year abroad in São Paulo. The plan was to join them or another bank when I graduated. But all intakes were withdrawn, because it was August 2008,’ Goldsmith recalls.

The onset of the global financial crisis created a dilemma: ‘I sat there and thought, what am I going to do now? People always said to me, you should be a lawyer, because I have a strong sense of justice and fairness, and I liked a debate, and I’m quite verbal. So I went to BPP and did law school.’ Continue reading “The Client Profile: Sebastian Goldsmith, Medigold Health”

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Offshore report: Tempering against the tempest

When taking stock of the markets over the last 12 months, it is safe to argue that tougher times must inevitably be afoot. While upheavals wrought by the pandemic may have largely receded into the rearview mirror, the volatility that has come to characterise recent times shows no sign of abating, with the Ukraine war leading to energy insecurity and the cost of living crisis, the need to navigate ever-changing Russian sanctions, as well as the looming threat of a global recession.

However, even in this tumultuous environment, offshore law firms continue to defy the odds, with 2022 only building on the growth seen by many in previous years. ‘Despite expecting a challenging economic environment, income has been up across service lines and sectors, without exception,’ states Edward Mackereth, global managing partner at Ogier, echoing the sentiment of many offshore law firm leaders. Continue reading “Offshore report: Tempering against the tempest”

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Magic Circle in the US: Running to stand still

‘There are more than 40 US law firms that are more profitable than the Magic Circle. The Magic Circle firms are, in US profit terms, very much middle-of-the-road players.’

Maurice Allen, founder of consultancy LTN & Partners, who has been a partner at Clifford Chance (CC), White & Case, Weil, Freshfields and Ropes & Gray, is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge facing the Magic Circle firms in the US. Top US firms continue to increase their profitability, while UK firms struggle to stand alongside them. Continue reading “Magic Circle in the US: Running to stand still”

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Alphas revisited: Women deal stars five years on

‘There is still fundamentally an issue with how women are perceived in the legal market and how well they can traverse the seniority ranks. It says a lot more about our profession than it does about women.’ So argues Tamara Box, Reed Smith’s former Europe and Middle East managing partner and now head of structured finance.

The outlook now, while not exactly bleak, is not as bullish as it should be. Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Women deal stars five years on”

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Alphas revisited: Finance stars

Sinead O’Shea, Simpson Thacher

Showcasing a striking client list that includes the likes of KKR, Viridian, JPMorgan, First Reserve, Silver Lake, BlackRock and Blackstone, Simpson Thacher’s Sinead O’Shea is at the top of her game. Having qualified in Ireland, O’Shea has worked in the firm’s New York and Hong Kong offices. ‘Moving to Hong Kong was a huge challenge as I went there right after becoming a partner and having my second child,’ she admits. ‘I knew nothing whatsoever about the Asian market and the cultural setup there.’ Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Finance stars”

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Sponsored briefing: Gender equity becomes key focus

Herbert Smith Freehills

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has quadrupled the number of female partners in its London corporate team since 2017, with women comprising 45% of all new partners joining the team since then.

‘We knew we had a problem and we knew it was business critical to fix it,’ says Mike Flockhart, HSF’s London-based global co-head of corporate. Mike credits his fellow global co-head, Melbourne-based Carolyn Pugsley, as an important catalyst for change. ‘Carolyn brought different perspectives to the global leadership team, and was inspirational to a generation of female talent who were looking for leadership. Here we had a successful female partner, managing a career and family and being very authentic about her experience.’ Mike also notes the role that senior male leaders like James Palmer and Stephen Wilkinson played: ‘They were uncompromising about the need to change, and the need to prioritise the development and support of female talent.’ Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Gender equity becomes key focus”

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Sponsored briefing: The influence of diversity in M&A

Emma Danks, partner and co-head of Taylor Wessing’s international corporate group shares her experience on how the M&A industry has evolved, the greater awareness of diversity and inclusion in private equity and the rising profile of female founders in the venture capital world

The three areas of M&A, private equity and venture capital are typically perceived as being among the toughest working cultures and one of the most competitive industries in the business world. With the client base being historically predominantly male, there was a perception that it was more difficult for new talent, and more diverse talent, to break through. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: The influence of diversity in M&A”

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Sponsored briefing: Addressing the gender imbalance

We ask three of DLA Piper’s female M&A stars some of the most pressing questions currently facing women in the sector. Partners Tracey Renshaw, Laura Marcelli, and Victoria Rhodes answer below

In your opinion, what specific factors contribute to the under-representation of senior women in M&A, and what steps can be taken to address this imbalance? Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Addressing the gender imbalance”

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Sponsored briefing: Simons Muirhead Burton: M&A capabilities

From its civil liberties roots, Simons Muirhead Burton (SMB) has grown over the last 50 years into a full-service law firm based in London’s West End. The firm is renowned for its leadership in many areas, with our corporate M&A team making a significant impact when it comes to advising sellers/buyers across diverse sectors ranging from media and technology, to creative agencies, the hospitality, manufacturing, retail and professional services industries.

We are unique in that we act for both entrepreneurs and start-ups, mature businesses seeking funding, growth and sale, and for family offices, private equity investors and multinational companies. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Simons Muirhead Burton: M&A capabilities”

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Sponsored Q&A: Michal Berkner, senior M&A partner at Cooley in London

Michal Berkner is one of the most distinguished M&A lawyers in Europe, advising on some of the region’s most complex and strategic cross-border transactions in life sciences and tech. She joined Cooley’s London office in 2018 from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where she had practised in M&A for more than 20 years.

Michal’s clients include strategic buyers and sellers and investors in public and private companies ranging in value from multiple millions to billions of dollars. Continue reading “Sponsored Q&A: Michal Berkner, senior M&A partner at Cooley in London”

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The in-house debate: Time for a quick Chat(GPT)?

Nathalie Tidman, Legal Business: How much access do you have to the board? How intrinsic are you to the decision-making processes of your business?

Aurea Garrido, Warner Bros. Discovery News & Sports: My team sits with the business. For me, a decisive factor was being part of the executive committee, which I have been for three or four years now. I needed to be part of something; not just advising on technical legal issues. Not everyone is as lucky. I know lawyers who have more senior positions than me in the same industry who don’t get access to the exec team or the board. Continue reading “The in-house debate: Time for a quick Chat(GPT)?”