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  • August 15, 2012 |

    Slaughters, Sullivan guide Standard Chartered to £217m US settlement

    Slaughter and May corporate partner Nigel Boardman and dispute resolution partner Richard Swallow helped Standard Chartered yesterday (14 August) reach a $340m (£217m) settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) over allegations that it breached US sanctions and hid transactions with Iran. The magic circle firm provided UK advice to the bank, alongside Wall Street leader Sullivan & Cromwell, where corporate and financing partner Rodgin Cohen and dispute resolution partner Samuel Seymour provided US advice. Both firms were instructed after the alleged illegal activity took place.

    1 minute read

  • August 13, 2012 |

    A&O's Morley to chair new board for PRIME diversity initiative

    Allen & Overy (A&O)senior partner David Morley has been appointed to chair a new board set up to oversee social mobility initiative PRIME as the scheme nears its one-year anniversary. A raft of senior names from the UK's largest law firms have been appointed to the new six-person board, with Addleshaw Goddard senior partner Monica Burch, CMS Cameron McKenna senior partner Dick Tyler, DLA Piper board member Janet Legrand and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer corporate finance head Barry O'Brien all on the line-up alongside Morley. The final board member is educational charity The Sutton Trust's director of programmes and partnerships James Turner.

    1 minute read

  • August 7, 2012 |

    Slaughters, Sullivan advise Standard Chartered on latest banking scandal

    Slaughter and May has secured a mandate advising Standard Chartered in relation to claims by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) that the bank was involved in a $250bn (£160bn) money laundering scheme with the Iranian government. The magic circle firm is advising over allegations published by the DFS yesterday (6 August), which claim the bank violated US sanctions for almost 10 years, alleging it "schemed with the Government of Iran and hid from regulators roughly 60,000 secret transactions, involving at least $250bn (£160bn)."

    1 minute read

  • August 7, 2012 |

    Shoosmiths converts to LLP and revamps brand

    Shoosmiths has converted to a limited liability partnership (LLP) making it one of the last firms in the UK top 50 to make the change. The national firm became an LLP last week (6 August), coinciding with the end of a 12-month review of the firm's brand and position in the market, which culminated in a brand and website re-launch.

    1 minute read

  • August 7, 2012 |

    Freshfields, Bird & Bird and SJ Berwin confirm trainee retention rates

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Bird & Bird, SJ Berwin and Field Fisher Waterhouse have all confirmed trainee retention rates for their September 2012 qualifiers, with all bar SJ Berwin keeping on more than 80% of their intake.

    1 minute read

  • August 2, 2012 |

    You're fired - how angry clients get to the point of dumping their advisers

    GCs usually eschew the drama of dumping advisers but relationships can easily wither and die. Caroline Hill examines how the client/law firm bond can break

    1 minute read

  • August 2, 2012 |

    Herbert Smith and Slaughters lead on $1.5bn Chinese North Sea purchase

    Herbert Smith and Slaughter and May have advised on a $1.5bn (£959m) energy M&A deal which has seen China's Sinopec acquire almost half of Talisman Energy's UK North Sea business. The Chinese energy and petrochemical giant has taken a 49% stake in Talisman Energy (UK) Limited, which owns 46 North Sea fields and operates 11 offshore platforms.

    1 minute read

  • July 31, 2012 |

    BLP, Mishcons and Burges Salmon post autumn NQ retention figures

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Mishcon de Reya, Burges Salmon and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe have all confirmed their retention figures for this September's trainee intakes. BLP is keeping on 80% of its 20 trainees after 16 newly qualified (NQ) lawyers accepted positions at the firm. The percentage is slightly down from last September's figure, when the firm retained 95% (19) of its 20 trainees.

    1 minute read

  • July 26, 2012 | International Edition

    UK top 50 law firms drive profits back towards boom-time high

    The UK's top law firms have overcome continued uncertainty in the global economy to achieve a second consecutive year of growth, while top 50 firms push partner profits back towards a boom-time high.

    1 minute read

  • July 26, 2012 |

    UK top 50 law firms drive profits back towards boom-time high

    The UK's top law firms have overcome continued uncertainty in the global economy to achieve a second consecutive year of growth, while top 50 firms push partner profits back towards a boom-time high.

    1 minute read