• July 21, 2009 |

    Perks of the job

    Legal Week takes a look at some of the bait law firms are using to hook potential recruits...

    1 minute read

  • July 20, 2009 |

    Stephenson Harwood signs up former Ashurst corporate partner

    Stephenson Harwood has boosted its corporate practice with the hire of former Ashurst partner Duncan Stiles. Stiles will join the top 40 UK firm on 3 August after leaving Ashurst earlier this year. He had spent 18 years at the firm, making partner in 2000.

    1 minute read

  • July 16, 2009 |

    BLP and Macfarlanes suffer 30%-plus partner profits dips

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Macfarlanes both saw profits per equity partner (PEP) drop by more than 30% during the last financial year. BLP's PEP fell by 33% during 2008-09, after the firm spent £10m opening new offices and bringing in senior laterals. The drop takes PEP down to £414,000 from £620,000, while turnover fell by 2.7% to £180m from £186m. Net profit at the firm fell by 23% to £57m.

    1 minute read

  • July 16, 2009 |

    Ashurst's Bromwich tipped for third term as managing partner

    Ashurst managing partner Simon Bromwich is coming to the end of his second term in office, with the firm's management board expected to reappoint him in the autumn. Bromwich's second term in office is due to end in January 2010, with a decision expected from the eight-member management board in either October or November.

    1 minute read

  • July 16, 2009 |

    Freshfields quits GE panel by 'mutual agreement'

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has come off General Electric's (GE) European M&A panel, Legal Week has learnt. The magic circle firm was one of five firms appointed in 2007 to advise the energy giant on European M&A matters. However, it came off the panel late last year through mutual agreement.

    1 minute read

  • July 16, 2009 |

    Hedge fund and private equity lawyers gear up for battle over Euro regulation

    Lawyers to London's leading hedge funds and private equity houses are braced for a prolonged period of uncertainty and lobbying as the alternative investment industry wrestles with controversial European Commission (EC) reforms. With the fuss regarding the EC's draft directive on alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs) showing no sign of abating since it was unveiled on 29 April, legal advisers are expecting a high-stakes battle to influence reforms seen as a politically motivated assault.

    1 minute read

  • July 16, 2009 |

    Linklaters tops global projects rankings but market plunges in first half of 2009

    Linklaters has edged ahead of magic circle rivals Allen & Overy (A&O) and Clifford Chance (CC) to top the global project finance rankings by market share for the first half of 2009. New research from Infrastructure Journal (IJ) shows that the firm leads the global rankings by value for the first six months of this year after scoring roles on 15 deals worth $7.623bn (£4.7bn). The tally gives the firm a market share of just over 5% - marginally ahead of CC.

    1 minute read

  • July 15, 2009 |

    Linklaters to retain 75% of September qualifiers

    Linklaters is holding onto 50 of its 66 trainees due to qualify in September, giving it a retention rate of 75%. Of the 66 qualifying three resigned before the process started, which would give the magic circle firm a retention rate of 79% when based only on those applying for jobs.

    1 minute read

  • July 15, 2009 | International Edition

    Ashurst PEP falls by more than a third in 2008-09

    Ashurst has seen profits per equity partner (PEP) drop by more than a third during 2008-09. The top 10 City law firm has reported PEP of £673,000 for the last financial year, a 35% fall on the equivalent 2007-08 figure of £1.04m.

    1 minute read

  • July 15, 2009 |

    Ashurst PEP falls by more than a third in 2008-09

    Ashurst has seen profits per equity partner (PEP) drop by more than a third during 2008-09. The top 10 City law firm has reported PEP of £673,000 for the last financial year, a 35% fall on the equivalent 2007-08 figure of £1.04m.

    1 minute read