ChatGPT has drunk the Kool-Aid on A&O Shearman – let’s see what it makes of Paul Weiss

ChatGPT has drunk the Kool-Aid on A&O Shearman – let’s see what it makes of Paul Weiss

So much ink has been spilled over game-changing developments in recent weeks – namely the partnership vote in favour of the A&O Shearman deal, and Paul Weiss’ assault on the talent pools of the Square Mile – that it can be difficult to find an angle that isn’t hackneyed to within an inch of its life.

Nevertheless, a ring around senior contacts for a different take paid dividends, even if some of the suggestions are more about playing devil’s advocate and mischief-making. Continue reading “ChatGPT has drunk the Kool-Aid on A&O Shearman – let’s see what it makes of Paul Weiss”

A&O names Garousha interim managing partner ahead of Shearman merger vote

A&O names Garousha interim managing partner ahead of Shearman merger vote

The board of Allen & Overy has chosen Abu Dhabi capital markets partner Khalid Garousha (pictured) as interim global managing partner as the dust has started to settle on the shock resignation of Gareth Price.

The move, announced today (27 July), came after senior partner Wim Dejonghe covered the role since the firm on 13 July announced Price’s departure for ‘personal reasons’ at the same time as releasing its financial results. Continue reading “A&O names Garousha interim managing partner ahead of Shearman merger vote”

A not-so-equal footing: rankings data highlights Hogan-Shearman contrasts

A not-so-equal footing: rankings data highlights Hogan-Shearman contrasts

An analysis of The Legal 500 rankings underlines some of the key factors driving the Hogan Lovells-Shearman merger talks

From a Legal 500 perspective, Hogan Lovells dwarfs Shearman & Sterling in terms of total rankings, with three times as many spots across the UK, US, EMEA, Asia-Pacific and Latin America – 343 to 113. Continue reading “A not-so-equal footing: rankings data highlights Hogan-Shearman contrasts”

A&O gains Shanghai approval on the back of double-digit Asia-Pac growth

A&O gains Shanghai approval on the back of double-digit Asia-Pac growth

After boosting its Asia Pacific turnover by more than 10% last year, Allen & Overy (A&O) has become the latest City giant to receive approval to practise law in China’s Free Trade Zone (FTZ).

The arrangement comes by way of a joint operation with local firm Shanghai Lang Yue Law Firm – called Allen & Overy Lang Yue (FTZ) Joint Operation Office – which received approval from the Shanghai Bureau of Justice, A&O said today (7 January). Continue reading “A&O gains Shanghai approval on the back of double-digit Asia-Pac growth”

‘International is the growth engine’: DWF eyes US after £42.5m Spanish acquisition

‘International is the growth engine’: DWF eyes US after £42.5m Spanish acquisition

DWF is looking to crack the US market with an acquisition which would likely surpass its £42.5m deal for a Spanish law firm announced today (11 December).

The firm, which became the UK’s sixth and largest law firm to list in March this year, announced the acquisition of 40-partner Rousaud Costas Duran (RCD) alongside its half-year results, adding 400 staff across offices in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. RCD reported revenue of €35.7m last year. Continue reading “‘International is the growth engine’: DWF eyes US after £42.5m Spanish acquisition”

The end of A&O’s marathon O’Melveny merger bid reveals the stark choices facing the Magic Circle

The end of A&O’s marathon O’Melveny merger bid reveals the stark choices facing the Magic Circle

This article sits in the news leader slot of our latest issue, but when considering Allen & Overy (A&O) and its epic courtship of O’Melveny & Myers, the defining factor has been the absence of news. Since it emerged last spring that A&O was in merger talks with the Los Angeles-bred firm, there have been bare scraps of information, alongside alternating whispers the deal was/was not on. Finally the resolution came on 2 September, with the pair announcing the end of the talks with the traditional noises about mutual respect.

The reason for the long delay was as much the scale and ambition of the merger as the inevitable complications of bringing 700 partners on side. The looming spectre of a messy ‘no-deal’ Brexit and fresh falls in sterling further strained a delicate situation, probably tipping it over the edge. Not only were the firms aiming for full financial integration upfront – a move never attempted on the scale of a £2.4bn transatlantic union – the aim was to do an immediate merging of governance, leadership and remuneration. Forget vereins and grace periods kicking tricky issues down the road. That all-in approach raised the stakes and logistic issues enormously. Not least it would have involved substantive reform of A&O’s remuneration structure to make it more compatible with a US firm. Continue reading “The end of A&O’s marathon O’Melveny merger bid reveals the stark choices facing the Magic Circle”

Dentons furthers pan-African play as it announces five new local deals

Dentons is showing no sign of slowing its expansion spree of late, making it ten tie-ups in less than two months after announcing it is to enter another five African countries and add a further 54 lawyers to its ranks.

The 10,000-lawyer firm said it is to combine with a firm each in Angola, Morocco, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia, building on what chief executive Elliott Portnoy described as a strategy to ‘become the first pan-African law firm, owned and controlled by Africans’. Continue reading “Dentons furthers pan-African play as it announces five new local deals”