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  • October 10, 2013 |

    Top firms set to do battle at 2013 British Legal Awards

    Linklaters is leading the way in nominations for the top practice awards as the shortlist for the 2013 British Legal Awards has been unveiled. The magic circle has nominations M&A, banking, financing or restructuring, and commercial team of the year categories. However, it missed out on the law firm of the year shortlist.

    1 minute read

  • October 10, 2013 |

    Firms invited to tender as delayed Nationwide panel review gets underway

    Nationwide has invited firms to pitch for places on its group-wide legal panel, four years after the appointment of its inaugural five-strong roster. The building society began its review process earlier this summer, after plans to start the review in early 2013 were delayed.

    1 minute read

  • October 3, 2013 |

    The first step on the ladder – what this summer's batch of vacation scheme interns have learnt

    For aspiring lawyers, vacation schemes are an essential path to career progression. Grant Murgatroyd speaks to this summer's batch of interns and finds out that the chance to network and socialise with employers can be as vital as the actual work...

    1 minute read

  • September 26, 2013 |

    The school-leaver lawyers – how law firms are benefitting from taking on talented young apprentices

    Soaring university fees are proving to be a boon for some law firms, which are stepping in to offer apprentice jobs to talented youngsters barred from traditional degree-led routes into the profession...

    1 minute read

  • September 12, 2013 |

    BLP launches Africa review as firm eyes new markets across closely watched continent

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has kicked off a review of its Africa three-year strategy with a focus on markets driven by energy, mining and infrastructure work. The firm's core Africa group, which comprises five partners in London headed up by banking disputes partner Segun Osuntokun (pictured), has already identified several key jurisdictions it wants to target, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

    1 minute read

  • September 12, 2013 |

    Government announces plans to launch planning court in 'radical' shake-up of UK justice system

    The Ministry of Justice is considering the establishment of a specialist planning court to speed up the review process for large-scale infrastructure projects, as part of a "radical" set of proposals to reform public law and speed up the economic recovery. An eight-week consultation on a raft of proposed changes to the judicial review system was announced by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling (pictured) last week, including a separate 'planning chamber' staffed by expert judges; a tighter timeframe for applications; only allowing people with a direct interest in cases to apply for judicial review; and changing the rules around who has to pay legal costs so applicants foot part of the bill.

    1 minute read

  • September 12, 2013 |

    All systems go – why IT considerations are front and centre in law firm mergers

    The recent spate of big law firm mergers has brought IT to the front and centre of strategic discussions as partners recognise how reliant on technology their work has become...

    1 minute read

  • September 5, 2013 |

    Desert dreams – why law firms are reassessing their Middle East strategies

    In Abu Dhabi Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has been looking in recent months to sub-let half its office space on the 23rd floor of the prestigious Al Sila Tower. The firm stresses it remains committed to the city, but its move nonetheless reflects a broader readjustment of international law firm ambitions in the UAE capital. "It's no secret that we are looking to sub-let half of the floor we originally let," says Zubair Mir, head of HSF's Middle East operations, before adding that "we are not looking to return the lease in any way". He explains: "What happened was we bought an entire floor in Dubai which became more full than we expected, so when we negotiated in Abu Dhabi we took out more space than we needed to try to avoid the situation of not having enough room." HSF is not alone in rethinking its needs in Abu Dhabi. Hogan Lovells closed its outpost there last year and transferred its work to the firm's Dubai office, having decided that it made for a stronger regional hub.

    1 minute read

  • August 30, 2013 |

    Aviva appoints eight firms to core panel as CC misses out in review

    Aviva has appointed eight principal firms to its UK and group legal panel, with Clifford Chance (CC) missing out on a place after a review of the insurance giant's core legal panel. Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy (A&O), Latham & Watkins, Ashurst, DLA Piper, Linklaters, Pinsent Masons and Addleshaw Goddard have won spots on the new line-up, following a competitive tender process which began in April.

    1 minute read

  • August 19, 2013 |

    Squire Sanders secures City hire of Addleshaws structured finance head

    Squire Sanders has sealed the hire of Addleshaw Goddard's head of structured finance, Mark Thomas, for its London office. Thomas, who advises clients on structured loan products and loan portfolio sales and acquisitions, is the fifth partner in the last year to join Squire Sanders' global financial services practice.

    1 minute read