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  • July 30, 2009 |

    Twelve months in recession and more to come - top lawyers reflect on an uncertain market

    Top 50 leaders give their perspective on an extraordinary 12 months - and their expectations for the year ahead

    1 minute read

  • July 30, 2009 |

    UK firms with strongholds on the continent come out ahead

    Continental Europe has proved an important international stronghold during the last financial year, with the firms heavily invested in the region seeing revenues inflated by the strength of the euro. The weakness of the pound against the euro and dollar demonstrated the importance of international spread, with Lovells joining the growing rank of firms including Linklaters and Clifford Chance (CC) making more than half of their revenue outside London.

    1 minute read

  • July 30, 2009 |

    UK law leaders suffer PEP plunge but revenues hold steady

    The UK's top law firms have suffered a dramatic fall in profitability and a shrinking market in what has been confirmed as the worst trading conditions for the profession since the early 1990s.

    1 minute read

  • July 29, 2009 | International Edition

    Headcount holds level but set to fall in 2010

    Lawyer headcount has yet to drop across the top 50 despite a series of unprecedented job cuts as expansion at some firms offsets plunging headcount at others. Legal Week research shows there were 33,886 lawyers working in top 50 UK firms on 30 April 2009, excluding trainees and paralegals. This compares with 33,109 on the same date the previous year. Total staff numbers across the group fell by around 1,600 to 78,675.

    1 minute read

  • July 29, 2009 |

    Mixed fortunes for £100m-plus City firms as profits fall by 23%

    Firms in the City-based £100m group have fallen further behind the magic circle over the last financial year. The 11 firms in the group, which include all of the City top 10 outside the magic circle as well as CMS Cameron McKenna, SJ Berwin, Bird & Bird, Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Denton Wilde Sapte and Nabarro, on average saw turnover drop by 2%, with profits per equity partner (PEP) down by just over 23%.

    1 minute read

  • July 29, 2009 |

    Headcount holds level but set to fall in 2010

    Lawyer headcount has yet to drop across the top 50 despite a series of unprecedented job cuts as expansion at some firms offsets plunging headcount at others. Legal Week research shows there were 33,886 lawyers working in top 50 UK firms on 30 April 2009, excluding trainees and paralegals. This compares with 33,109 on the same date the previous year. Total staff numbers across the group fell by around 1,600 to 78,675.

    1 minute read

  • July 23, 2009 |

    BoA Merrill finalises new top-level EMEA team

    Bank of America Merrill Lynch has completed an overhaul of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) legal function in the wake of the banks' 2008 merger, coming up with a 13-strong leadership team. The overhaul names 13 leaders for teams including fixed income, corporate & investment banking and debt capital markets. In addition, four lawyers have been chosen to lead legal support in EMEA for their respective areas.

    1 minute read

  • July 22, 2009 |

    Student legal news round up

    Reactions to the government's 'Panel on Fair Access to the Professions' report, Oxford University Press (OUP) and BPP National Mooting Competition result and more good news for Bristol legal sector. Sheffield Hallam University has struck a blow for non-red brick universities by winning this year's Oxford University Press (OUP) and BPP National Mooting Competition. The two victorious mooters, Charlotte Dowson and Christopher Wilkinson, received a certificate, trophy, £750 and a chance to gain experience with BPP's pro bono centre.

    1 minute read

  • July 22, 2009 |

    Perks of the job

    Legal Week takes a look at some of the bait law firms are using during vacation schemes to hook potential recruits - including treasure hunts, medieval banquets and trips to New York. Linklaters underlines its credentials as an employer of sophisticated people with a taste for the finer things in life by whisking off its vac schemers to the theatre.

    1 minute read

  • July 21, 2009 |

    Perks of the job

    Legal Week takes a look at some of the bait law firms are using to hook potential recruits...

    1 minute read