Guest comment: time for law firms to play catch-up on parental leave

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Nathan Peart, managing director at Major, Lindsey & Africa, says firms must move with the times when it comes to arrangements for prospective parents

Parental leave continues to be a conversation at the forefront of law firm policy development, but it still has a long way to go to reflect the modern norm. As firms examine the changes in the way we work and develop policy that reflects local customs but still aligns with a firm’s ethos, it is also important to remember the people at the centre of this policy – prospective parents. Continue reading “Guest comment: time for law firms to play catch-up on parental leave”

Guest comment: The post-pandemic recruitment race

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Guest comment: The post-pandemic recruitment race

Nathan Peart, managing director at Major, Lindsey & Africa, says firms must become flexible or lose their best associates.

Without much choice, the legal industry got flexible last year. Even firms that snubbed working from home pre-pandemic had to get on board. Through the lens of recruitment, this has laid bare the realities of law firm life – without the fancy offices, wining and dining and team camaraderie, associates have reflected on the core of their job and what they get in return for mounting workloads and blurring lines between work and home. Many are questioning whether their firm is all it is cracked up to be. Continue reading “Guest comment: The post-pandemic recruitment race”

‘Our greatest asset’: Mindful Business Charter gains momentum as Cooley’s City office signs up

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‘Our greatest asset’: Mindful Business Charter gains momentum as Cooley’s City office signs up

With mental health and wellbeing now front and centre among law firm leaders more than ever, Cooley’s London office has become the latest to sign up to the Mindful Business Charter.

Launched in 2018, the charter was devised by banking giant Barclays alongside Pinsent Masons and Addleshaw Goddard in a bid to combat workplace practices that contribute to stress and poor mental health among lawyers. It encourages people to think about being clear in emails on when they need a response if sent outside business hours and not expecting people on annual leave to be on call. Continue reading “‘Our greatest asset’: Mindful Business Charter gains momentum as Cooley’s City office signs up”

Scrum time – Can agile project management deliver for GCs?

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Scrum time – Can agile project management deliver for GCs?

Business is full of buzzwords, and among the buzziest of the last few years is ‘agile’.

The traditional project management approach is ‘waterfall’. But, in contrast to the dynamism of the term, the waterfall process can be rigid. After a long period of requirement gathering and planning, the project is developed in a linear way, journeying through multiple phases and silos. A final product is delivered after an often lengthy process, perhaps measured in months or years, but with little opportunity for adaptation once the project has begun. Continue reading “Scrum time – Can agile project management deliver for GCs?”

Clapping with one hand: clients continue to lag as another 12 law firms join Mindful Business Charter

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Clapping with one hand: clients continue to lag as another 12 law firms join Mindful Business Charter

The Mindful Business Charter is ‘clapping with one hand’ until more businesses adopt the mental health initiative, with in-house legal departments making up less than a quarter of the 38 signatories.

The charter, devised by banking giant Barclays alongside law firms Pinsent Masons and Addleshaw Goddard, added another 17 organisations today (10 October). It aims to cut down on workplace practices that contribute to stress and poor mental health among lawyers, such as encouraging people to be clear in emails when they need a response if sent outside business hours and not expecting people on annual leave to be on call. Continue reading “Clapping with one hand: clients continue to lag as another 12 law firms join Mindful Business Charter”

WFW and former real estate head settle £300k High Court claim

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WFW and former real estate head settle £300k High Court claim

A longstanding legal wrangle that saw Mark Prevezer, Watson Farley & Williams’ former head of real estate seek £300,000 in damages from the firm, has been settled out of court.

The move puts an end to a law suit that was expected to head to trial at the High Court in November this year, in which Prevezer alleged breaches of a consultancy agreement signed by the parties in March 2016 and for reputational harm suffered for ‘wrongful removal’ from his position of global head of the firm’s real estate practice. Continue reading “WFW and former real estate head settle £300k High Court claim”

Out of office: Freshfields, HSF among nine new Mindful Business Charter signatories

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Out of office: Freshfields, HSF among nine new Mindful Business Charter signatories

A further nine law firms have signed up to the Mindful Business Charter, an initiative devised by banking giant Barclays alongside Pinsent Masons and Addleshaw Goddard to try to mitigate unnecessary stress for in-house and external lawyers.

Capsticks, CMS, DWF, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Michelmores, Osborne Clarke, Stone King and Weightmans have today (9 May) signed up to the charter – six months after it launched – bringing the total number of signatories to 20. Continue reading “Out of office: Freshfields, HSF among nine new Mindful Business Charter signatories”