• January 24, 2013 |

    Magic circle duo post marginal dips in spring NQ intake

    Magic circle duo Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May have posted marginal drops in trainee retention rates for their spring intakes, posting figures of 85% and 86% respectively.

    1 minute read

  • January 22, 2013 |

    A&O joins host of firms announcing trainee retention rates

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has become the latest to confirm its spring trainee retention rates, with the magic circle firm seeing the number staying on dip to 70%. The firm offered 38 of its 53 newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers a role, with 37 of these accepting.

    1 minute read

  • January 18, 2013 |

    Paul Hastings hires Weil London capital markets head

    Paul Hastings' London office has hired Weil Gotshal & Manges local capital markets and hedge fund head James Cole for its securities and capital markets practice. Cole, who will formally join the firm on 1 March, advises clients including investment banks, hedge funds and financial institutions on all aspects of capital markets transactions and distressed investment opportunities.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Camerons and Linklaters advise as Blockbuster goes into administration

    CMS Cameron McKenna has taken the lead legal role as DVD and video games rental company Blockbuster yesterday (16 January) announced it was going into administration. Blockbuster, which employs 4,190 staff in 528 stores across the UK, is the latest in a spree of retail chains to collapse, following the news last week that music and video store HMV and camera retailer Jessops are both entering administration.

    1 minute read

  • January 7, 2013 |

    Weil turns to US rival Cleary for Beijing corporate partner hire

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has strengthened its M&A practice in Beijing with the recruitment of corporate partner Li Li from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's local office. Li, who focuses on large transactions involving China-based corporates, joined Cleary in February 2011 from rival US firm Debevoise & Plimpton, where she played a key role in setting up the firm's Shanghai office. At Cleary she served as Beijing office director.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2012 |

    CSR Initiative/Programme of the Year: Linklaters and Weil

    There was no shortage of impressive entries in another of the most competitive categories. Reed Smith's entry particularly caught the attention of the judges for its efforts in Haiti. Its programme saw the firm put together a wide-ranging initiative in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti covering initial relief, fund raising and distribution of medical supplies.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2012 |

    Partners scale back hopes for year ahead as economic woes hit business confidence

    The prolonged eurozone downturn and economic stagnation in the UK are continuing to dent business confidence within the legal profession, with one in three partners expecting revenues to fall or remain static at their firm over the coming year. Legal Week's latest business confidence survey found 28% of respondents forecasting static revenues for 2013 – almost double the proportion making the same prediction in July, when the survey was last conducted – while a further 7.5% expect revenues at their firm to drop next year.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2012 |

    British Legal Awards 2012: who won what – and why...

    A full run-down of all the winners at the British Legal Awards 2012

    1 minute read

  • December 11, 2012 |

    US legal elite announce associate bonus payouts of up to $60,000

    A host of top-tier US firms have announced their end-of-year associate bonuses, with the majority following the lead of Cravath Swaine & Moore and hiking payments significantly across the board. Cravath has traditionally been the first Wall Street firm to announce its year-end bonuses, with the firm handing out a payout of between $10,000 (£6,200) and $60,000 (£37,000) to its junior lawyers this year.

    1 minute read

  • December 10, 2012 |

    Weil billings on MF Global administration reach £15m with £2m for Norton Rose

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has billed more than £15m for its work on the administration of MF Global in the past year, as total legal fees generated by the broker's high-profile collapse pass £18m. The second six-month progress report filed by administrator KPMG reveals that lead legal adviser Weil billed a total of £5.8m for the period from 1 May to 30 October this year.

    1 minute read