Filter This View

  • July 13, 2011 |

    Breaking away - the rapidly globalising trusts market

    Having invented the trust, England has seen its influence over wealth planning wane as thrusting offshore centres have developed their models. JDG Chambers asks how long English law can remain relevant in a rapidly globalising market

    1 minute read

  • July 6, 2011 |

    Bird & Bird relaunches trade and customs practice with Steptoe hire

    Bird & Bird is relaunching its dedicated trade and customs practice with the hire of a partner from Steptoe & Johnson in London. The firm brought in Iain MacVay earlier this week (4 July), with the hire making MacVay the sole partner dedicated to the practice, following the departure of Amsterdam-based trade and customs partner Jasper Helder last year.

    1 minute read

  • July 6, 2011 |

    Competing colleagues - the growing field of inter-law firm sporting events

    Dragon boat racing and sitting volleyball may not be sports that are traditionally associated with lawyers and law firms, but they are two of the more quirky sports in which law firms have got involved in recent years. Keen to attract the best talent, law firms are increasingly up to promote their extra curricular sporting prowess. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is viewed among many as the ones to beat when it comes to both promoting and participating in sport. Official sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics, lawyers at the firm are involved in no less than 18 different sporting activities. Sitting volleyball is the current craze sweeping Freshfields' London office, with staff from across the firm getting involved in a competition which is aimed at boosting the profile of the 2012 Paralympic Games.

    1 minute read

  • July 5, 2011 |

    Legal Week launches video debate series for in-house lawyers

    Legal Week has launched the first in a series of video debates that will see senior in-house lawyers and partners discuss the key legal topics affecting clients. What the briefings say... draws on the most popular briefings from Legal Week Law, the online library of law updates targeted at in-house lawyers. The videos are free to watch for users of Legal Week Law, which has attracted more than 15,000 registrations since its launch in March 2010.

    1 minute read

  • July 1, 2011 |

    Elite US trio added to Barclays panel after review of bank's advisers

    Barclays has added three US firms to its general advisory panel, following a comprehensive panel review intended to increase value for money from the bank's regular advisers. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Shearman & Sterling and Sullivan & Cromwell have been added to the bank's main general advisory panel after Barclays decided to include the creation of a US sub-division for the first time.

    1 minute read

  • June 29, 2011 |

    Bakers makes up two in reduced City promotions round

    Baker & McKenzie has made up two lawyers to its London partnership in its annual promotions round, a significant drop on last year's seven-strong round. The promotions, which take effect tomorrow (1 July), comprise one partner apiece in the firm's information technology (IT) and tax practices.

    1 minute read

  • June 29, 2011 |

    Gateway to the East? Much is riding on tie-ups Down Under

    News that Ashurst has become the latest City law firm looking to stretch its international reach into Australia has got a market already stirred up by the entrance of two magic circle firms within the last 18 months more than a little excited. And that's even before taking into account an abundance of reports about other British law firms courting Australian outfits, such as City rival Herbert Smith.

    1 minute read

  • June 29, 2011 |

    Direct buy-in - how clients are giving personal encouragement to advisers to improve efficiency

    While there remains some in-house scepticism about 
outsourcing, Caroline Hill finds that more clients are
 insisting their advisers innovate on costs

    1 minute read

  • June 29, 2011 |

    Ex-Bakers chair Lagarde becomes first-ever female IMF head

    Former Baker & McKenzie chair Christine Lagarde has been named as the first female head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Lagarde, who will begin a five-year term as IMF managing director on 5 July, spent over 20 years at Bakers, and held the role of chair between 1999 and 2004, after which she was succeeded by John Conroy.

    1 minute read

  • June 22, 2011 |

    Stephenson Harwood boosts City real estate with McGrigors hire

    Stephenson Harwood has added to its City real estate practice with the hire of McGrigors London partner Stephen Sumpton. Sumpton, who made the move between the two firms earlier this month (6 June), had been a partner at McGrigors since 2002. Before that he also spent 10 years at Baker & McKenzie in the firm's London and Moscow offices, as well as two years at legacy KPMG legal arm KLegal.

    1 minute read