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  • March 14, 2013 |

    Lands of opportunity – charting the rise of Africa as an attractive destination for deal lawyers

    With much of the world economy in the doldrums, Africa is an increasingly attractive prospect for investment. And while it's risky to generalise about 54 countries, there is a theme of increased sophistication when it comes to the deployment of legal services across the continent. Nuno Antunes, director at Miranda, a practice that has a long-standing alliance in Africa, describes the situation as something of an 'economic conundrum', given the rate at which Africa is growing compared to the rest of the world. He also notes an increasingly long-term approach to investment in the continent. "Short-term gains are not easy, if they ever were, in the current volatile economy," he says.

    1 minute read

  • March 14, 2013 |

    Refining the rules – the lucrative East African market for natural oil and gas

    East Africa's oil and gas market has transformed over the past year following significant gas finds off the coasts of Tanzania and Mozambique, the discovery of oil in Kenya and the movement of Uganda towards development and production of its petroleum reserves. In Tanzania, it is hoped that natural gas discoveries in offshore blocks operated by BG Group and Statoil will lead to the development of a combined liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant requiring tens of billions of dollars' worth of investment.

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 |

    RPC continues corporate recruitment push with hire of SJB partner

    RPC has made its fifth partner hire in less than four months with the addition of SJ Berwin's Anthony Shatz. Shatz, a corporate transactional lawyer with a particular focus on the real estate sector, joined SJ Berwin in 1999 and made partner in 2008. He has worked with real estate funds and property development clients such as Heron, Melford, Delancey, AXA and British Land.

    1 minute read

  • March 5, 2013 |

    CC overtakes Links as top law firm in annual ranking of business brands

    Clifford Chance (CC) has moved ahead of Linklaters to regain its position as the top-ranked law firm in the annual Superbrands poll of leading UK business brands. CC dropped to second place behind its magic circle rival last year, but retook the top law firm spot this year - despite dropping 63 places to rank 241 out of a total of 500 brands.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Beijing-bound firms face culture challenge as global elite flock to Chinese capital

    Home to cash-rich state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and a huge urban population, Beijing – like Singapore, Hong Kong and, more latterly, Korea – has long been a focus for international law firms. This year in particular looks set to see a raft of firms open up in the Chinese capital, with Berwin Leighton Paisner last month announcing plans to launch there in May, while a string of other firms – including Ashurst, Kirkland & Ellis, Eversheds, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and Clyde & Co – also expect to receive their licences to practise in the coming months. Those that already have offices on the ground have also been busy ramping up their offerings. DLA Piper announced in January that it had hired a five-strong King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) team for Beijing, including projects partner Carolyn Dong. Norton Rose has brought in three new Beijing partners since March 2012: banking partner Li Jinnan from KWM, corporate partner Jing Wang from Allen & Overy and corporate partner Barbara Li from Baker & McKenzie.

    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 |

    Retention rates at top 20 decline as economic climate pushes firms to cut back

    Trainee retention rates across the bulk of the UK's largest law firms have fallen this year, with research by Legal Week finding the average rate has dropped by almost 10% on last spring's qualifying intake. At the top 20 UK firms with a spring intake, an average of 76.5% of newly qualified (NQ) lawyers have been kept on this year, 9% down on the equivalent intake last year and 3% lower than last autumn's qualifying round. Of 441 trainees at the firms to have released details to date, 343 have been kept on – down on the total of 358 of 422 NQs kept on across the same group in spring 2012.

    1 minute read

  • February 14, 2013 |

    Firms tackle debt conundrum as LLP accounts expose borrowing burden

    Half of the UK's 20 largest law firms are carrying some degree of bank borrowing, limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts have revealed, as law firm debt comes increasingly into focus in the wake of the recent collapse of Cobbetts. Accounts filed with Companies House for the 2011-12 financial year show that 10 of the UK top 20 are carrying debts, with seven seeing their debt increase since the 2010-11 financial year: DLA Piper, Herbert Smith Freehills, Clyde & Co, Simmons & Simmons, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Irwin Mitchell and SJ Berwin.

    1 minute read

  • February 14, 2013 |

    A crisis of conscience – how GCs respond when their ethics are tested

    The general counsel role can be notoriously lonely at times, but no more so than if the GC is unhappy with the integrity of the business practices and ethics within their company. GCs are increasingly expected to be a part of their company's senior management team – a board-level appointment is now regarded as something of a kitemark that says you've arrived and are taken seriously by the business.

    1 minute read

  • February 7, 2013 |

    Clydes set for Indonesia association as global players eye emerging market

    Clyde & Co is looking to launch an association with an Indonesian law firm, as opportunities in the Southeast Asian country continue to attract the attention of international players. The UK outfit is currently in the process of finalising an agreement with a local firm it has worked with for some time in Indonesia, and is hoping to announce a partnership in March. The firm's Indonesia practice head Michael Horn would be expected to oversee the venture, and would take space in the local firm's Indonesian offices along with two other colleagues.

    1 minute read