• July 17, 2008 |

    Testing times ahead: top lawyers' verdict on what the next 12 months holds in store

    Leading figures give their views on how the legal world fared over the past financial year and what they expect to happen next

    1 minute read

  • July 16, 2008 |

    Nabarro seals corporate coup with Travers partner hire

    Nabarro has moved to strengthen its position in the mid-tier corporate market with the hire of highly-regarded corporate lawyer Alasdair Steele from Travers Smith. Smith joined Travers in 1996 and made partner in 2005. Between 2000 and 2003 he was a director in the corporate finance team at ntl.His practice focuses on UK and cross-border corporate finance including public and private M&A.Nabarro corporate head Iain Newman told Legal Week: "Alasdair is an excellent lawyer and will be an excellent addition to the corporate department. The firm is committed to expanding the practice and we will continue to look for the right opportunities."

    1 minute read

  • July 11, 2008 |

    Pharma price-fixing case thrown out of court

    Jones Day, Norton Rose and SJ Berwin have won a landmark case which has seen an estimated £40m Serious Fraud office (SFO) case against five pharmaceutical companies thrown out the Court. The decision, which was handed down by Mr Justice Pitchford today (11 July) will see the SFO's case against Goldshield, Norton Healthcare, Generics UK, Ranbaxy UK, Kent Pharmaceuticals and a number of individuals struck out.

    1 minute read

  • July 10, 2008 |

    Magic circle trio break into profits top 10 as City firms move up Global 100

    Profits per equity partner (PEP) at top US law firms still narrowly exceed key UK rivals - despite the significant increases the magic circle have achieved in turnover and profitability in recent years. Figures compiled by Legal Week and The American Lawyer show that just three UK firms make it into the global top 10 by PEP - Slaughter and May, Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In contrast, seven US firms make the grade - headed by elite firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz.

    1 minute read

  • July 10, 2008 | International Edition

    Magic circle trio break into profits top 10 as City firms move up Global 100

    Profits per equity partner (PEP) at top US law firms still narrowly exceed key UK rivals - despite the significant increases the magic circle have achieved in turnover and profitability in recent years. Figures compiled by Legal Week and The American Lawyer show that just three UK firms make it into the global top 10 by PEP - Slaughter and May, Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In contrast, seven US firms make the grade - headed by elite firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz.

    1 minute read

  • July 10, 2008 |

    Strong Asian deal activity cited as Linklaters extends M&A league lead

    Linklaters has climbed to the top of the global and Asia-Pacific M&A rankings by value for the first half of this year, with roles on a string of high-profile deals, putting the firm comfortably ahead of its nearest rivals. Research carried out by Legal Week data partner Mergermarket shows Linklaters advised on the greatest value of global M&A deals over the six-month period ending 30 June, with the firm acting on 121 deals with a combined value of $380.8bn (£193.6bn).

    1 minute read

  • July 9, 2008 |

    Jones Day signs up for tailored LPC with BPP

    Jones Day has signed an exclusive agreement with BPP law school for the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The deal will see all of the firm's UK trainees studying for the LPC with BPP from September this year, with Jones Day tailoring parts of the course to reflect its needs. BPP is already the exclusive LPC provider to the City consortium of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, Lovells, Norton Rose and Slaughter and May.

    1 minute read

  • July 9, 2008 |

    Orrick hires Jones Day IP expert for patents work

    Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has hired Jones Day's former Los Angeles head of intellectual property (IP), Robert Dickerson. Dickerson, who was also previously managing partner of Lyon & Lyon, joins Orrick as a partner. His practice focuses on patent trial work. The US firm has made a number of additions to its IP practice recently, with the hire of Joseph Calvaruso, previously at Chadbourne & Parke, and Mark Wine, formerly of McDermott Will & Emery.

    1 minute read

  • July 4, 2008 |

    Weil Gotshal freezes London NQ pay at £90k

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has frozen its salaries for newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers at £90,000 this year after last year's 20% boost. The mid-Atlantic firm is set to keep all pay bands static. Three-year qualified lawyers at the firm currently take home £144,660.Despite not making any changes to its pay scale, the firm's NQ rates still make it one of the top payers in London, in line with many of the Wall Street elite.

    1 minute read

  • July 3, 2008 |

    Dentons bolsters City corporate team with hire of Reed Smith man Hierons

    Denton Wilde Sapte has bolstered its corporate practice with the addition of Reed Smith partner Richard Hierons. Hierons joins the top 20 UK law firm on 1 July after practising with Reed Smith for three years. Prior to joining Reed Smith, Hierons was a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld for five years, where he launched and headed up the US firm's UK corporate practice. He has also worked at Nabarro, where he was a partner for six years, and Clifford Chance.

    1 minute read