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  • March 1, 2011 |

    No business like show business - Olswang film law doyenne on her Oscars glory

    Olswang's Libby Savill talks about her co-executive producer role for the Oscar-winning film, The King's Speech

    1 minute read

  • February 24, 2011 |

    Law firm social media strategies: #musthaves or #mya**e?

    There is, at least in legal social media land, only one real legal issue of the day worthy of attention and debate. Forget the Jackson reforms, access to justice, prisoner's voting rights, libel reform or whether it is right to require divorcing couples to mediate before they litigate. These issues are but the froth on the top of any Tweeting lawyer's cappuccino. The real issue du jour is this: should law firms have social media strategies (SMSs)? Are they, in Twitter speak: #musthaves or #myarse?

    1 minute read

  • February 23, 2011 |

    Debevoise revenues slip again but partner profits climb to $2m

    Debevoise & Plimpton saw revenues slip again in 2010 while the US law firm increased profits per equity partner (PEP) by 11%, reports The Am Law Daily. The New York firm grossed $657m (£408m) in 2010, a 2% decrease in revenues - which came after a 12% contraction in income for its 2009 financial year. PEP, however, rose significantly to hit $2.06m (£1.27m), a performance that Debevoise presiding partner Martin Frederic Evans said reflected the firm's cost-cutting efforts. "You got the full-year effect of the expense reductions," he commented.

    1 minute read

  • February 15, 2011 |

    Ashurst makes regulatory push with new spin-off practice group

    Ashurst has spun off its London regulatory practice from its financial institutions group (FIG) as the firm bids to increase the profile and remit of the team. The regulatory team will now operate as one of eight sub-groups within the London corporate practice, instead of as a smaller team within the FIG sub-group.

    1 minute read

  • February 8, 2011 |

    Rising 25: tales of success and woe from the law firms outside the UK top 50

    Sitting just off junction nine of the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth is the unglamorous Segensworth business park, where for the last two years Blake Lapthorn - the 60th largest law firm in the UK - has paid £450,000 to rent vacant office space. When the firm moved into New Kings Court on the outskirts of Southampton as part of a consolidation following a series of mergers, managing partner Walter Cha thought he would be able to sublet the space. But unsurprisingly, he hadn't counted on a global banking crisis and the subsequent recession. It was costs such as these that saw Blake Lapthorn's profit per equity partner (PEP) fall to just £65,000 in its 2008-09 year. Although this figure has since risen to £116,000, it is still well short of the UK top 51-75 law firm peer group average of £276,000.

    1 minute read

  • February 4, 2011 |

    SJB LLPs show £20m repayments to partners during last financial year

    SJ Berwin cleared more than £20m of loans and debts owed to its limited liability partnership (LLP) members during 2009-10, according to the firm's recently-filed accounts. The Companies House filings show that total amounts due to the LLP's members decreased from £21.6m to just £1.1m during the financial year.

    1 minute read

  • February 2, 2011 |

    Olswang opens in Paris with partner hires from Dechert and local firm

    Olswang is launching an office in Paris with the hire of Dechert's local banking and finance head, as well as bulking up in Madrid with a double partner hire from Bird & Bird. The firm is set to launch in Paris in the coming weeks after hiring Stephan Alamowitch to head up the office. He will be joined by Dechert tax of counsel Julien Monsenego, who is joining Olswang as a partner. In addition, corporate partners Guillaume Kessler and Vanina Paologgi and litigation partner Geraldine Roche are joining from French boutique Henri Brandford-Griffith.

    1 minute read

  • February 1, 2011 |

    Olswang hires partner for Spanish employment team launch

    Olswang has launched an employment practice in Madrid with the hire of Bird & Bird employment partner Daniel Cifuentes. Cifuentes joined Olswang's Madrid arm at the end of December to establish and head Olswang's Spanish employment practice. Bird & Bird associate Maria Eugenia has also joined Olswang alongside Cifuentes to help launch the employment team.

    1 minute read

  • January 21, 2011 |

    Bird & Bird signs up Eversheds commercial head for City base

    Bird & Bird has added a partner to its City base with the hire of Eversheds' London head of commercial. Phil Sherrell, who has led the Eversheds team for one year, is joining Bird & Bird's intellectual property (IP) team in London.

    1 minute read

  • January 18, 2011 |

    Bird & Bird overhauls CEE management ahead of local head's departure

    Bird & Bird is reshaping its CEE management structure in preparation for the departure of the region's managing partner, Stephen Kines. Kines is set to step down from his role as CEE head in May 2011 before leaving the firm completely in August, with a view to possibly launching his own wider emerging markets practice.

    1 minute read