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  • October 30, 2008 |

    Bird & Bird launches third China office

    Bird & Bird has launched an office in Shanghai, giving the firm its third base in China.The top 25 law firm secured its licence during the last month and has already set up a small office with Hong Kong-based partner Shirley Kwok as chief representative.Kwok, an intellectual property (IP) partner, will split her time between Shanghai and Hong Kong, while Beijing commercial partner Grace Chen will spend the majority of her time in Shanghai. The law firm is currently also staffed by one full-time corporate senior associate.Bird & Bird's China managing partner and head of IP, Matthew Laight, said the new office should grow to around 20 lawyers. It will focus mainly on corporate and commercial work as well as advising on IP matters. According to Laight, client demand in Shanghai comes from the media, publishing and distribution sectors as well as the IT sector. He added: "Shanghai is perfect for us because it has all of the key sectors present that are the firm's strengths worldwide. We are really pleased about it."Although the firm has represented clients in Shanghai for some time, it could only open the base now because of local rules requiring that firms wait three years before applying to open a second office in mainland China.Bird & Bird launched its Beijing office in 2004 having opened in Hong Kong in 1995. The new base in Shanghai comes after a period of expansion for Bird & Bird's Asia corporate practice. Most recently it added corporate partner Matthew Wong from K&L Gates as the sixth partner in its Hong Kong office.

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  • October 29, 2008 |

    Scandinavia: A piece of the action

    Change is in the air in Scandinavia. The region's legal centre, Stockholm, has long been dominated by a combination of the major Swedish players and a number of international outfits. However, ambitious Finnish firms are increasingly looking to muscle in on the action. At the same time, there are signs that the Norwegian and Danish legal markets - long considered rather local-minded - may be beginning to open up.

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  • October 23, 2008 |

    Kaplan voices interest in BVC replacement

    The number of law schools offering the new Bar entrance course, the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) looks set to increase, with Kaplan Law School - a joint venture operating with Nottingham Law School - considering whether to enter the market. The London college is to decide in the coming weeks whether or not to offer the Bar training course, after the Bar Standards Board (BSB) gave potential new providers until the end of the month to express their interest in offering the course.

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  • October 22, 2008 |

    Bird & Bird to send all LPC trainees to Kaplan

    Kaplan Law School has signed up Bird & Bird to its new tailored Legal Practice Course in a deal that will see all of the firm's future UK trainees studying with the school from September 2009. Students will use Bird & Bird precedents and research facilities and will work alongside Bird & Bird lawyers on the course.

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  • October 22, 2008 |

    Former Morgan Lewis partner sets up own firm

    Former Morgan Lewis partner Rory Graham has set up his own practice specialising in complex technology deals, product liability and dispute resolution. Graham, who has also been a partner at Baker & McKenzie and Bird & Bird, joins forces with Baker & McKenzie associate Robert Coffey to create Coffey Graham. Graham's practice focuses on technology and outsourcing while Coffey is a dispute resolution lawyer.

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  • October 15, 2008 |

    England's number one

    Talented footballers representing England recently emerged victorious in a European football tournament, when the scenes of jubilation pictured above took place.If the news seems unlikely and the picture looks unfamiliar (happy sportsmen waving an England flag - a rare sight indeed), that'll be because the tournament was only open to lawyers and support staff from Bird & Bird's European offices.A total of 140 participants - drawn from offices across nine of the UK-based law firm's European countries of residence - got together to take part in the event in Cambridge.And for the second year running, the trophy was won by England, this year defeating Sweden in the final. However, in a surprise twist, the England reserves (otherwise known as England 'B') beat the England first team in one of the semi-final matches. And to add insult to injury, the winning goal in the semi-final was scored by a Scotsman - marketing executive Peter Hill - striking a blow against all the naysayers who claim that the services of our north-of-the-border cousins will not be required for the proposed 2012 Olympics Great Britain football team.

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  • October 9, 2008 |

    Law firms struggle to resolve status of own foreign workers

    A raft of top law firms have been drafted in to help the Government cope with new immigration standards as solicitors themselves struggle to resolve the status of their own foreign workers.CMS Cameron McKenna, Baker & McKenzie, Bird & Bird, Gherson, Hammonds, PwC Legal, Speechly Bircham and Wragge & Co are among the law firms appointed by the Border Agency in preparation for new immigration rules due to come into effect next month. The law firms will act as third-party auditors and advisers for companies seeking the sponsorship licence now needed to continue employing overseas workers. The unusual appointment of outside counsel comes as the agency struggles to cope with a flood of applications. The law firms will help carry out checks including onsite audits of employers' human resources systems from companies hoping to meet the new requirements. The deadline for applications was 1 October and those failing to obtain a licence by the end of November will find it hard to bring in overseas workers. The changes also affect law firms as while partners would fall into tier one of the five new tiers - meaning they do not need sponsorship - associates would normally fall into tier two and require a work permit sponsored by their employer. Most of the top 15 City law firms have applied for a licence in recent weeks but, so far, only magic circle firms Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance have been awarded licences. Law firms without a licence will be restricted from hiring non-European Union staff below partner level.Camerons is one of the only top City firms that has not yet applied for a sponsorship licence. The firm is intending to comply but said it is putting off the application as it intends to try and bring the bulk of its workers in under tier one. Bakers global migration associate Tony Haque said: "Many law firms have delayed applying until [the Government's] requirements became clearer. Firms could find themselves in a position, where they cannot get their [desired] people until the licence is approved." Speechly Bircham immigration solicitor Nick Hobson said: "Many law firms have questioned, in a downturn like this, why are they having to focus inward and invest valuable resources rather than focusing outward and getting work in?"

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  • October 9, 2008 |

    Bird & Bird hire lifts HK corporate practice

    Bird & Bird has boosted its Hong Kong corporate practice with the addition of a lateral partner from K&L Gates. Matthew Wong has joined the top 25 UK law firm from K&L Gates' Hong Kong office, where he was also a partner.Wong's practice focuses on private equity, M&A, corporate finance and cross-border work. He will be Bird & Bird's second corporate partner in Hong Kong alongside Asia corporate and commercial head Marcus Vass, with the hire taking the total partner count in the office to six.The hire is part of a wider strategy to build on the firm's cross-border corporate capacity. Mark Pinder, Bird & Bird's joint head of international corporate, said: "He has a good practice of his own and he is a genuine Hong Kong lawyer. I wanted someone on the ground who could recruit locally. "Next we need to build the [Hong Kong] corporate group with someone with a lot of international experience."Wong is Bird & Bird's second Hong Kong partner hire this year as the firm added intellectual property partner Ai-Leen Lim from Singapore's Colin Ng & Partners in February. Bird & Bird launched in Hong Kong in 1995.

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  • October 1, 2008 |

    Bird & Bird launches Lyon corporate practice

    Bird & Bird has launched a dedicated corporate practice in Lyon with the hire of David Malcoiffe, who has joined as a partner from French law firm Soulier & Associes. Frederique Dupuis-Toubol, who heads up Bird & Bird's French operations, said: "The addition of such a strong corporate practitioner in our Lyon office greatly enhances our ability to serve the needs of the French market, but also enables us to broaden our offer to the firm's wider client base."

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  • September 19, 2008 |

    ...Legal Week Lunchbox: 19/09/08...

    The five most popular articles on legalweek.com today; the pick of the day's posts; and more

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