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  • March 8, 2013 |

    Access to the legal profession: a student's perspective

    The practice of law is undoubtedly changing. The profession is now much more diverse and accessible than it was 50 years ago. However entering the law is still notoriously difficult, with barriers at every stage of the process; from funding studies, to past performance, to gaining the much coveted training contract.

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 | International Edition

    Betting on in-house – can corporate moves into legal services win credibility?

    "At a time when in-house advisers are under growing pressure to demonstrate their worth to the wider business, why not try to leverage skills already housed within the department to make a profit from external clients or make new inroads where they know they have a ready made client base to serve?"

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 |

    Betting on in-house – can corporate moves into legal services win credibility?

    "At a time when in-house advisers are under growing pressure to demonstrate their worth to the wider business, why not try to leverage skills already housed within the department to make a profit from external clients or make new inroads where they know they have a ready made client base to serve?"

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2013 |

    Slaughters and Ashurst lead on Esure's London float

    Slaughter and May and Ashurst have won lead roles on the planned London listing of Esure, the insurer behind brands such as Sheilas' Wheels. The UK insurance company, which also owns half of price comparison website gocompare.com, hopes to raise £50m through an offer of ordinary shares to repay outstanding debt.

    1 minute read

  • March 6, 2013 |

    Slaughters heavyweight Randell joins FSA successor ahead of retirement

    Slaughter and May corporate heavyweight Charles Randell has been named as one of three independent directors of the new Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), ahead of his retirement from the magic circle firm this August. Randell, who has spent over 30 years at Slaughters after qualifying in 1982 and making partner in 1989, is one of the magic circle firm's best-known partners, and has in recent years advised the Treasury on a range of matters arising from the credit crunch, including the collapse of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley, as well as the Icelandic banks crisis.

    1 minute read

  • March 5, 2013 |

    CC overtakes Links as top law firm in annual ranking of business brands

    Clifford Chance (CC) has moved ahead of Linklaters to regain its position as the top-ranked law firm in the annual Superbrands poll of leading UK business brands. CC dropped to second place behind its magic circle rival last year, but retook the top law firm spot this year - despite dropping 63 places to rank 241 out of a total of 500 brands.

    1 minute read

  • March 5, 2013 |

    BLP, Pinsents and Eversheds among winners on Heathrow Airport panel

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Morton Fraser are among nine firms landing spots on Heathrow Airport Holdings' legal panel, with the duo appointed to the roster for the first time. The company, formerly known as BAA, has reappointed existing panel members Allen & Overy, Blake Lapthorn, Brodies, Eversheds, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Pinsent Masons, with the latter winning a spot after merging with longstanding adviser McGrigors last year.

    1 minute read

  • March 4, 2013 |

    Carillion teams up with Clarkslegal to offer employment law advice

    Carillion has turned legal services provider after teaming up with law firm Clarkslegal to offer employment law advice to businesses, organisations and individuals. The FTSE 250 construction and support services group has been developing the service since asking its 12 appointed panel firms to use its low-cost arm, Carillion Advice Services (CAS), for commoditised work last year.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Defying the odds – how Ladbrokes' legal overhaul helped it stay ahead of the pack

    While other retailers have suffered in the recession, the gambling sector is thriving. Alex Newman looks at how Ladbrokes' overhaul of its in-house department has helped it stay ahead of the pack...

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Retention rates at top 20 decline as economic climate pushes firms to cut back

    Trainee retention rates across the bulk of the UK's largest law firms have fallen this year, with research by Legal Week finding the average rate has dropped by almost 10% on last spring's qualifying intake. At the top 20 UK firms with a spring intake, an average of 76.5% of newly qualified (NQ) lawyers have been kept on this year, 9% down on the equivalent intake last year and 3% lower than last autumn's qualifying round. Of 441 trainees at the firms to have released details to date, 343 have been kept on – down on the total of 358 of 422 NQs kept on across the same group in spring 2012.

    1 minute read