• January 12, 2012 |

    Simmons and Latham among firms joining PRIME as membership doubles to 50

    PRIME, the groundbreaking social mobility initiative launched by 23 law firms last year, has more than doubled the number of participating firms, with 50 now committed to the programme. Simmons & Simmons, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown and Taylor Wessing are among the additional firms to have signed up to the initiative since its launch last September, as interest in the scheme continues to grow.

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  • January 12, 2012 |

    Addleshaws chief Devitt takes new term at top after uncontested vote

    Addleshaw Goddard managing partner Paul Devitt has been re-elected for a second three-year term after an uncontested vote. Devitt, the former head of corporate at the UK top 20 firm, has held the managing partner role since 2009 when his predecessor, Mark Jones, stepped down after 17 years.

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  • January 11, 2012 |

    UK law firms sign up to support Government social mobility push

    Ten top UK law firms have signed up to a government-led scheme to boost social diversity among big business. The participating organisations - which also include the Bar Council and the Legal Services Board - have committed to participate in initiatives aimed to benefit low income or minority ethnic groups, including encouraging staff to become mentors and ensuring equal access to work experience placements.

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  • January 10, 2012 |

    UK law firm quartet line up on Blacks and La Senza administrations

    Addleshaw Goddard, Travers Smith, Linklaters and SJ Berwin have all taken roles on the pre-pack administrations of Blacks Leisure and lingerie chain La Senza, in the latest retail collapses to hit the high street. Travers took the lead role for Blacks after KPMG was appointed as administrator on Monday (9 January). The firm's team was led by head of corporate finance Spencer Summerfield and corporate recovery chief Jeremy Walsh.

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  • January 3, 2012 |

    Taylor Wessing adds partner to data protection team with Speechly hire

    Taylor Wessing has expanded its data protection team with the hire of Speechly Bircham partner Vinod Bange. Bange, who specialises in data protection and privacy laws, information security legal risk, corporate compliance and technology law, has been a partner at Speechly since 2009 when he joined from Eversheds, where he was a senior associate.

    1 minute read

  • December 19, 2011 |

    BLP boosts Singapore with Watson Farley corporate partner

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has bulked up its Singapore arm with the hire of Watson Farley & Williams local corporate head Ken Cheung. Cheung is set to join the firm in the New Year after 11 years at Watson Farley, seven of which were spent as a partner.

    1 minute read

  • December 12, 2011 |

    Mishcons boosts property litigation group with Jones Day hire

    Mishcon de Reya is set to bulk up its property litigation group with the hire of Jones Day practice head Richard Anyamene. Anyamene will join Mishcons in January next year from his role as head of property litigation at Jones Day, and will work under practice head Daniel Levy.

    1 minute read

  • December 7, 2011 |

    Law Firm Innovation Award: QualitySolicitors

    "Our aim is to become the legal equivalent of Specsavers," states the new high street legal chain QualitySolicitors. QualitySolicitors has brought a network of local law firms under a single brand with the aim of competing with consumer giants such as Co-op and The AA that are entering the market as a result of the Legal Services Act.

    1 minute read

  • November 30, 2011 |

    Addleshaws postpones remuneration review until next year

    Addleshaw Goddard has pushed back plans to overhaul its partner remuneration structure until next financial year.

    1 minute read

  • November 23, 2011 |

    Stephenson Harwood posts 4% increase for first half

    Stephenson Harwood has continued its upward trajectory and posted a 4% increase in revenues at the half-year stage, becoming the latest in a string of UK law firms to announce positive financial results. The firm's revenues for the six-month period ending 31 October rose to £51.4m from £49.6m a year ago. It comes after the top 30 firm saw revenues climb by 16% during the full 2010-11 financial year to £107m, marking the third consecutive year of growth for the firm despite the 
economic downturn.

    1 minute read