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  • January 31, 2008 | International Edition

    Nabarro to join LLP ranks after partners vote to convert within next six months

    Nabarro is to become the latest firm to convert to limited liability partnership (LLP) status following a vote of the partnership earlier this month. Partners at the firm voted on the conversion on 10 January after months of debate and the firm expects to adopt its new status within the first half of this year. Both full equity and fixed-share partners will become members of the LLP, although voting rights and internal management will remain the same under the new structure. The firm's offices in London, Sheffield and Brussels will all join the LLP, while its alliances with GSK Stockmann & Kollegen in Germany and August & Debouzy in France will be unchanged.

    1 minute read

  • January 31, 2008 |

    Nabarro to join LLP ranks after partners vote to convert within next six months

    Nabarro is to become the latest firm to convert to limited liability partnership (LLP) status following a vote of the partnership earlier this month. Partners at the firm voted on the conversion on 10 January after months of debate and the firm expects to adopt its new status within the first half of this year. Both full equity and fixed-share partners will become members of the LLP, although voting rights and internal management will remain the same under the new structure. The firm's offices in London, Sheffield and Brussels will all join the LLP, while its alliances with GSK Stockmann & Kollegen in Germany and August & Debouzy in France will be unchanged.

    1 minute read

  • January 30, 2008 | International Edition

    Commentary: Market turmoil sees revival of the M&A Renaissance men

    They say a change can be as good as a rest so, for anxious lawyers facing turbulent commercial markets, a change can start to look a lot better than the alternative. You can seen such logic in recent initiatives from three of London's leading firms that, in different ways, will promote movement of staff between teams and offices. Perhaps the most striking move has come from Allen & Overy (A&O), which has put in place a number of measures to encourage staff to move to busier areas or locations. Managing partner David Morley says: "It is about making sure we are flexible to adapt to market conditions and client needs. We have invested time in looking at how we can build up practices and overcome concerns, giving training so it is less scary. Giving people a new opportunity they can be excited about is also one of the objectives."

    1 minute read

  • January 30, 2008 |

    Commentary: Market turmoil sees revival of the M&A Renaissance men

    They say a change can be as good as a rest so, for anxious lawyers facing turbulent commercial markets, a change can start to look a lot better than the alternative. You can seen such logic in recent initiatives from three of London's leading firms that, in different ways, will promote movement of staff between teams and offices. Perhaps the most striking move has come from Allen & Overy (A&O), which has put in place a number of measures to encourage staff to move to busier areas or locations. Managing partner David Morley says: "It is about making sure we are flexible to adapt to market conditions and client needs. We have invested time in looking at how we can build up practices and overcome concerns, giving training so it is less scary. Giving people a new opportunity they can be excited about is also one of the objectives."

    1 minute read

  • January 24, 2008 |

    CC, A&O win Abbey panel spots in review

    High street bank Abbey has finished a review of its UK panel, dividing up its legal roster into seven divisions. The new line-up, which is now listed by corporate, commercial, capital markets, financial services, property, employment and litigation, includes most of its previous advisers.Magic circle duo Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance have won places alongside firms Ashurst, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, Lovells, Norton Rose, Dundas & Wilson, Travers Smith and long-term corporate adviser Slaughter and May. Former panel member Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer declined to tender for the work.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2008 | International Edition

    Slaughters reviews governance as Saul prepares to take control

    For a firm that sets great stall in maintaining the status quo, it is interesting to note that Slaughter and May has a body called the constitutional working party (CWP). The little-known group has been in action again recently, reviewing Slaughters' governance to coincide with this month's election of new senior partner Chris Saul. The process is the first review of its management since outgoing senior partner Tim Clark took up the role seven years ago. By the yardstick of most corporatised global law firms, the results of the review may seem minor but, by Slaughters' standards, the process has been substantial, examining its core leadership, practice management and the working of its 'best friends' alliance of international firms.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2008 |

    Slaughters reviews governance as Saul prepares to take control

    For a firm that sets great stall in maintaining the status quo, it is interesting to note that Slaughter and May has a body called the constitutional working party (CWP). The little-known group has been in action again recently, reviewing Slaughters' governance to coincide with this month's election of new senior partner Chris Saul. The process is the first review of its management since outgoing senior partner Tim Clark took up the role seven years ago. By the yardstick of most corporatised global law firms, the results of the review may seem minor but, by Slaughters' standards, the process has been substantial, examining its core leadership, practice management and the working of its 'best friends' alliance of international firms.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2008 |

    Editor's Comment: Trying harder

    Slaughter and May's incoming senior partner, Chris Saul, is to take the helm at interesting times. Facing a globalising legal services market, for seven years under Tim Clark the firm's response has been basically to buff up its best friends network and hope for the best. Given the quality of firms involved and the efforts made, this has had some success. But for all protestations to the contrary, this model, which Saul is set to continue, is only now facing up to the reality of competing against the maturing global law firms. A related trend is the growing emergence of the big four as a replacement for the magic circle. The latter term has been a brand that has served its members very well but, despite valiant efforts from Ashurst and Herbert Smith, a successor grouping looks more likely to shrink than admit new members.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2008 | International Edition

    One year on: lawyers remain unconvinced of SRA potency

    After 12 months of operation, senior transactional lawyers still feel detached from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) despite risk and compliance heads' assertion that the body has been giving City firms more attention. Next week (29 January) will mark the one-year anniversary of the Law Society's separation of its representative and regulatory arms, a move that created the SRA. Since then, City firm general counsel and compliance heads say the organisation has been more in touch with the profession.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2008 |

    One year on: lawyers remain unconvinced of SRA potency

    After 12 months of operation, senior transactional lawyers still feel detached from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) despite risk and compliance heads' assertion that the body has been giving City firms more attention. Next week (29 January) will mark the one-year anniversary of the Law Society's separation of its representative and regulatory arms, a move that created the SRA. Since then, City firm general counsel and compliance heads say the organisation has been more in touch with the profession.

    1 minute read