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  • July 4, 2013 |

    Branching out - how top law firms are going beyond the City to cut costs

    Deutsche Bank's global head of compliance, Simon Dodds, is one of many senior in-house lawyers to have called on City-based law firms to farm out straightforward legal work to low-cost centres. "Magic circle law firms in particular have a problem with their model. [They have] commoditised to some extent but lawyers are sitting in London – the most expensive place in the world," he told a Legal Week conference.

    1 minute read

  • June 27, 2013 |

    Firms clear to advise in Malaysia without local bases as 'fly-in, fly-out' gets OK

    International law firms doing business in Malaysia will be able to advise clients without having to set up an office in the country, as details emerge of new legislation set to open up the country's legal market this summer. Malaysian authorities had been expected to restrict firms from doing business in the country on a 'fly-in, fly-out' basis, preventing firms from advising clients on the ground without an office in the country. However, revised regulations, which will be debated by parliament next month, say law firms without Malaysian offices will still be able to advise clients in the country, provided their stay does not exceed 60 days per lawyer, per year.

    1 minute read

  • June 27, 2013 |

    Mining for mergers in the maple leaf state – will Canada follow Australia's lead with a wave of international tie-ups?

    Canada and Australia have a lot in common. They are both huge countries (9.98m sq km and 7.7m sq km respectively), sparsely populated (34.7m and 22.9m), literate (both 99%), wealthy ($41,500 (£27,000) and $42,400 (£27,500) GDP per head) and rich in natural resources. So when UK law firm Norton Rose announced mergers with two Canadian practices – Ogilvy Renault in 2011 and Macleod Dixon in 2012 – there was naturally speculation that Canada's legal market would follow the pattern set by its Australian counterpart, where almost all of the big domestic firms jumped into bed with international partners within a couple of years of each other. As David Corbett, managing partner at Canadian firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, recalls: "At the time of the Norton Rose merger, there was a lot of talk among the managing partners here as to whether Australia was a good analogy. The conclusion was that nobody knew and we would have to wait and see."

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2013 | International Edition

    Daring to be different – Travers' Chris Carroll on preserving the boutique model

    A lot has changed in the world in the 35 years since Travers Smith's outgoing senior partner Chris Carroll joined the firm in 1978. But as globalisation has driven many of the firm's most comparable City rivals through a series of international office launches and mergers, Travers has remained resolutely independent. Granted, with just over 60 partners and 250 lawyers, it is much bigger than it was when Carroll joined, when it numbered just 13 partners and employed just one female lawyer. Beyond these shifts in size, diversity and – of course – technology, much at Travers has remained the same. Even the firm's Snow Hill headquarters in Farringdon has moved just four doors down the road.

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2013 |

    A&O and Norton Rose Fulbright lead as Centrica enters UK shale gas market

    Allen & Overy (A&O) and Norton Rose Fulbright have won leading roles on a £160m deal that has seen Centrica make its entrance into the closely watched UK shale gas market. Centrica, which owns British Gas, has taken a 25% stake in the Bowland shale gas exploration licence in Lancashire after negotiations with UK shale gas explorer Cuadrilla Resources and Australian engineering group AJ Lucas, which previously held 75% and 25% stakes respectively in the fracking fields. A&O won a first-time mandate for Cuadrilla on the deal following a competitive process. The magic circle firm's London-based team was led by corporate partner John Geraghty, with support from tax partner Lydia Challen.

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2013 |

    Daring to be different – Travers' Chris Carroll on preserving the boutique model

    A lot has changed in the world in the 35 years since Travers Smith's outgoing senior partner Chris Carroll joined the firm in 1978. But as globalisation has driven many of the firm's most comparable City rivals through a series of international office launches and mergers, Travers has remained resolutely independent. Granted, with just over 60 partners and 250 lawyers, it is much bigger than it was when Carroll joined, when it numbered just 13 partners and employed just one female lawyer. Beyond these shifts in size, diversity and – of course – technology, much at Travers has remained the same. Even the firm's Snow Hill headquarters in Farringdon has moved just four doors down the road.

    1 minute read

  • June 19, 2013 |

    CC turns to Norton Rose Fulbright for corporate insurance partner hire

    Clifford Chance (CC) has sealed the hire of corporate insurance partner Ashley Prebble from Norton Rose Fulbright's City arm. Prebble joined legacy Norton Rose in 2003 from Dechert's London office, before making partner at the top 10 firm in 2006. His start date at the magic circle firm is not yet known.

    1 minute read

  • June 13, 2013 |

    Norton Rose Fulbright faces US name change conundrum

    Norton Rose Fulbright will temporarily retain its legacy Fulbright & Jaworski name in the US for regulatory reasons, it has emerged, as the firm seeks the approval of local state bars to formally change its legal identity to reflect the transatlantic merger. The newly merged firm, which was formed last week under the global brand of Norton Rose Fulbright, is still legally registered as Fulbright & Jaworski in the US. The firm explained that as legacy Fulbright practises in 50 states across the US, it now faces a complex and potentially lengthy process to comply with local bar rules on name changes. It confirmed that it plans to change its US legal entity name as soon as it is able to do so.

    1 minute read

  • June 13, 2013 |

    Norton Rose Fulbright wins role on $1.2bn Nigeria telecoms finance deal

    Norton Rose Fulbright's London arm has acted for telecoms operator Etisalat Nigeria on a $1.2bn (£772m) loan facility arranged with 13 banks. The newly merged firm won the role to advise Etisalat Nigeria after a competitive tender process. The facility, which was made available by 13 Nigerian banks including Zenith Bank and the United Bank for Africa, will be used to finance network upgrades and expansion.

    1 minute read

  • June 10, 2013 |

    Norton Rose Fulbright set for Dubai departures as Baker Botts eyes team

    Norton Rose Fulbright is expected to see the post-merger departure of a number of lawyers in Dubai, with a team from legacy Fulbright & Jaworski understood to be on the verge of a move. The bulk of legacy Fulbright's operation in Dubai's Festival City, which comprises eight partners, is understood to be considering a move to another firm in the emirate, with US firm Baker Botts understood to be in talks to take on a team.

    1 minute read