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  • May 17, 2012 |

    Quality marks - a patchy partnership always bodes ill

    As Dewey & LeBoeuf this week officially became the world's largest legal failure, it seems an appropriate moment to return to a theme touched on often in this column: the difference between success and failure in the high-end legal market. Years of covering the profession have made me believe it has surprisingly little to do with business models or market positioning. Though law firm leaders and commentators often belabour the 'right' strategy or shape for a firm, the global legal market offers a bewildering array of successful outfits operating wildly different models. What have Latham & Watkins, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, DLA Piper, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Clyde & Co and Travers Smith got in common? Not much. There is also often confusion between correlation and cause. Is Freshfields successful because it is magic circle, or magic circle because it is successful? That isn't semantics (though there is no clear answer).

    1 minute read

  • May 17, 2012 |

    CC and A&O among firms appointed to Munich Re's first-ever global panel

    Clifford Chance (CC) and Allen & Overy (A&O) are among a line-up of UK law firms to have been appointed to insurance giant Munich Re's first-ever global panel.

    1 minute read

  • May 17, 2012 |

    Field Fisher joins line-up of Rangers advisers with role for preferred bidder

    Field Fisher Waterhouse has been instructed by Rangers FC's would-be owner Charles Green, as the former Sheffield United chief executive negotiates an £8.5m deal to purchase the struggling Scottish football club. Sport head Patrick Cannon is leading the Field Fisher team, working alongside corporate partners Christine Phillips, David Wilkinson and Amerjit Kalirai with support from insolvency consultant Robin Tutty and associate Shash Dayal.

    1 minute read

  • May 9, 2012 |

    How the legal services market has changed

    It has been obvious for a long time that change was coming and that the increasing pace of the market meant traditional ways of formulating strategy were unlikely to be fast enough for law firms to be successful in the new world.

    1 minute read

  • May 3, 2012 |

    New entrants make mark in Manchester as local projects boost region's economy

    Against an ever more gloomy economic outlook in the UK, for some leading law firms, Manchester is offering the opportunity to defy the downturn, with a host of firms planning to expand in the city.

    1 minute read

  • May 1, 2012 |

    RPC and Charles Russell promotions see duo made up at both firms

    Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) and Charles Russell have both announced their annual partner promotions, with two lawyers made up to each of the firm's partnerships. Both of RPC's new partners are based in the firm's London headquarters, with Paul Joseph made up in intellectual property (IP), and Andy McGregor added to the top rank in the commercial disputes group.

    1 minute read

  • May 1, 2012 |

    Clydes announces first post-merger partner promotions with 14 made up

    Clyde & Co has announced its first partner promotions since its merger with legacy Barlow Lyde & Gilbert went live in November, with the combined firm making up 14 new partners. Half of the new partners are women, with the promotions split across the firm's UK and international offices, with the Middle East gaining six new partners.

    1 minute read

  • April 26, 2012 |

    Clydes tied into legacy Barlows office lease after deal falters

    Legacy Barlow Lyde & Gilbert staff could be forced to remain in the firm's Beaufort House offices until 2019, scuppering plans to integrate the London team with merger partner Clyde & Co's City workforce.

    1 minute read

  • April 26, 2012 |

    The Transfer Window: recent moves including BLP, Wragges and Simmons

    Simmons & Simmons has moved to boost its new asset management sector group with the hire of DLA Piper's UK investment funds team head David Williams, who is joining the firm as a partner in London. Williams, who was also a partner at DLA Piper, advises on investment funds and asset management work, especially private funds investing in private equity, illiquid credit, real estate and infrastructure.

    1 minute read

  • April 19, 2012 |

    Barlows Hong Kong exits underline Asia's increasing promise for insurance advisers

    "In the last six months there has been a notable recognition that the European and US economies are not going to recover anytime soon, so firms are looking to maximise their coverage in Asia – any law firm with a global strategy has to..."

    1 minute read