Filter This View

  • March 30, 2010 |

    Two-thirds of partners backing Conservative election victory

    City partners are backing David Cameron and the Conservative Party as the most credible option in this year's general election, despite persisting doubts over Tory economic policy and recent polling figures indicating the possibility of a hung parliament. Almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents to Legal Week's latest Big Question survey said they are likely to vote Conservative in the upcoming election, compared with only 20% who support for the Labour Party and 15% for the Liberal Democrats.

    1 minute read

  • March 30, 2010 |

    Ashurst targets Indian graduates in effort to broaden trainee intake

    Ashurst will for the first time take on trainees direct from India from September 2011. The top 10 law firm has been actively targeting both Indian and Chinese universities for prospective trainees over the last year, with the first wave of new recruits set to hit the firm next year.

    1 minute read

  • March 26, 2010 |

    Reshaping Ashurst: trials and triangulations

    For many City firms, terms like size and shape mean getting smaller. In Ashurst's case, as this week's analysis makes clear, the business has been genuinely refashioned over the last two years. So while around 30 partners have been managed out through two rounds over the last 16 months, no less than 26 have joined the firm. The expansion is directly linked to Ashurst's desire to build its international practice, which until recently contributed only a third of the firm's revenues, almost all of which came from Europe. The firm can now point to a sizeable US business and rapid expansion in Hong Kong and Singapore.

    1 minute read

  • March 24, 2010 |

    Freshfields and Linklaters act on tech company's £400m IPO

    Magic circle duo Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have won lead roles on Promethean World's £400m initial public offering (IPO). Interactive learning technology company Promethean, which makes high-tech whiteboards, handheld learning systems and electronic equipment for the classroom, priced at £2 per share, giving it a market capitalisation of £400m.

    1 minute read

  • March 24, 2010 |

    Legal Week Law - it's a client thing

    This week sees an important launch for our title in the shape of Legal Week Law, a searchable online database of legal briefings targeted specifically at clients. The concept appeals to me for a number of reasons. For one, it chimes with the direction we have sought to take the magazine in recent years: providing more of the kind of balanced and in-depth content that decision-makers at law firms and clients can rely on. The kind of reporting we aspire to do should be a business tool for our audience as much as quality journalism. As such, it seems natural for us to build our core media operation to provide more tools to help readers make informed decisions about their careers or run their businesses. In this context, Legal Week Law will hopefully earn a place alongside our growing research and events businesses.

    1 minute read

  • March 24, 2010 |

    Training and education: The talent grab

    Despite a broad move towards widening participation, entry into the legal profession is a long way from being a level playing field. A demand for intelligent high-performers inherently pushes law firms towards recruiting from leading institutions, so despite their best efforts at broadening access it may be of limited surprise that half of the trainees recruited at City firms over the last two years went to one of the UK's top 10 universities.

    1 minute read

  • March 23, 2010 |

    Ashurst: Balancing acts

    Earlier this month Ashurst partners sat down to a presentation from management. The message was clear - the firm had come a long way over the last two decades, a brutally tough two years was now behind it and the partnership is the right size and shape for the future - one that will see the firm positioned among a band of leading international law firms. And, however you look at it, Ashurst has travelled a huge distance in the last 20 years. In 1990 turnover stood at just £29m, profits per equity partner (PEP) at £308,000 and the partnership itself at only 38, so its transformation - without the aid of a substantive merger - into a top 10 City practice is unquestionably impressive.

    1 minute read

  • March 23, 2010 |

    Camerons and SJ Berwin snare new corporate and real estate clients

    CMS Cameron McKenna and SJ Berwin have picked up new clients in their respective corporate and real estate practices. SJ Berwin has carried out its first mandate for new property client Max Property, advising the company on a recent office investment worth £36.5m.

    1 minute read

  • March 22, 2010 |

    Legal Week launches new online briefings database for clients

    Legal Week has teamed up with some of the world's leading law firms to launch an online database of legal developments targeted at clients. The product - Legal Week Law - formally launches today (22 March) with briefings from more than 100 law firms. As well as drawing on Legal Week's archive of contributed legal developments articles, the site includes a wealth of new documents from some of the world's top law firms.

    1 minute read

  • March 22, 2010 |

    - Partnership Round 2010 -

    Welcome to Legal Week's 2010 partner promotions round-up. Here you'll find all the latest news stories about partner promotions gathered in one place, as well as links to relevant blog entries and any other bits and pieces we think might be of interest.

    1 minute read