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  • December 13, 2009 |

    Berwin Leighton Paisner

    With Neville Eisenberg at the helm, BLP has been one of the more noticeably upwardly-mobile firms in the UK's mid tier. But what about a bonus scheme that one contributor calls "a masterful display of smoke and mirrors"?

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Herbert Smith

    There IS a magic circle and this firm is not in it. But Herbert Smith is a class outfit and one of London's most effective high-enders, not to mention the City's top litigation shop. Could yet start to justify its own sales pitch.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Hogan Lovells

    The 2010 merger of Lovells and Hogan & Hartson created a a top 10 global practice with 2,500 lawyers and revenues of around $1.8bn (£1.1bn)...

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Eversheds

    Sprawling national giant that seems to be slowly gaining a bit more direction. One to watch.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Latham & Watkins

    A great US practice and renowned as a decent place to work. However, the London office still looks uneven, so approach very much on the basis of your practice area.

    1 minute read

  • December 11, 2009 |

    Freshfields, Simmons head up €2bn sale of German publishing company

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simmons & Simmons have both won lead roles on the sale of Springer Science+Business Media, a deal understood to be worth up to €2.2bn (£2bn). Springer was advised by Freshfields on the sale, announced today (11 December), which sees Swedish private equity fund EQT and the Singapore Government's GIC fund acquire the German publishing company. City-based private equity partner David Sonter led the magic circle firm's team.

    1 minute read

  • December 9, 2009 |

    Herbert Smith and Ashurst set to roll out new pricing deals for clients

    Herbert Smith and Ashurst are set to overhaul their pricing arrangements with clients, with the firms planning to be more flexible and transparent. Herbert Smith is rolling out a menu of 14 pricing options across the firm in a bid to offer clients greater choice.

    1 minute read

  • December 9, 2009 |

    Partners reject case for diversity quotas

    City partners remain implacably opposed to using any form of quota to tackle diversity issues despite 20 years of initiatives making little progress in promoting at the senior levels in the legal profession. Eight out of 10 partners think there is little or no merit in any form of quota system to tackle diversity, arguing they could lead to 'reverse discrimination', according to the latest Legal Week Big Question survey.

    1 minute read

  • December 9, 2009 |

    Debt chaos signals the end of West's love affair with Dubai

    It was already looking somewhat strained, but now the West's love affair with the debt-fuelled desert oasis of Dubai has come to an abrupt halt. While the initial panic in response to the Dubai Government's decision two weeks ago to ask creditors for a debt standstill on the obligations of Dubai World has died down, there is no doubt the emirate's reputation as a business centre has taken a knock.

    1 minute read

  • December 8, 2009 |

    City trio take headline roles on biggest UK buyout of the year

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Travers Smith and Ashurst have all picked up roles on the biggest buyout in the UK for more than a year. Apax is set to purchase pharmaceutical support company Marken for a reported £975m from Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), with the deal expected to close in early 2010.

    1 minute read