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  • 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

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Dealmaker: Benita Yu

    The Slaughter and May Hong Kong partner on time zone troubles, Prada and why lawyers aren't boring

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Law firms name first compliance officers for new regulatory regime

    Law firms across the UK have named the individuals who will take up the newly created compliance officer roles under the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) new regulatory regime. The SRA set a deadline of 1 January to approve law firms' compliance officers for legal practice (COLP) and finance and administration (COFA) – roles that have been brought in as part of the post-Legal Services Act shift to outcomes-focused regulation.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Shell advisers in focus as global panel review gets underway

    Royal Dutch Shell has kicked off a review of its global legal panel, in a move that will lead to the company's first overhaul of its primary legal advisers since 2010. General counsel Peter Rees QC confirmed that the energy and petrochemical giant had begun the process of reviewing its preferred advisers, with the new panel expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2013.

    1 minute read

  • January 3, 2013 |

    A&O and Slaughters take lead roles as Thomson Reuters acquires PLC

    Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughter and May have taken lead roles on a key legal publishing deal which has seen business information group Thomson Reuters acquire Practical Law Company (PLC). UK-based legal publisher PLC, which has more than 750 employees across its operations in London and New York, will become part of Thomson Reuters' legal product portfolio.

    1 minute read