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  • December 5, 2013 |

    Davis Polk's City base tops client rankings for quality of advice

    Davis Polk & Wardwell's drive to build an English law practice in London has been endorsed by its clients after they gave it the top ranking for legal advice in the annual Legal Week Intelligence Client Satisfaction Report. News that the Wall Street firm leads the field for quality of legal advice comes hard on the heels of its hiring of a fourth English law partner – Ashurst finance partner Nick Benham – and its launch of a London trainee scheme.

    1 minute read

  • December 5, 2013 |

    Law firms set for payouts in wind-down of Lehman's Europe operations

    More than 30 law firms owed money by Lehman Brothers International Europe (LBIE) are in line for a payout, after the bank's administrators PwC confirmed a group of creditors would be entitled to distributions in the New Year.

    1 minute read

  • December 5, 2013 |

    Ashurst's post-merger ructions throw spotlight on its corporate and private equity practices

    In the wake of an international merger and a change in senior management, it would be surprising not to find a seam of discontent in a firm's partnership. And as such Ashurst's merger with Australia's Blakes and the subsequent failure of senior partner Charlie Geffen to win the chairmanship has certainly set the rumour mills into gear. The Blakes tie-up finally went live at the beginning of last month. It was a process that nobody could accuse Ashurst of rushing: discussions with the Australian firm first became public in June 2011, with the deal signed in September that year.

    1 minute read

  • December 3, 2013 |

    A&O vote due on hire of ex-Ashurst corporate head Lloyd

    Former Ashurst global corporate head Stephen Lloyd is set to join Allen & Overy (A&O), in a major coup for the magic circle's transactional practice. Legal Week understands A&O partners are expected to vote later this week on Lloyd joining the partnership, with partners confident he will be elected.

    1 minute read

  • December 3, 2013 |

    Bird & Bird posts 5% hike in revenue at half year point after Denmark merger

    Bird & Bird has posted a 5% rise in revenue at the 2013-14 half-year mark. The firm, which manages its accounts in euros, did not disclose an exact half-year turnover figure but the figures come after the firm posted revenue increase of £249m for the full 2012-13 financial year, up 6% from £235m. This year's half-year results account for the firm's office opening in Denmark, when it merged with local ally Bender von Haller Dragsted in May.

    1 minute read

  • December 2, 2013 |

    Ashurst sees H1 revenue climb 6% to fall just short of £300m

    Ashurst has revealed a 5.8% increase in its half-year results, taking revenue for the combined firm to £298m, up from £281.7m in the same period last year. Last November Ashurst posted a 6% dip in half-year revenues, attributing the drop to tough markets and currency fluctuations.

    1 minute read

  • November 28, 2013 |

    Female partner promotions fall 40% at Australia's big six firms

    The number of female partner promotions at Australia's big six law firms has dropped by almost 40% in the last year despite an industry-wide push to boost gender diversity. Across the national partnerships of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), Ashurst, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Allens, Clayton Utz and Minter Ellison, just nine women made partner in 2013 out of a total of 35 internal promotions (26%), research by Legal Week has shown. This figure has dipped significantly since 2012, when more than 40% of all partner appointments – 24 out of 58 across the six outfits – were female.

    1 minute read

  • November 27, 2013 |

    Siemens legal chief Solmssen resigns as GC role removed from board

    Siemens general counsel Peter Solmssen is to resign from the company at the end of the year, after six years in the role. The company said Solmssen, who served as both GC and head of legal and compliance, is leaving by mutual agreement.

    1 minute read

  • November 22, 2013 |

    Stephenson Harwood grows first half revenue by 10%

    Stephenson Harwood has posted a 10% rise in half year revenue for 2013-14. The firm brought in revenue of £57m for the first six months of the financial year, up on £51.4m at the same point in 2012-13.

    1 minute read

  • November 22, 2013 |

    OC posts 12% H1 revenue hike on back of European expansion

    Osborne Clarke has reported a 12% rise in revenue for the first half of 2013-14, following a period of investment over the past two years. The firm's revenue grew to £60.7m, up from the £53.4m recorded at the 2012-13 half-year mark. Osborne Clarke's offices in London, Bristol and Reading brought in revenue of £39.1m, 8% up on the equivalent point last year.

    1 minute read