• November 7, 2013 | International Edition

    A thankless task – back office staff deserve more respect

    With a string of high-profile mergers from Ashurst Australia to King & Wood Mallesons and SJ Berwin going live in recent months, it can be easy to forget the leg work done behind the scenes – much of which it is still going on – to push these deals over the line. What at partner level boils down to a tie-up of compatible practices takes a serious amount of work from support teams ranging from human resources to marketing and IT to align systems and processes and unite the firms.

    1 minute read

  • November 7, 2013 |

    A thankless task – back office staff deserve more respect

    With a string of high-profile mergers from Ashurst Australia to King & Wood Mallesons and SJ Berwin going live in recent months, it can be easy to forget the leg work done behind the scenes – much of which it is still going on – to push these deals over the line. What at partner level boils down to a tie-up of compatible practices takes a serious amount of work from support teams ranging from human resources to marketing and IT to align systems and processes and unite the firms.

    1 minute read

  • November 7, 2013 |

    A technology odyssey – Information Technology Report 2013

    What does the future hold in store for law firms' technology systems? This year's Legal Week Intelligence Information Technology Report reveals all...

    1 minute read

  • November 7, 2013 |

    Ashurst corporate head resigns in wake of management elections

    Ashurst global head of corporate Stephen Lloyd has resigned from the partnership. Lloyd has been a partner at Ashurst since 2003 and was appointed joint head of the global corporate, commercial and competition practice in July alongside legacy Blakes partner Phil Breden who is based in Sydney.

    1 minute read

  • November 6, 2013 |

    Macfarlanes re-elects senior management team

    Macfarlanes has re-elected its senior management team, with managing partner Julian Howard and senior partner Charles Martin chosen to serve further three-year terms. The new terms will be Martin's (pictured) third as senior partner and Howard's second as managing partner. The re-elections were approved by the firm's partnership at the beginning of the year, with the new terms starting next May.

    1 minute read

  • November 5, 2013 |

    Ashurst completes governance overhaul with new board appointments

    Ashurst has completed the revamp of its global governance structure with the election of eight partners to its board. The appointments, which came into effect from 1 November, have finalised Ashurst's global management team after the firm voted through the full financial integration of Ashurst and legacy Blake Dawson.

    1 minute read

  • November 1, 2013 |

    Macfarlanes nabs Bakers energy partner as lateral hiring spree continues

    Macfarlanes has recruited Baker & McKenzie energy and projects partner Scott Brodsky to join its commercial practice, marking the firm's second lateral hire this month. Brodsky is co-managing partner of Bakers' Johannesburg office and has advised on a broad range of global projects in the power, renewable energy, oil and gas and transport sectors.

    1 minute read

  • October 31, 2013 |

    Ashurst rolls out diversity network to boost BME retention

    Ashurst has launched a network to help recruit and retain more black and minority ethnic (BME) lawyers and develop new links with clients. The network – called All at Ashurst – is headed by corporate partner Hammad Akhtar in London, with the firm planning to roll it out globally. It was launched last Friday by Trevor Phillips, former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The network is open to all members of staff and aims to assist the recruitment and retention of BME staff, raise awareness of all faiths, cultures and ethnicity, and develop internal and external connections with clients and the wider community.

    1 minute read

  • October 31, 2013 |

    Ashurst to launch new sector structure in post-merger internal shake-up

    Ashurst is set to roll out a new sector-based approach, shaking up its internal management structure as its merger with legacy Australian firm Blake Dawson goes live. The firm's practice heads are in consultation about which sectors the firm will focus on, with the new groups set to span its four existing practice lines. The sector focus approach is only currently in place in the energy, resources and infrastructure practice, with new divisions in the practice created for resources; utilities; social infrastructure and defence; and transport.

    1 minute read

  • October 31, 2013 |

    Dealmaker: Simon Cookson

    DLA Piper's real estate head on arrogant lawyers, being a hard task master and the perils of squash

    1 minute read