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  • February 28, 2013 |

    Middle East three-year M&A overview

    A comprehensive look at the top M&A deals in the Middle East from the past three years, featuring mandates for Reed Smith, Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Defying the odds – how Ladbrokes' legal overhaul helped it stay ahead of the pack

    While other retailers have suffered in the recession, the gambling sector is thriving. Alex Newman looks at how Ladbrokes' overhaul of its in-house department has helped it stay ahead of the pack...

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Reed Smith, Sidley Austin and Gibson Dunn post healthy results amid challenging deal market

    A host of elite US law firms have posted their 2012 financials this week, with the vast majority posting broadly positive results despite a choppy global deal market. Reed Smith, Sidley Austin, Paul Hastings, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Proskauer Rose and Shearman & Sterling all saw earnings grow last year, with Mayer Brown one of the few firms to post a drop in both revenue and profits per equity partner (PEP).

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Stephenson Harwood London partner joins Hong Kong's HWB in double hire

    Hong Kong firm Howse Williams Bowers (HWB) has boosted its corporate team with a double hire including Stephenson Harwood London partner Peter Bradley. Bradley, who is ranked in band 2 by Chambers and Partners for Alternative Investment Market listings, is joining from from Stephenson Harwood's City office, alongside capital markets and M&A lawyer Chia Ching from Reed Smith Richards Butler (RSRB), the Hong Kong arm of Reed Smith.

    1 minute read

  • February 26, 2013 |

    Mayer Brown sees key financials fall as revenue dips to six-year low

    Mayer Brown saw revenue, partner profits and net income all drop in 2012, as US law firm results for the last financial year continue to emerge. Mayer Brown, the nineteenth largest law firm in the world by revenues in 2011, saw revenue drop 3.7% from $1.13bn (£746m) to $1.09bn (£719m), a figure which marks a six-year low for the firm.

    1 minute read

  • February 12, 2013 |

    K&L takes Fulbright partner ahead of Norton Rose tie-up for Houston launch

    K&L Gates has opened in Houston with the hire of Fulbright & Jaworski's head of securities, Charles Strauss. Strauss has worked for Fulbright for 30 years and served on the firm's partner committee, as well as several diversity and inclusion committees. His exit comes ahead of Fulbright's merger with Norton Rose this June.

    1 minute read

  • February 7, 2013 |

    London partner recruitment by US law firms hits record levels

    The collapse of Dewey & LeBoeuf helped drive partner hiring by US law firms in London to record levels in 2012, with senior lateral recruitment in the City climbing by almost 40% during the last calendar year. Legal Week's annual survey of London partner recruitment trends at some of the leading US law firms found there were 141 lateral partner hires made by the City arms of 47 US law firms last year, compared with 103 across the same firms in 2011.

    1 minute read

  • February 7, 2013 |

    US law firms grow City presence by 8% in face of tough market

    US law firms grew their London offices by an average of 8% last year, despite continued depression in the UK and European legal markets. Research by Legal Week into the activities of 47 US firms in London found that partner headcount increased from 1,205 at the start of 2012 to 1,300 by the first day of 2013, with non-lawyer headcount also rising by a similar proportion. The increase in partner numbers comprises internal promotions, relocations and external hires.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2013 |

    Reed Smith enters coveted Houston market with local office launch

    Reed Smith has opened an office in Houston, handing it direct access to the highly prized Texan energy market. The firm said no formal appointments had so far been made, and declined to offer an official projection for growth in the coming year, but a spokesperson said it was expecting to "expand aggressively".

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Ladbrokes bets on change with major panel review and end to hourly billing

    Gaming group Ladbrokes has completed a sweeping overhaul of its external counsel that slashes its adviser roster, marks a major departure from hourly billing and deploys technology to bolster efficiency. Slaughter and May, SJ Berwin, Clyde & Co and South West firm Trethowans are among the primary appointees to the FTSE 250 company's legal panel.

    1 minute read