• May 25, 2012 |

    Herbert Smith sets out associate pay bands for year ahead

    Herbert Smith announced its associate salaries for the year ahead, with increases at a number of levels after the firm froze pay bands in 2011. The firm has made £500 increases at the newly-qualified (NQ), one-year and four-year post-qualification-experience (PQE) levels.

    1 minute read

  • May 24, 2012 |

    Olswang among winners on ITV legal panel as two firms come off

    ITV has finalised its new legal panel, with Slaughter and May and Olswang among a raft of firms winning spots, while Addleshaw Goddard has come off the roster.

    1 minute read

  • May 24, 2012 |

    City deal teams reminded that as the going gets tough, the tough... sit still

    "Why won't they just go?!" says one partner, privately articulating a topic on the minds of many running deal teams in the City. The topic, of course, is associate attrition. This is always a tricky balancing act for law firms trying to manage the pyramid of associates up to partnership..."

    1 minute read

  • May 24, 2012 |

    Shell to appoint line-up of firms to new global litigation roster

    Royal Dutch Shell is set to create a global litigation panel following the hire of Fulbright & Jaworski City disputes partner Richard Hill as associate general counsel for its newly-launched in-house disputes group.

    1 minute read

  • May 24, 2012 |

    Hogan Lovells and K&L Gates latest to target Australia market

    Hogan Lovells and K&L Gates have joined the growing rank of US and transatlantic law firms planning tie-ups in Australia, as interest in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow. Hogan Lovells is assessing options, with a merger with a mid-tier Australian firm the preferred choice for many partners.

    1 minute read

  • May 24, 2012 |

    UK trio join legal line-up as Thai company trumps Shell with £1.2bn Cove bid

    Slaughter and May, Linklaters and Simmons & Simmons have become the latest firms to win roles on the billion-pound bidding battle for Cove Energy. Slaughters is advising Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), which has topped an earlier bid from Royal Dutch Shell with a new £1.2bn offer. Cove's directors have unanimously recommended that its shareholders accept the latest bid.

    1 minute read

  • May 17, 2012 |

    Slaughters and A&O win top roles on £1.4bn Thomas Cook refinancing

    Slaughter and May and Allen & Overy (A&O) have won lead roles to advise on the £1.4bn refinancing of UK travel giant Thomas Cook.

    1 minute read

  • May 17, 2012 |

    Partners concede: commercial lawyers overpaid and clients deserve better value

    The majority of partners believe commercial lawyers are overpaid at all levels, according to new research which suggests advisers should hand clients considerable further ground on costs.

    1 minute read

  • May 16, 2012 |

    Sullivan and Slaughters lead as Diageo taps US bond markets for $2.5bn

    Diageo has instructed a trio of leading law firms on a $2.5bn (£1.5bn) financing deal that saw the London-based drinks giant tap the US bond markets. The London-based company, which owns alcoholic beverage brands including Guinness, Baileys, Captain Morgan and Smirnoff, turned to Sullivan & Cromwell for US law advice with Slaughter and May taking the lead UK law role.

    1 minute read

  • May 11, 2012 |

    RPC signs up Reed Smith partner for bank litigation team

    Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) has grown its City banking litigation team with the hire of Reed Smith partner Simon Hart. Hart joins RPC after seven years as a partner at Reed Smith. Prior to his move to the US outfit he spent time at legacy firm Wilde Sapte, now part of SNR Denton.

    1 minute read