Nearly 200 law students were incorrectly told they had failed their first set of Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) exams, in what the chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has called “the most serious operational mistake that we’ve made in the last two and half years.” Kaplan, the exam administrator for the SQE, has […]
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is set to hike fees for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) for the second time in two years, while glossing over issues in the rollout of the exam in its latest annual report. From September this year, the cost of the SQE exams will increase by 5 per cent across […]
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has come under fire for its candidate confidentiality policy for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), as the backlash surrounding the latest set of results rumbles on. A lack of transparency around the content is said to be having a negative impact on preparation course delivery and candidates’ ability to make […]
An ex-Bird & Bird partner will face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for allegations of “inappropriate conduct” including “sexualised messages”. The allegations concern Takeshige Sugimoto, who was a partner based in Belgium at the time of the matter. While in a position of seniority over two individuals, Sugimoto is alleged to have made inappropriate comments and […]
BDB Pitmans partners have voted through proposals that will see the firm transition to a CMS-style network model, having called off merger talks with Womble Bond Dickinson in 2023. The firm has signed a letter of intent with Alvarez & Marsal Legal Services (AMLS) to help internationalise the business. Both BDB Pitmans and AMLS issued […]
Welcome to The Passport, your regular round-up of the most important stories to come from the European legal market. In this edition, we look at how CMS zoomed past Dentons in the Polish lawyer headcount stakes; why you might have to get used to the idea of three firms with ‘Snellman’ in their name; and […]
Akin Gump has recruited three of Cooley’s London partners, including its City managing partner Justin Stock. Stock moves to Akin along with Stephen Rosen and David Bresnick. The three focus on transactions with a life sciences and technology element. At Akin, Stock will become the firm’s international head of technology. Both Stock and Bresnick joined […]
For elite firms with ties to big banks, the first half of 2024 has been fruitful for corporate transactions. Sainsbury’s banking business was sold to NatWest Group last month, with Linklaters and A&O Shearman advising, while Addleshaw Goddard, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Paul Hastings led on Co-operative Bank’s sale to Coventry Building Society in an […]
Mills & Reeve’s turnover rose by double digits in 2023/24 to a new record high that has resulted in the firm’s highest-ever all-staff bonus pool of £3m. The firm’s turnover rose by 14.1 per cent to £168m, beating its 2025 strategic target of £150m a year ahead of schedule. The firm has not yet revealed […]
This dashboard: contains an overview of the judgments at a selection of courts in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai during Q2of 2024. allows you to compare activity at the courts in Q2 2024 against Q1 2023.
This report includes: analysis of partner promotions at the UK Top 50 firms since 2020 insight into regional promotion trends a look at the progress towards gender parity in partner promotions data on the practice areas experiencing the highest number of promotions.
This report contains: an analysis of the reality of Cleary Gottlieb’s growth trajectory in London since 2014 an overview of challenges faced by the top global firms which are pursuing similar growth strategies a discussion on Cleary’s distinctive practice area mix, highlighting its substantial focus on antitrust cases.
This report contains: ranking of the Nordic 50 firms on a headcount basis headcount analysis of the largest firms split into three groups financial and market analysis of the four jurisdictions in the region firm specific data profiles
This report includes: a breakdown of the eight firms shortlisted for the Litigation Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2024 an overview of the case they have been nominated for an analysis of the firms’ larger litigation team
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Does anyone need any confirmation of the gradual takeover of the City by rampaging US law firms? No, thought not. If, however, your answer is yes, then more evidence of the Americanisation of London can be found in the upcoming edition of the UK Corporate 50. Much of the focus in this year’s report is […]
Mexico is set to welcome thousands of lawyers later this year when the capital city plays host to the International Bar Association’s (IBA) showpiece event. Partners and support staff will mingle from dawn until way after dusk, discuss strategies and scan way off into the horizon. However, Mexico’s been high on the interest list for […]
At times, Clyde & Co appeared dangerously close to squandering the growth opportunities presented by its July 2022 acquisition of BLM. The firm’s most recent financials, however, suggest BLM was the fuel Clydes needed to grow in the UK. Not that it has been without casualties, with a significant proportion of former BLM partners having […]
The M&A rankings for the first half of 2024 confirmed one thing we already felt was true: that Linklaters and Slaughter and May have had a lot of acquisitive or targeted clients this year. According to data provided by the London Stock Exchange Group, the pair rank first and second respectively in terms of the […]
When Stephenson Harwood chief executive Eifion Morris set a target for doubling revenue to £400m by 2027, he knew it would be a tough challenge. “A profitable growth strategy will probably take more than individual lateral joiners and internal promotions to achieve,” he told The Lawyer back in 2021. This protective view came as the […]
Herbert Smith Freehills’s revenue hit £1.3bn over 2023/24, while profits soared by 14 per cent after a small uptick was recorded in the previous year’s results. The firm’s revenue was up 10 per cent from its last financial results of £1.186bn. Profits saw a double digit burst for the financial year, with HSF reporting a […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May have released their retention results for the September cohort, achieving 86 per cent and 84 per cent respectively. There are 37 trainees staying on in newly-qualified positions at Freshfields out of the 43-sized cohort. Slaughters is keeping one fewer trainee from the same sized batch of trainees, meaning […]
Kingsley Napley will give bonuses to staff three months early after a highly profitable year, which saw the firm’s net profit increase by 120 per cent. Managing partner Linda Woolley told The Lawyer that the results were a sign that the firm’s investments in the prior years had come through, following the firm’s challenging year […]
Morton Fraser MacRoberts has posted a 2 per cent rise in revenue in its first set of financial results since the 1 November merger of legacy firms Morton Fraser and MacRoberts. The increase takes the total revenue at the recently-merged Scottish firm to £47.5m, which should be enough to propel Morton Fraser MacRoberts into the […]
The French legal market has welcomed a new boutique this week as CGR Avocats opens its doors following the breakup of its predecessor firm earlier this year. European 100 firm LPA-CGR Avocats finally split in May, bringing an end to the seven-year partnership between Lefèvre Pelletier & Associés and CGR Legal. CGR Avocats relaunched at […]