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Few are chosen – is partnership still worth the contest?

Partnership prospects continue to decline in a gloomy economy, while UK law firms are increasingly promoting abroad or associates hired from other firms. Legal Business investigates whether the odds of making partner make it still worth the contest

When a trainee joins a firm, aspirations are high and the road to success is inviting. The route is mapped out from the start – train at the firm, become an associate, rise up the ranks to the ultimate goal – partnership. Sounds perfect.

Continue reading “Few are chosen – is partnership still worth the contest?”

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Pretenders to the throne – the regional players with national ambition

While national leaders have lavished attention on their international and City practices in recent years, a handful of mid-market regional players have made a dramatic attempt to seize chunks of their ill-defended domestic empires. Legal Business looks at five of the most likely challengers

Let’s be plain – these law firms had been written off. Regionally-driven, stuck in back-waters and unglamorous, commoditised areas of law such as insurance and employment – there was a sizeable band of firms left behind by the emerging national and international forces of DLA Piper and Eversheds and with little apparent chance of bettering their fortunes.

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Deal Watch: Nabarro and Ashurst act on sale of LSE HQ as King & Spalding secures repeat European M&A for GSK

Ashurst and Nabarro‘s real estate teams have secured a role on the sale of another landmark London building, while King & Spalding has furthered its transatlantic ambitions by closing a sizeable European M&A pharma deal.

In the £225m sale of 10 Paternoster Square, home of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Nabarro advised the seller, Tokyo-headquartered Mitsubishi Estate Company (MEC), led by rated real estate partner Deborah Parry. Continue reading “Deal Watch: Nabarro and Ashurst act on sale of LSE HQ as King & Spalding secures repeat European M&A for GSK”

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Protect and serve – Europe moves to keep IP plugged into the digital age

With copyright and trade mark law reform top of the agenda in Europe, Legal Business talks to IP lawyers about the implications of a groundbreaking copyright case and the EC’s proposed changes to the European trade mark system.

`It always used to be that copyright cases were literally about copying – that’s hardly an issue any more,’ reflects Taylor Wessing’s Mark Owen, who joined the firm as a partner from Harbottle & Lewis in early April. He is talking about the long-running landmark copyright case NLA v PRCA (Meltwater), which the UK Supreme Court referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on 17 April.

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Outward Bound – Portugal lawyers turn to global opportunities

Portugal continues to navigate a deep recession, aided by its legal profession. But while the sale of state assets is providing some relief, firms are looking to their international practices to provide a bailout of their own.

The normally sedate setting of the Ritz Hotel in Lisbon became the focal point of Portugal’s malaise in April. A flash mob of angry protestors gathered outside the hotel urging the Portuguese government to `screw the troika’ in response to the severe austerity plans tabled to meet the demands of Portugal’s 2011 €78bn bailout by the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and the European Commission.

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Smoke, mirrors and grease – government signals review of controversial Bribery Act

It was the most controversial piece of legislation aimed at corporates to emerge in the last decade and, in a slow news week at least, the Bribery Act is still generating headlines amid signals that the government is flirting with watering down the anti-corruption law.

A report in the Financial Times indicates that a review of the act is likely to be announced in July following recommendations from the so-called ‘Star Chamber’ – a government working party hunting the Snark that is cutting red tape. Continue reading “Smoke, mirrors and grease – government signals review of controversial Bribery Act”

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Gulf stream – the heat returns to the Middle East markets

palm trees

Post-banking crisis, the world has generally divided fairly neatly into two camps with their clear economic narratives. On one hand there are the Western economies burdened by slow growth and creaking public finances. On the other, are emerging powers in Asia, Latin America and Africa – which have mostly surged ahead while Europe staggered.

Where the Middle East fits into this picture, however, remains undecided. As one of the most touted legal markets during the boom, the region’s resource-rich economy was driven by surging commodity prices, high inward investment and the growing status of Dubai as an international hub.

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PROFILE: Kirsty Cooper and Monica Risam – Aviva

Legal Business meets Aviva’s senior lawyers as they discuss the effects of a major restructuring.

For those lawyers comfortable with the status quo within Aviva’s legal team, it has been a turbulent 18 months.

The FTSE 100 insurance giant has been plagued since the start of the financial crisis by poor financial performance, disparate businesses across the globe, and lower capital reserves than its competitors. Shareholders had lost confidence in former chief executive Andrew Moss, which is why Aviva is now run by the man credited with turning round the fortunes of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.

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Forward thinking: Ashurst appoints independent non-execs to its board

Ashurst has taken the unusual step of appointing two high level non-executive directors to its board as the firm beds down its merger with Australia’s Blake Dawson and seeks experienced counsel on its strategic direction and corporate governance.

Former director general of The Takeover Panel Robert Gillespie will join the board of Ashurst with immediate effect and David Turner, chairman of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), will join the board of Ashurst Australia (formerly Blake Dawson) on 1 June 2013. Continue reading “Forward thinking: Ashurst appoints independent non-execs to its board”

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Deal Watch: Magic Circle advises on headline debt deals as re-financing work keep advisers busy

In a dire market for new money M&A, debt restructuring continues to be a lifeline for major advisers with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Kirkland & Ellis securing major mandates in recent days.

