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 […]
TSB in £375m Northern Rock mortgage class action British bank TSB is set to appear before the Business List of the Chancery Division today (22 July) for a four-day hearing set to deal with the repercussions of its inheritance of Northern Rock mortgages in 2016. Hogan Lovells is to defend TSB against class representative Donna […]
The much-vaunted deal between Japanese conglomerate Softbank and British-based AI-chip innovator Graphcore comes at a pivotal time for the tech sector. The deal, understood to be valued at more than $500m, closed last week, shortly after the installation of a new Labour Government and when no definitive answer exists as to what AI regulation might […]
Making partner can be stressful, full of uncertainty and unmet promises. Walker Morris’s new formal scheme hopes to change that.
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 […]
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 much-vaunted deal between Japanese conglomerate Softbank and British-based AI-chip innovator Graphcore comes at a pivotal time for the tech sector. The deal, understood to be valued at more than $500m, closed last week, shortly after the installation of a new Labour Government and when no definitive answer exists as to what AI regulation might […]
Making partner can be stressful, full of uncertainty and unmet promises. Walker Morris’s new formal scheme hopes to change that.
Leeds: Mills & Reeve is soon to double its footprint in Leeds with the relocation of its office. Beyond the Bubble, in association with LexisNexis: While the firm is staying put at 1 City Square, it is vacating its current premises on the fourth floor and has agreed to take a 10,200 sq ft office […]
As counsel to the Post Office inquiry, Jason Beer KC is fast gaining celebrity-level status with thousands tuning in to see him grill key witnesses.
We’ve looked at the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, but there are lawyers fighting to be elected for other parties too, including the Communist Party of Britain, several law students and a member of the ‘Turnip Taliban’…
The associate recruitment market has tightened up over the past year or two. For trainees looking to qualify, it means that finding a home in their preferred practice area has become more difficult too. Qualification and, specifically, which team you qualify into, can be one of the most crucial moments in a solicitor’s career. On […]
Labour won. Now what? As Keir Starmer walks into Downing Street, The Lawyer Podcast boils up a vat of coffee and brings you an election results show for lawyers. With special guests including former Clifford Chance partner and tax celebrity Dan Neidle, we discuss which lawyers are in and out of Parliament after a night […]
The doom of the middle market has long been foretold. As global mergers grab attention and smaller, boutique firms blossom, many question whether there is any role for mid-market practices in law’s future. But on Tuesday evening, Addleshaw Goddard marked a remarkable, decade-long turnaround as it was crowned Law Firm of the Year at The […]
Law firms have long had a problem with gender equality. Partners and senior leaders are weighted heavily towards men, with an average of 2.35 male partner to every female partner in the UK Top 100 firms. However, that number has actually improved in the last five years – down from 2.83 – while the number […]
Kirkland & Ellis is hiring a new partner from Clifford Chance, in a move that will grow its outsourcing and technology expertise in London. André Duminy joins Kirkland after nearly 25 years at Clifford Chance, where he is head of its London tech and digital group and co-head of the strategic sourcing and complex contracting […]
Reflecting on the time since the last general election it’s hard to imagine, at least in recent times, a more chaotic period in British politics. There are many government and parliamentary functions that are not serving us; we would not run a successful business this way, so why do we allow our country to be […]
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has extended panel places to all firms on the Government’s legal services framework. The contract has been awarded until 30 November 2025. It was previously a three-year agreement, with the option to extend for a further 12 months at the discretion of the CCS. The framework agreement consists of a […]
With the Post Office Horizon inquiry set to continue throughout the year, Burges Salmon has been awarded a new contract for advice provided to the company. The contract is valued at £16m and lasts until May 2025. This is understood to be in addition to an existing contract worth £22.5m that the firm picked up […]
When asked if she enjoys working at price comparison service Moneysupermarket Group, general counsel Shazadi Stinton’s response is resoundingly upbeat: “I could tell you a list of 100 reasons why I love Moneysupermarket and they would all be true. “It’s just a really wonderful company, and it’s one of the few places where the work […]
The North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) has drastically reduced its legal services panel, cutting 17 firms from its £100m roster. The new panel – effective from 3 June 2024 to 2 June 2028 – features 18 firms, down from the previous 29. New additions to the panel include Bird & Bird, Brodies, Devonshires, TLT and […]
Comedian sues Soho Theatre over alleged defamation Comedian Paul Currie has filed a part 7 – defamation claim against London’s Soho Theatre. The Belfast performer attracted headlines in February after a Jewish attendee to his show at the Theatre was allegedly told to “get out” and left after feeling “unsafe” and “threatened.” The theatre subsequently […]
CAT to consider new funding agreement for class action The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) will consider a revised funding agreement in the class action brought by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) against a group of truck manufacturers on Thursday (18 July) for one day. Originally, claims were brought by the RHA, represented by Addleshaw Goddard […]
The long-running dispute between business partner adversaries Vladimir Chernukhin, represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and Oleg Deripaska, defended by Quillon Law, has finally ended, with Quinn failing to get Deripaska sent to prison for contempt of court. The Court of Appeal on Tuesday (9 July) refused to grant Chernukhin, the former Russian deputy […]
O’Melveny & Myers files fresh claim for sheet music publisher Hal Leonard O’Melveny & Myers has brought a new breach of contract claim on behalf of sheet music publisher Hal Leonard Europe against classical music publisher Wise Music Group and its subsidiaries. The claim comes just two months after Wise Music Group, which The Lawyer […]
Timothy Wilkins, global partner for client sustainability at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, talks to The Lawyer about key ESG trends that will land on general counsel’s desks in the near future as well as the unique opportunities ESG present for lawyers to add value to their organisation.
Thomson Reuters’ chief product officer for legal tech Kriti Sharma talks to The Lawyer about holding technology and tech companies more accountable for user needs, what can be done to reduce tech waste and getting tech companies to work better together.
Emma Carr, partner at Gowling WLG, talks to The Lawyer about how the in-house function has changed over the past 10-15 years and shared her views on what the legal team of the future might look like.
Independents The Lawyer’s last part of the UK 200 – The Independents – which focuses on the firms in the lower half of the UK 200 is out now! The Independents account for just 6 per cent of the total UK 200 revenue and we talk about some of the pressures that The Independents are facing […]
Here’s a rundown by litigation reporters Annabel Tinson and Maria Ward-Brennan on the new weekly content on The Lawyer’s Litigation Tracker, which started in October 2022. As Litigation Tracker subscribers already know, on Monday, In court this week comes out, which details some of the most interesting cases hitting the courts that week. On Wednesday, Claim Spotter is released, which looks […]
China top 30 The China Top 30 features the ranking of the top 30 firms based on revenue, and in-depth analysis of financial performance, headcount and growth. The report highlights that despite an extraordinary 2021, the China top 30 are bracing for 2022 to be their first year of downturn after three decades of growth. […]
Rhetoric is at the heart of the battle for power in at least 64 countries which go to the polls this year – an extraordinary year in politics. While the Ancient sandals may have been swapped for Oxford brogues, Aristotle’s rhetorical pillars of ethos, pathos and logos have never been more relevant. Just where is […]
Clifford Chance has altered its associate bonus review process in the UK, bringing it in line with offices in the US. The new system was introduced at the beginning of June and sees associates better rewarded when they are higher in demand – ultimately linking the number of hours billed to the individual’s bonus potential. […]
Senior associate Jo Howard is standing for the Labour Party in Christchurch.
Browne Jacobson finance head Paul Ray is contesting Lichfield for the Liberal Democrats against Michael Fabricant. We asked him for his views on law and politics