Filter This View

  • March 18, 2013 |

    Firms team up for new effort to tackle lack of diversity on career track

    Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Hogan Lovells and Eversheds are among a line-up of eight City firms spearheading a new initiative to promote diversity and multiculturalism for all legal sector employees. NOTICED, which will be launched at the Law Society this Wednesday (20 March), will feature a series of events at which legal professionals from all backgrounds can network, debate diversity issues and share good practice, in an effort to make the legal industry more accessible and boost cultural awareness.

    1 minute read

  • March 17, 2013 |

    BT finalises adviser review with more than 140 appointed around the world

    BT has finalised a review of its network of external legal advisers in the UK and Ireland, alongside the appointment of more than 140 law firms to advise it around the world. The review, which was led by general counsel Dan Fitz alongside litigation and employment head Miles Jobling, has seen the telecoms giant divide its global adviser network between four regions: UK and Ireland; Asia-Pacific; North & Latin America; and Rest of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

    1 minute read

  • March 14, 2013 |

    Emerging Myanmar market draws attention as global law firms eye up latest Asian hope

    After five decades of military rule which cut it off from much of the rest of the world, Myanmar, previously known as Burma, appears to be looking forward to a period of relative peace and prosperity. Following a series of far-reaching political reforms, which started opening up the resource-rich country in 2011, Myanmar – once known for its appalling human rights record, tyranny under military rule and media censorship – has seen US and EU sanctions eased, while interest from the international business community is mounting.

    1 minute read

  • March 14, 2013 |

    CC makes key white collar hire with addition of top Norton Rose partner

    Clifford Chance (CC) is bulking up its regulatory enforcement and white collar crime practice in London with the hire of Norton Rose litigation partner Dorian Drew. Drew, who joined Norton Rose in 2000, recently led a Norton Rose team advising former Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond in relation to the Libor rate-fixing scandal. He is expected to join CC this summer.

    1 minute read

  • March 6, 2013 |

    Bakers holds talks over tie-up with top UAE firm Habib Al Mulla

    Baker & McKenzie has held talks with respected United Arab Emirates firm Habib Al Mulla & Company over a possible combination. The law firm, which has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, was founded in 1984 by executive chairman Habib Al Mulla.

    1 minute read

  • March 4, 2013 |

    Mishcons leads legal rivals in Sunday Times top employer list

    Only two of the UK's 50 largest law firms by revenue have made the grade to appear on The Sunday Times' annual Best Companies to Work For rankings, with Mishcon de Reya the highest ranked legal practice. The London firm has climbed to twelfth place in the rankings, up from number 23 last year, scoring particularly highly in categories including how staff feel about the company, the leadership and their immediate colleagues. The only other UK top 50 firm to feature is Mills & Reeve, which at number 57 has climbed more than 30 places on last year.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2013 |

    Beijing-bound firms face culture challenge as global elite flock to Chinese capital

    Home to cash-rich state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and a huge urban population, Beijing – like Singapore, Hong Kong and, more latterly, Korea – has long been a focus for international law firms. This year in particular looks set to see a raft of firms open up in the Chinese capital, with Berwin Leighton Paisner last month announcing plans to launch there in May, while a string of other firms – including Ashurst, Kirkland & Ellis, Eversheds, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and Clyde & Co – also expect to receive their licences to practise in the coming months. Those that already have offices on the ground have also been busy ramping up their offerings. DLA Piper announced in January that it had hired a five-strong King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) team for Beijing, including projects partner Carolyn Dong. Norton Rose has brought in three new Beijing partners since March 2012: banking partner Li Jinnan from KWM, corporate partner Jing Wang from Allen & Overy and corporate partner Barbara Li from Baker & McKenzie.

    1 minute read

  • February 14, 2013 |

    And now for the hard part – after five mergers, can Norton Rose's CEO tackle his biggest challenge yet?

    When Norton Rose's merger with US firm Fulbright & Jaworski goes live on 1 June, it will have completed its fifth tie-up in just three-and-a-half years. Given that even one merger is beyond the ability of many of the UK's leading players, the achievement cannot be underestimated. The unions mean that in just 42 months, Norton Rose will have transformed itself from an also-ran UK law firm with a smattering of international offices and turnover of £314m into a global giant operating in 55 locations around the world with revenues approaching £1.3bn.

    1 minute read

  • February 14, 2013 |

    Pinsents continues international expansion with move into Turkey

    Pinsent Masons has become the latest firm to target the fast-growing Turkish market, with the firm set to launch a new infrastructure-focused base in the region. The new Istanbul office will be headed up by Noyan Goksu, the former head of arbitration at Turkish firm Herguner Bilgen Ozeke.

    1 minute read

  • February 8, 2013 |

    Fifteen Hong Kong lawyers win higher rights to appear in court

    Fifteen lawyers have been granted approval to appear in Hong Kong courts with exemption from litigation training, as the region moves to broaden the scope of work law firms are permitted to handle. Some of Hong Kong's top dispute resolution partners - including top-ranked Skadden disputes partner Paul Mitchard QC and Ashurst senior associate and former barrister Sanjay Sakhrani - are among the line-up receiving Higher Rights of Audience (HRA).

    1 minute read