The standout mandate of May was the €4.2bn debt restructuring of German real estate group IVG Immobilien, which has generated lead roles for Freshfields and Linklaters alongside US duo Kirkland and Kaye Scholer. Continue reading “Deal Watch: Magic Circle advises on headline debt deals as re-financing work keep advisers busy”

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Financials update: Taylor Wessing increases global revenues by 7%; UK up 4%

Taylor Wessing has posted modest turnover growth after an expansive 2012, announcing its global revenue for the financial year 2012/13 has increased by 7% from £212m in 2011/12 to £228m, while UK revenue grew by 4% to £104.5m.

Tim Eyles, who was re-elected as UK managing partner of the firm in May last year, said he was ‘pleased to have achieved continued revenue growth’ despite tough market conditions. Continue reading “Financials update: Taylor Wessing increases global revenues by 7%; UK up 4%”

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Revolving Doors: King & Spalding, Olswang and Sullivan & Cromwell in key partner hires

The past week saw a clutch of firms including Kennedys, Olswang, King & Spalding and Sullivan & Cromwell make key partner hires as US firms’ assault on the City continues apace.

King & Spalding launched its London trade practice on 20 May 2013 with the hire of Bird & Bird head of international trade and customs for Brussels and London, Iain MacVay, as the firm continues to expand its global trade offering.
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Norton Rose Fulbright announces global practice heads as Withers chair moves to New York

Both Norton Rose and Withers have made changes to their senior management, with one entering a seven-day countdown to its full merger with Fulbright & Jaworski as the other regroups after talks with Speechly Bircham fell through last week.

Norton Rose Fulbright today announced its global practice heads for the firm’s three largest practice areas; corporate, banking and finance. Continue reading “Norton Rose Fulbright announces global practice heads as Withers chair moves to New York”

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Guest post: The real ‘scumbag criminal’ is still free – a matter at democracy’s heart

‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’ – Martin Luther King – Letter from a Birmingham Jail – 16 April 1963.

Having already successfully stripped legal aid from so many areas of civil work, the government is now bearing down on criminal legal aid. ‘Price Competitive Tendering’ (or PCT) is one of the latest ‘in phrases’ but what does it amount to?

Stripped to its essentials, it means that anyone charged with an offence and who requires legal aid – (that is, most people) – will be allocated a defence lawyer working for one of a small number of large ‘defence factory’ commercial providers.
Continue reading “Guest post: The real ‘scumbag criminal’ is still free – a matter at democracy’s heart”

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Redundancy watch: Clyde and Eversheds confirm job losses as cuts keep coming

The run of gloomy news regarding job cuts continues with Clyde & Co and Eversheds this week confirming job losses as 2013 looks set to rival the deep run of cuts at major law firms seen in 2009.

Clyde confirmed that it has made eight support staff redundant after a consultation earlier in the year. The top 20 UK law firm declined to confirm reports that it had separately made two senior associates redundant in its Manchester office. Continue reading “Redundancy watch: Clyde and Eversheds confirm job losses as cuts keep coming”

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Asia round-up: Morrison Foerster and Quinn Emanuel expand in Asia

Singapore has been in focus over the past week after Morrison Foerster launched an anti-corruption practice and as UK and US firms vie for the next round of local law licences.

Morrison, which opened in Singapore in January, this week relocated litigation partner Daniel Levison from its Tokyo office to spearhead its Southeast Asia anti-corruption practice. Continue reading “Asia round-up: Morrison Foerster and Quinn Emanuel expand in Asia”

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Bercow guilty of libel over ‘innocent face’ tweet

Users of social media took careful note today as the High Court ruled that a tweet published by Sally Bercow about Tory peer Lord McAlpine was libellous.

In November the former Conservative Party treasurer was wrongly linked by BBC Newsnight to a child sex abuse case at Bryn Estyn children’s home in the 1970s and 80s, following which the wife of Commons Speaker John Bercow wrote: ‘Why is Lord McAlpine trending? *Innocent face*’. Continue reading “Bercow guilty of libel over ‘innocent face’ tweet”

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Global London rises – Sullivan & Cromwell signs up Linklaters partner for finance push

After years of conservative City growth, further signs emerge this week of Wall Street’s finest pushing into mainstream UK work with Sullivan & Cromwell recruiting Linklaters banking and restructuring partner Chris Howard.

The high-profile hire will be seen as a significant boost to Sullivan’s English practice in restructuring, distressed M&A and finance. Howard will advise international corporations, banks and financial sponsors on corporate restructurings and financings throughout Europe, the Middle East and the US. Continue reading “Global London rises – Sullivan & Cromwell signs up Linklaters partner for finance push”

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Not so private client – Speechly Bircham and Withers call off high-profile merger bid

Merger talks between private client law firms Speechly Bircham and Withers have been abandoned, the firms announced today (23 May).

A joint statement from the firms said: ‘Following detailed discussions between the management and partnerships of Withers and Speechly Bircham, both sides have now concluded that a merger would not be in the best interests of both firms and have agreed not to pursue this further. The talks have enhanced the respect that both firms have for each other.’ Continue reading “Not so private client – Speechly Bircham and Withers call off high-profile merger bid”