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  • March 3, 2010 | International Edition

    US firms paused expansion in 2009 but are back on the hunt

    As Legal Week's survey of lateral hiring by US firms in London recently demonstrated, partner moves were thin on the ground in 2009, at least by the yardstick of recent years. The research found 59 hires across 37 of the largest US firms. This was substantially down on the senior recruitment seen at US firms over the last five years - this group managed 77 partner hires in 2008 - but in many ways it is surprising that the figure wasn't even lower. Lateral hiring virtually shut down in the first half of 2009 as firms drastically slashed costs in the worst phase of the global recession. The second half of the year, which saw an aggressive hiring spree from Greenberg Traurig Maher claim no less than 15 partners, was pretty active in contrast.

    1 minute read

  • March 3, 2010 |

    US firms paused expansion in 2009 but are back on the hunt

    As Legal Week's survey of lateral hiring by US firms in London recently demonstrated, partner moves were thin on the ground in 2009, at least by the yardstick of recent years. The research found 59 hires across 37 of the largest US firms. This was substantially down on the senior recruitment seen at US firms over the last five years - this group managed 77 partner hires in 2008 - but in many ways it is surprising that the figure wasn't even lower. Lateral hiring virtually shut down in the first half of 2009 as firms drastically slashed costs in the worst phase of the global recession. The second half of the year, which saw an aggressive hiring spree from Greenberg Traurig Maher claim no less than 15 partners, was pretty active in contrast.

    1 minute read

  • February 25, 2010 |

    QC appointments round sees almost 50% of applicants take silk status

    The latest round of QC appointments has been announced today (26 February), with 129 barristers claiming the elite kitemark. One hundred and twenty nine out of a total of 275 applicants have been awarded QC status, a success rate of 47% - up on last year's rate of 42% and the equivalent figure of 29% for 2007-08.

    1 minute read

  • February 24, 2010 |

    US firms scale back City recruitment as lateral hires fall to five-year low

    Lateral partner hiring by US firms in London fell to its lowest level since 2004 last year, according to new research from Legal Week. A survey of hiring trends at the City operations of 37 of the biggest US and transatlantic firms found there were just 59 lateral partner moves across the whole of 2009, with many firms shying away from expansion against the backdrop of the global recession.

    1 minute read

  • February 10, 2010 | International Edition

    Women in law: Role models

    "When I first started out I was doing a range of work - it was excellent exposure and I had to grow up very fast. It was the boom time in the late 80s and I decided to try my hand at a bigger firm. It was intimidating at first - every second person seemed to be public school and I thought I'd made a mistake. But I realised it was a lot more diverse, grew to love it and got involved in all sorts of interesting work. I haven't looked back."

    1 minute read

  • January 28, 2010 |

    Reed Smith sees partner profits rise to $1m mark as revenues fall

    Reed Smith has posted its financial results for 2009, with the firm reaching the $1m (£619,000) profits per equity partner mark for the first time, reports The Am Law Daily. However, while profits increased by 7%, revenues dipped by 3.8% to $942m (£583m).

    1 minute read

  • January 27, 2010 |

    Lovells brings in former Reed Smith partner to build Middle East practice

    Lovells has hired former Reed Smith partner Stephen York to head up its Middle East dispute resolution practice. York, who left Reed Smith's London office last autumn, will join Lovells next week (1 February) as a consultant, with a brief to grow the firm's regional disputes practice.

    1 minute read

  • January 27, 2010 |

    Reed Smith invests in City real estate with Olswang partner hire

    Reed Smith has bolstered its London real estate practice, making its second lateral hire into the group within a month. Real estate partner Philip Olmer is set to join the international firm next month from Olswang, where he has been a partner for more than a decade.

    1 minute read

  • January 19, 2010 |

    Testing the waters

    Two years into the financial crisis, Am Law 200 firms continue to grapple with their response to the new reality: that's the main theme from The American Lawyer's annual Law Firm Leaders survey, which shows an increased willingness among firms to implement a smorgasbord of short-term cost-cutting measures while pondering more fundamental changes.

    1 minute read

  • January 19, 2010 |

    Weil takes debut role for Canadian pension fund on Europe investment

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has acted for new client the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan on its debut European direct investment. The private equity arm of the Canadian pension fund is set to buy Acorn Care and Education - which provides foster care and schools for children with learning disabilities - for a reported £150m from Phoenix Equity Partners and Acorn's management after outbidding UK buyout house HG Capital.

    1 minute read