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  • January 13, 2010 |

    McDermott abandons associate lockstep in favour of merit-based pay

    McDermott Will & Emery has become the latest firm to move away from lockstep and introduce a merit-based pay system for associates, reports The National Law Journal. The process will result in pay cuts for some of the firm's associates, with first-year salaries set to drop from $160,000 (£98,000) to $145,000 (£89,000) this year, according to Jeffrey Stone, the chairman of the firm's management committee.

    1 minute read

  • January 4, 2010 |

    Reed Smith adds two partners in the City with Dentons and Shell hires

    Reed Smith has bolstered its London offering with the addition of two new partners in the City. Former Reed Smith energy partner Sian Fellows has rejoined the firm from oil giant Shell, where she spent three years in a senior in-house role. Meanwhile, real estate lawyer Jimmy Theodorou joins as a partner from Denton Wilde Sapte, where he was an associate.

    1 minute read

  • December 21, 2009 |

    Training and education: All tied up

    The last few years have seen the College of Law, BPP Law School and, to a lesser extent, Kaplan Law School jostle with each other to secure tie-ups with the top law firms. In the main, firms have been receptive to their advances, with the result being that the vast majority of UK top 20 law firms - and many top 50 firms and US firms with London offices - now have arrangements in place to send their future trainees to study the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) exclusively with a certain course provider.

    1 minute read

  • December 18, 2009 |

    Shearman makes up City litigation associate in promotions round

    Shearman & Sterling has made up seven new partners in this year's promotions round, with the US firm's City office receiving one new partner. Litigation associate Richard Kelly joins the partnership in London, becoming the second partner in the firm's City litigation practice.

    1 minute read

  • December 15, 2009 |

    Media and sport

    Bird & Bird assesses the legal angles on a scandal-prone sporting world, while Reed Smith looks at how social media is playing havoc with many companies' risk management procedures.

    1 minute read

  • December 15, 2009 |

    Dewey makes up six to partnership as London misses out

    Dewey & LeBoeuf has left London out of its latest promotions round, with the firm making up six new partners. The lion's share of the promotions come in the US firm's New York office, which receives four new partners, with the other two promotions coming in Hong Kong and Milan.

    1 minute read

  • December 11, 2009 |

    Associate pay cuts are here to stay, say firms and analysts

    A growing number of US managing partners and consultants say recent cuts to associate pay will remain a feature of the market in 2010, writes the Am Law Daily. Some are even predicting more significant reductions in starting salaries in the year ahead, and UK lawyers will be watching developments closely, as the US market often has a knock-on impact on City pay rates.

    1 minute read

  • December 11, 2009 |

    Sidley makes up one new City partner in 15-strong promotions round

    Sidley Austin has handed 15 lawyers partnership in its annual promotion round, with one partner made up in the top 10 US law firm's City arm. Commercial litigator Steven Pitt is the only partner Sidley has promoted outside of the US, becoming the 41st partner in its UK office. The firm's UK practice was also recently expanded by the arrival of securities partner Bart Capeci from Allen & Overy.

    1 minute read

  • December 10, 2009 |

    Reed Smith City real estate lawyer joins partnership in global promotions round

    Reed Smith has announced the details of its firmwide promotions round, with 18 new partners set to be made up next month. The Anglo-American firm's London office will receive just one of the new appointments this year, with real estate lawyer Richard Ceeney set to join the City office's partnership.

    1 minute read

  • December 8, 2009 |

    Law firm innovation award

    Axiom makes a bold claim: "We are constructing the first compelling alternative to the traditional law firm for clients and lawyers alike." The judges - many of whom are buyers of legal services - were suitably impressed. Founded in New York in 2000, Axiom employs over 280 lawyers across offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington and London. The London office opened in 2007 and now employs 40 lawyers serving 35 large corporate clients.

    1 minute read