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  • September 12, 2013 |

    The home guard – the missing identity of global law firms

    If year-on-year fee increases and a buoyant M&A market imbued a certain stasis, five years of economic woes have certainly driven change through the conservative legal profession. The comparative proliferation of global giants of the ilk of Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose Fulbright and, more recently, King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin (KWM) serve as fine examples of the diverging market, with an increasingly international client base driving the case for cross-border mergers.

    1 minute read

  • September 12, 2013 |

    Pay guarantees remain common despite widespread concerns over effectiveness

    The majority of partners regard guaranteed pay deals for senior lateral hires as an ineffective weapon in the war for talent, despite a consensus that such deals are common. Fifty-seven per cent of the respondents to Legal Week's latest Big Question survey said guaranteed deals were either not very effective (43%) or made no difference (14%) in helping law firms secure the best talent, with just 12% regarding them as very effective and 31% as quite effective.

    1 minute read

  • September 11, 2013 |

    Hong Kong opens second round of higher rights of audience applications

    The Hong Kong Law Society is this month accepting the second round of applications from solicitors for higher rights of audience (HRA) following new legislation introduced last year allowing non-barristers to appear in court. Solicitors from local and international law firms have been given one month from 1 September to apply for advocacy rights, with most required to undergo a litigation training programme overseen by the College of Law.

    1 minute read

  • September 10, 2013 |

    Bakers seals hire of McDermott's head of European M&A

    Baker & McKenzie has sealed the hire of McDermott Will & Emery's head of European M&A, Mats Sacklen. Sacklen, who is qualified in both Swedish and US law, has been at McDermott since April 2010 after joining from White & Case's City office.

    1 minute read

  • September 9, 2013 |

    Bakers and Blackstone work pro bono on JR of controversial QASA scheme

    Baker & McKenzie and Blackstone Chambers are acting pro bono for the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) on a judicial review challenging the legality of the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). Bakers disputes partner Joanna Ludlam and Dinah Rose QC and Tom De La Mare QC of Blackstone are leading the proceedings brought against the Legal Services Board (LSB) over its decision to approve the QASA - a new grading system which will see criminal advocates rated at one of four levels.

    1 minute read

  • September 5, 2013 |

    Desert dreams – why law firms are reassessing their Middle East strategies

    In Abu Dhabi Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has been looking in recent months to sub-let half its office space on the 23rd floor of the prestigious Al Sila Tower. The firm stresses it remains committed to the city, but its move nonetheless reflects a broader readjustment of international law firm ambitions in the UAE capital. "It's no secret that we are looking to sub-let half of the floor we originally let," says Zubair Mir, head of HSF's Middle East operations, before adding that "we are not looking to return the lease in any way". He explains: "What happened was we bought an entire floor in Dubai which became more full than we expected, so when we negotiated in Abu Dhabi we took out more space than we needed to try to avoid the situation of not having enough room." HSF is not alone in rethinking its needs in Abu Dhabi. Hogan Lovells closed its outpost there last year and transferred its work to the firm's Dubai office, having decided that it made for a stronger regional hub.

    1 minute read

  • September 5, 2013 |

    AIG to launch Asia-Pacific adviser review as regulatory demands grow

    AIG is set to kick off a review of its external legal advisers across the Asia-Pacific region, as the insurance giant sizes up a potential merger of its corporate and claims panels. The US-based company currently has a corporate panel including five to 10 law firms across several Asian countries, alongside a separate claims panel subdivided by jurisdiction and area of expertise. The corporate panel covers 13 countries where AIG has operations in Asia – Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. AIG expects to finalise the process before the end of the year.

    1 minute read

  • September 5, 2013 |

    Eversheds and Bakers talk turkey as Bernard Matthews secures investment

    Eversheds and Baker & McKenzie have advised on a deal that has secured the future of the UK's largest turkey farmer and producer, Bernard Matthews Holdings. Turnaround and restructuring investor Rutland Partners has taken a controlling stake in Bernard Matthews, which rears more than seven million turkeys a year and employs 2,000 staff.

    1 minute read

  • September 4, 2013 |

    DLA Piper's Hong Kong insurance head to leave private practice

    The head of DLA Piper's insurance practice in Hong Kong is leaving the firm to pursue opportunities in legal consulting. Will Harrison, who joined DLA in 2007 as a senior associate from Clifford Chance in Hong Kong, is highly rated for contentious insurance work in the region.

    1 minute read

  • September 3, 2013 |

    Slaughters helps Arsenal to £42.4m record signing of Real Madrid's Ozil

    Slaughter and May has advised longstanding client Arsenal Football Club on its summer transfer dealings, including the club record signing of Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil. The Germany international completed his move last night (2 April) in a deal valued at £42.4m, one of the biggest-ever transfer fees paid by a Premier League club.

    1 minute read