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  • March 8, 2013 |

    Access to the legal profession: a student's perspective

    The practice of law is undoubtedly changing. The profession is now much more diverse and accessible than it was 50 years ago. However entering the law is still notoriously difficult, with barriers at every stage of the process; from funding studies, to past performance, to gaining the much coveted training contract.

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 | International Edition

    Betting on in-house – can corporate moves into legal services win credibility?

    "At a time when in-house advisers are under growing pressure to demonstrate their worth to the wider business, why not try to leverage skills already housed within the department to make a profit from external clients or make new inroads where they know they have a ready made client base to serve?"

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 |

    Betting on in-house – can corporate moves into legal services win credibility?

    "At a time when in-house advisers are under growing pressure to demonstrate their worth to the wider business, why not try to leverage skills already housed within the department to make a profit from external clients or make new inroads where they know they have a ready made client base to serve?"

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 |

    Paper trail – are paperless trials the way forward for UK courts?

    Billed as the biggest trial in the British courts in terms of value, the case brought in 2011 by Boris Berezovsky against fellow Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was always going to attract plenty of interest. With accusations of blackmail, breach of trust and breach of contract, as well as a damages claim of £3.8bn, the scene was set for high drama. The ensuing litigation proved to be a first on a number of counts, not least for being the first case to be heard at the High Court's commercial arm, the Rolls Building.

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 |

    Pinsents adds partner duo with KPMG and Competition Commission hires

    Pinsent Masons has strengthened its EU and competition practice with the hire of ex-Simmons & Simmons partner and Postcomm legal director Jenny Block. Block will join Pinsents' London office on 19 March as a partner following a spell working as a legal adviser at the Competition Commission. Her arrival at Pinsents will bring the number of partners in the EU and competition practice to five.

    1 minute read

  • March 6, 2013 |

    Addleshaws and Nabarro call off talks over near-£300m merger deal

    Addleshaw Goddard and Nabarro have confirmed that the two firms held merger talks, with preliminary discussions ending at the start of February. The failed talks, which were first reported by Legal Business earlier today (6 March), could have created a combined firm with revenues of more than £280m, putting it just outside the top 10 UK firms by revenue.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Hogan Lovells, SJB and Herbert Smith see retention rates fall from last year

    Hogan Lovells, SJ Berwin and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) have become the latest UK top 20 firms to confirm their trainee retention figures for spring 2013, with all three posting lower rates than the equivalent intake last year. Hogan Lovells has posted a 76% retention rate after 26 newly qualified (NQ) lawyers accepted a role at the firm, from an intake of 34 trainees.

    1 minute read

  • February 26, 2013 |

    Dundas, HSF and Addleshaws win spots on Standard Life Investments roster

    Dundas & Wilson, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Addleshaw Goddard have all been reappointed to Standard Life Investments' real estate legal panel. The appointment will see the trio cover real estate work including construction, planning and litigation for Standard Life for a three-year period running from 1 January this year.

    1 minute read

  • February 19, 2013 |

    Macfarlanes continues hedge fund push with Akin Gump partner hire

    Macfarlanes has turned to US firm Akin Gump for the hire of an investment funds partner, not long after taking on a nine-strong City hedge fund boutique. Simon Thomas, who has been part of Akin Gump's London funds team for 10 years after joining from Dechert in 2002, joins Macfarlanes after the firm took over specialist hedge fund firm D Harris Co International (DHCI) last year, adding all of its nine City employees to its private equity practice.

    1 minute read

  • February 18, 2013 |

    Pinsents takes on four-partner life sciences team in Fasken hire

    Pinsent Masons has secured the services of a quartet of life sciences partners from Fasken Martineau including practice head Paul Ranson. Partners Allistair Booth, Stuart Richards and Charles Waddle make up the remainder of the team, which will be joining Pinsents' City office in the coming months.

    1 minute read