• January 31, 2008 |

    Elite US firms struggle to attract senior partner hires in the City

    Lateral partner hires among elite US firms in London have slowed during the last year, according to research from Legal Week, which illustrates the uphill struggle faced by US firms attempting to recruit leading names in the City.The survey of hiring trends at 23 US firms in London found they made a total of 65 lateral hires in 2007, up from 58 the previous year but down on 2005, when hiring activity peaked and 70 lawyers were recruited.Significantly, some of the US' top firms saw a fall in partner-hiring activity with 10 firms, including Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis, Weil Gotshal & Manges and Baker & McKenzie, all reporting a drop in lateral appointments.

    1 minute read

  • January 25, 2008 |

    Paris boutique Lussan lands SocGen fraud role

    Paris boutique Lussan & Associes has landed a profile-raising mandate to advise Societe Generale on its lawsuit against a trader accused of defrauding the French lender and causing losses of around €4.9bn (£3.7bn). Lussan partner Francois Martineau, whose broad practice covers M&A, banking, business crimes and insolvency, is leading the team advising SocGen on its claim against the trader, Jerome Kerviel.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2008 |

    UK trainees avoid crunch fallout as top firms' retention soars above 90%

    Trainee retention rates across the UK's elite legal profession have remained steadfast, with many firms keeping hold of more than 90% of their intake despite a sharp dip in City lawyers' overall business confidence. Eighteen out of 25 of the UK's top firms are holding on to more than 90% of their March class of qualifying lawyers, including six firms with a 100% retention rate.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2008 | International Edition

    UK trainees avoid crunch fallout as top firms' retention soars above 90%

    Trainee retention rates across the UK's elite legal profession have remained steadfast, with many firms keeping hold of more than 90% of their intake despite a sharp dip in City lawyers' overall business confidence. Eighteen out of 25 of the UK's top firms are holding on to more than 90% of their March class of qualifying lawyers, including six firms with a 100% retention rate.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    London lawyers fare well in US firms' latest partnership promotions round

    London lawyers have made up around 10% of US firms' overall partnership additions in the latest promotions round. The latest firms to announce their promotions are Dechert, Jones Day and McDermott Will & Emery, which between them have named 98 lawyers as partners worldwide, although only nine of those are London based.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 | International Edition

    Farrers taps Trowers for property practice boost

    City law firm Farrer & Co has bagged a new partner taking Carrie Faller from Trowers & Hamlins to boost its property practice. Faller, who joins Farrers on 14 January, sat in Trowers' commercial property practice, where she was a partner. She has experience in working on property investment, joint ventures, waste management and mineral extraction and private finance initiative projects. Her arrival means Farrers now has five dedicated property partners.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    Farrers taps Trowers for property practice boost

    City law firm Farrer & Co has bagged a new partner taking Carrie Faller from Trowers & Hamlins to boost its property practice. Faller, who joins Farrers on 14 January, sat in Trowers' commercial property practice, where she was a partner. She has experience in working on property investment, joint ventures, waste management and mineral extraction and private finance initiative projects. Her arrival means Farrers now has five dedicated property partners.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    Marathon men

    Today's City lawyers seem to like nothing more than a bit of charity work - particularly if it involves a fun task in an exotic location. But with so many people growing moustaches, jumping out of planes and rowing across oceans to raise funds - often all at once - bog-standard marathon-running seems a little passe these days.

    1 minute read

  • January 9, 2008 |

    Jones Day makes corporate hire from Cadwalader in London expansion push

    Jones Day has coaxed Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft London corporate partner Peter Baldwin over to its City operation.

    1 minute read

  • January 9, 2008 |

    Major US law firms bet on Obama to win 2008 presidential election race

    US law firms are throwing their financial muscle behind the Democrats' attempts to reach the White House, with the legal sector providing more funding to the party's leading candidates than any other industry.

    1 minute read