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  • January 21, 2013 |

    Freshfields and Slaughters lead on £1.5bn Stansted sale

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills and Slaughter and May have landed key advisory roles on the £1.5bn sale of London's Stansted Airport to Manchester Airport Group (MAG). London's third busiest airport was put up for sale in August by Heathrow Airport Holdings (HAH), formerly known as BAA, after it was forced by the UK Competition Commission to sell off some of its airport assets.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 | International Edition

    New Year, new start?

    As omens go, news this week that HMV has finally called in administrators while CMS Cameron McKenna is to make around 40 redundancies in the UK means, barely three weeks in, 2013 is not getting off to an upbeat start. The UK law firm's redundancy plans make CMS only the latest in a fast-growing list of practices planning to scale back staff numbers in response to the prolonged malaise in Western economies.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    New Year, new start?

    As omens go, news this week that HMV has finally called in administrators while CMS Cameron McKenna is to make around 40 redundancies in the UK means, barely three weeks in, 2013 is not getting off to an upbeat start. The UK law firm's redundancy plans make CMS only the latest in a fast-growing list of practices planning to scale back staff numbers in response to the prolonged malaise in Western economies.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Libor's long tail – lawyers jostle as bank scandals spread through the market

    The new year may be a time to start afresh, but the Libor scandal that dominated business headlines in the second half of 2012 is – for advisers – showing no signs of abating. At Clifford Chance (CC), the news that its client Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is in the final stages of a settlement with US and UK regulators over its alleged Libor role means the firm's regulatory lawyers will have had a busy start to 2013.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Pinsent Masons and Linklaters advise on £321m M25 upgrade project

    Pinsent Masons and Linklaters are among a raft of firms advising on a deal that has seen construction companies Balfour Beatty and Skanska secure a £321m contract from the Highways Agency to upgrade the M25. A 50/50 joint venture (JV) between the companies – both of which are part of the Connect Plus motorway management consortium – is set to upgrade around 29 miles of road between junctions five to seven and 23 to 27 through Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Better out than in – how Carillion's legal process outsourcing venture worked wonders for the company

    Last year, Carillion launched a legal process outsourcing venture to help the company tackle its huge volume of employment work. Legal head Richard Tapp talks to Caroline Hill about how his unusual approach has brought about myriad opportunities...

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Opportunity for all? Non-uni qualification route raises fears of two-tier profession

    Government plans to support an apprenticeship route to qualification as a solicitor – in conjunction with BPP Law School – have made headline news in recent weeks, with many lauding the move as a key step forward for social mobility in the legal profession. Legal Week's recent Big Question survey on the subject found lawyers split on whether such a move would be positive for diversity or instead create a two-tier profession. Here are some of the best responses:

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Ladbrokes bets on change with major panel review and end to hourly billing

    Gaming group Ladbrokes has completed a sweeping overhaul of its external counsel that slashes its adviser roster, marks a major departure from hourly billing and deploys technology to bolster efficiency. Slaughter and May, SJ Berwin, Clyde & Co and South West firm Trethowans are among the primary appointees to the FTSE 250 company's legal panel.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    Slaughters moves to merit-based pay to reward exceptional associates

    Slaughter and May is overhauling its associate appraisal system in a move which will usher in merit-linked pay for the firm's more senior lawyers. The firm is not breaking with associate lockstep, but will have two salary bands available to lawyers from 4.5 years post-qualification experience (PQE) to partner - 'good' (where the majority will sit) and 'exceptional'.

    1 minute read

  • January 14, 2013 |

    Slaughters, White & Case and Matrix join converts to Living Wage

    Slaughter and May, White & Case and Matrix Chambers are among the latest legal outfits to have committed to paying the Living Wage to their lowest-paid staff, including all outsourced employees. The trio have joined a growing number of law firms, including Linklaters, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith Freehills and Olswang, to have been accredited by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF).

    1 minute read