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  • September 19, 2013 |

    Sitting comfortably – Swiss lawyers benefit as Gnomes of Zurich come under attack

    It is no exaggeration to say that the Swiss financial market – including corporate lawyers – has had the jitters of late. The fall of the private bank Wegelin, coupled with the indictment by the US authorities of former Niederer Kraft & Frey partner Edgar Paltzer, has certainly caused a stir, especially in the banking sector. The once fabled image of private Swiss banks ready to cut favourable deals and hide the money of the rich and famous from prying eyes and international tax authorities is without doubt crumbling. So where does this leave Switzerland's legal powerhouses?

    1 minute read

  • September 17, 2013 |

    Webber Wentzel, A&O and Virgin Active make shortlist for African Legal Awards

    Anjarwalla & Khanna, Bowman Gilfillan and Webber Wentzel are among the entrants to be shortlisted for the title of African Law Firm of the Year as Legal Week unveils the contenders for its inaugural African Legal Awards, to be held at La Toscana Montecasino in Johannesburg on 24 October.

    1 minute read

  • September 16, 2013 |

    Bakers brews up for Unilever on high-end Australian tea deal

    Baker & McKenzie has advised on the sale of premium Australia tea retailer T2 to Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever.

    1 minute read

  • September 12, 2013 | International Edition

    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 |

    US M&A three-year overview

    An overview of the biggest deals in the US from the past three years, with mandates for Baker & McKenzie, Slaughter and May, and Jones Day.

    1 minute read

  • 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