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  • January 6, 2010 |

    Stay on your toes

    Last year many of the top law firms asked volunteers to defer their training contract start dates - and in some cases gave trainees-to-be no choice in the matter. Some firms, including Norton Rose and Clifford Chance, accompanied deferrals with the payment of generous sums of up to £11,000 to students holding off for a year. Others, such as Shoosmiths, declined to pay anything.

    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 21, 2009 |

    Mayer Brown and Latham lead on $8.5m Ernst & Young settlement

    Mayer Brown and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have taken roles advising Ernst & Young (E&Y) in settlement talks with regulators over the accounting firm's failure to report fraudulent activity at one of its clients, reports The Am Law Daily. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had accused E&Y of issuing unqualified audit opinions that said that Chicago-based company Bally Total Fitness's 2001 and 2003 financial statements conformed with US accounting rules.

    1 minute read

  • December 15, 2009 |

    Weil Gotshal billings on Lehman bankruptcy rise to $127m

    Weil Gotshal & Manges' billings on the Lehman Brothers collapse have reached $127.1m (£78m), according to a new bankruptcy report filed yesterday (14 December). The monthly operating report filed by Weil bankruptcy partner Shai Waisman shows that Lehman has paid legal counsel and financial advisers nearly $533.5m (£328m) since entering Chapter 11 in September 2008.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Jones Day

    Hard-nosed product of the 2003 union between a US national giant and individualistic City outfit Gouldens. Has improved on a shaky start.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Nabarro

    With Nicole Paradise at the helm, this solid mid-tier outfit has one of the few female managing partners in the UK top 50...

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Macfarlanes

    This hard-working but merit-driven firm City thoroughbred has a top-notch rep for private equity and private client - though it's actually pretty handy for most stuff.

    1 minute read

  • December 8, 2009 |

    Litigation and regulatory team of the year

    Jones Day's work advising AIM-listed Sibir Energy in relation to allegations of fraud against two former directors has attracted glowing praise from the company's board. "Under the inspired leadership of Craig Shuttleworth the tactics have been impeccable," said director and former chief executive Stuard Detmer.

    1 minute read

  • December 8, 2009 |

    RBS solidifies legal panel with 18 firms given three-year terms

    Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has finalised a review of its legal panel, with at least 18 law firms making the grade. The bank, which kicked off a review of its external advisers in the spring, is in the process of formalising the appointments, with firms waiting for written confirmation.

    1 minute read

  • December 7, 2009 |

    Legal consultants seal merger deal to create Hildebrandt Baker Robbins

    Hildebrandt International, one of the top legal consulting firms in the US, is set to merge with tech consultancy Baker Robbins & Company, reports The Am Law Daily. Both companies are units of Thomson Reuters, which last Thursday (3 December) announced plans to lay off 240 employees in its legal businesses.

    1 minute read