Simmons & Simmons, Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Bond Dickinson and Reed Smith are among 24 firms to win a place on Lloyds Banking Group’s (LBG) specialist sub panel, which sits below the bank’s main core roster of eight firms. Continue reading “Simmons, BLP and Reed Smith win places on Lloyds’ specialist roster as bank gears up for commercial panel review”
An open banking initiative funded by the UK’s nine biggest banks has appointed former Lloyds and Halifax lawyer Marcus Ezekiel as its first general counsel, Legal Business has learned. Continue reading “In-house: Open banking group appoints first GC and picks Hogan Lovells as sole adviser”
The Department of Health has launched a tender for a panel of law firms to pursue litigation against companies in the pharmaceutical industry. Continue reading “Health department prepares to battle Big Pharma with launch of litigation panel”
Royal Dutch Shell has implemented a rule that all new legal matters must be priced using ‘appropriate’ fee arrangements (AFAs), following the oil major’s most recent panel review in April 2016. Continue reading “Shell moves to ‘appropriate’ fee arrangements for all matters following panel review”
Royal Dutch Shell has implemented a rule that all new legal matters must be priced using ‘appropriate’ fee arrangements (AFAs), following the oil major’s most recent panel review in April 2016.
AFAs, which include capped fees, fixed fees and contingency fees, have been in place for all litigation work since June 2014, but now apply to all legal matters. In addition, every piece of work will be put out to tender to three or more panel firms.
The trend for reduced panels has seen law firms put through their paces by clients eager to drive innovation and control spend. Legal Business reviews the reviews
In-house teams may have grown in size and stature over recent years, but their external adviser panels are definitely shrinking. As a result, law firms find themselves increasingly at the sharp end during adviser reviews (see box ‘Cutting back’, below), with clients pushing for better rates, greater efficiencies and added extras.
Continue reading “A buyers’ market – The trends and traumas in adviser reviews”
David Symonds, EMEA general counsel (GC) for merged entity Johnson Controls International (JCI), is leading a restructure of the company’s legal function following the completion of the $16.5bn combination of Johnson Controls and Tyco International in September. Continue reading “New Johnson Controls EMEA legal head to review Eversheds sole adviser deal following restructure”
Australia’s largest global insurer QBE is to launch a review of its UK claims panel, following the appointment of a new group general counsel (GC) earlier this year.
Continue reading “QBE to review UK claims panel as new general counsel takes charge”
Australia’s largest global insurer QBE is to launch a review of its UK claims panel, following the appointment of a new group general counsel (GC) earlier this year.
One partner, whose firm is tendering for the panel, told Legal Business that while the terms of engagement were not yet clear, the review was ‘imminent’. QBE refused to comment on the process.
Continue reading “QBE reviews UK panel following appointment of global GC”
Leisure company Merlin Entertainments has kicked off its first ever formal panel review in a process overseen by new general counsel Matt Jowett.
Continue reading “In-house: New Merlin Entertainments GC launches first-ever formal panel”
