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  • October 9, 2009 |

    Leading firms nominated for 2009 British Legal Awards

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Bird & Bird and Norton Rose are among the nominees for a series of accolades at the 2009 British Legal Awards. The trio have been shortlisted for the prestigious Law Firm of the Year award alongside Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Clyde & Co, Kennedys and Stephenson Harwood. Norton Rose has also been nominated for a further two awards, including M&A Team of the Year, while Bird & Bird has secured nominations in three other categories, including Commercial Team of the Year.

    1 minute read

  • October 7, 2009 |

    Major UK law firms suffer drop-off in 2009 Global 100 results

    The UK's leading law firms have fallen back in the league of the world's largest legal practices, according to new research, with three City-based firms falling out of this year's Global 100. The ranking – a joint project between The American Lawyer and Legal Week – found total revenues at the world's 100 highest-billing law firms inched up 1.7% from the previous year, from $78.53bn to $79.92bn. Average fee income for a Global 100 practice was $799.2m, up from $785.3m in 2008.

    1 minute read

  • October 6, 2009 |

    Network Rail announces new legal panel with Eversheds appointment

    Network Rail has completed a review of its UK legal panel, awarding Eversheds a first-time appointment. The top 10 UK firm joins a host of firms on the rail operator's roster of external legal advisers for a three-year term. Other firms to win spots on the 12-firm panel include Clifford Chance (CC), Addleshaw Goddard, Simmons & Simmons, Berrymans Lace Mawer, Kennedys, Maclay Murray & Spens and Bond Pearce.

    1 minute read

  • September 30, 2009 |

    Blake Lapthorn review floats end to salaried partner rank

    Blake Lapthorn has joined the rank of firms looking to restructure their partnership, putting forward proposals to phase out its salaried partner rank. The firm is in talks with all 40 salaried partners about transferring to fixed-share partner status, a move which would help the firm cut costs and align its partnership before converting to limited liability status in May 2010.

    1 minute read

  • September 30, 2009 |

    Reed Smith hires third London partner in a month

    Reed Smith has made its third lateral partner hire in London in a month, bringing in litigator Robert Falkner from Morgan Lewis & Bockius. Falkner joins the US firm's European and Middle East dispute resolution practice today (1 October), bringing with him a practice focused on financial services. He has experience representing clients including investment banks, broker dealers and fund managers.

    1 minute read

  • September 28, 2009 |

    Davenport Lyons recruits former Olswang corporate tax partner

    West End firm Davenport Lyons has bolstered its corporate tax practice with the hire of former Olswang partner Gerald Montagu. Montagu left Olswang in April, having been a partner with the firm for 16 months. He focuses on tax planning for clients in the financial, leisure and media sectors both domestically and internationally.

    1 minute read

  • September 23, 2009 |

    Addleshaws weighs up move towards all-equity partnership

    Addleshaw Goddard is looking to overhaul its partnership structure, with the firm taking its first steps towards going all-equity. The national firm is considering phasing out its 74-strong fixed-share partner rank in preference of an all-equity partnership model - a move that could be in place as early as May next year.

    1 minute read

  • September 23, 2009 | International Edition

    Commentary: Partner hires - the revolving door starts spinning again

    With the first half of 2009 defined by widescale redundancies and partnership restructurings at some of the City's top names, the fallout has meant the trend post-summer is equally clear: lateral hiring - and lots of it. Barely a day goes by without claim or confirmation of another partner move; generally someone heading out of a top 10 City firm for somewhere smaller, although not exclusively - as Linklaters' hire of Herbert Smith litigation partner Christa Band demonstrates.

    1 minute read

  • September 23, 2009 |

    Commentary: Partner hires - the revolving door starts spinning again

    With the first half of 2009 defined by widescale redundancies and partnership restructurings at some of the City's top names, the fallout has meant the trend post-summer is equally clear: lateral hiring - and lots of it. Barely a day goes by without claim or confirmation of another partner move; generally someone heading out of a top 10 City firm for somewhere smaller, although not exclusively - as Linklaters' hire of Herbert Smith litigation partner Christa Band demonstrates.

    1 minute read

  • September 23, 2009 |

    Smart talking

    One of the first industries to ride the mobile email wave was the legal sector. Busy, often travelling and with a constant influx of calls and emails to manage, lawyers soon recognised that pocket-sized mobile devices were the ideal tools to remain connected to clients and colleagues and manage hectic diaries while out of the office. Access to email on the go is often credited with improving client service, greater efficiency and increased productivity. We are now witnessing a quiet revolution in the way its technology is being utilised by law firms.

    1 minute read