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  • May 22, 2008 |

    Editor's Comment: Naked partnership

    There is a theory in scientific circles that the act of observing something will alter the subject. You can see the logic with the UK legal profession, which has gone through radical changes at the same time as it has become used to unprecedented transparency. There is no doubt that the publication and benchmarking of revenue and partner profit figures made these targets more central to law firm thinking. On that basis, the question becomes whether a more rigorous analysis of partnership will do to the demographics of law firms what the reporting of financial results did to the economics of partnership.

    1 minute read

  • May 22, 2008 |

    Partnership round reveals gender equality gap

    Female associates continue to lag far behind their male counterparts when it comes to partnership prospects, with women representing less than a third of this year's new partner promotions. Only 27% of the total number of new partner promotions across the top 50 were female this year - amounting to 161 new female partners compared to 424 male partners. On average women made up only 29% of each firm's new partner promotions, with this figure falling further still at a number of firms.

    1 minute read

  • May 22, 2008 |

    SJB eyes Moscow as strong Russian economy attracts Western players

    SJ Berwin is considering launching in Moscow, as growing numbers of international law firms seek to bolster their presence in Russia's oil-driven economy. The top 20 UK firm is currently assessing plans overseen by Russian practice group head, David Goldberg, to launch a local practice - which would mark SJ Berwin's first office outside continental Europe and its sixth outside London.

    1 minute read

  • May 21, 2008 |

    Dealmaker: Mark Elsey

    Ashurst infra guru Mark Elsey on public transport, Geoffrey Green's powers of persuasion and making it up in Portugal

    1 minute read

  • May 21, 2008 | International Edition

    Hammonds cooks up lead role on £1bn kitchen tools buy-out

    Hammonds has scored a starring role on a £1bn deal - advising Illinois Tool Works (ITW) on its takeover bid for kitchen equipment manufacturer Enodis. The firm is fielding a team led by corporate partners Giles Distin and Jane Haxby on the £1.03bn acquisition, acting alongside Kirkland & Ellis and Ropes & Gray, which are providing US advice on the deal.

    1 minute read

  • May 21, 2008 |

    Hammonds cooks up lead role on £1bn kitchen tools buy-out

    Hammonds has scored a starring role on a £1bn deal - advising Illinois Tool Works (ITW) on its takeover bid for kitchen equipment manufacturer Enodis. The firm is fielding a team led by corporate partners Giles Distin and Jane Haxby on the £1.03bn acquisition, acting alongside Kirkland & Ellis and Ropes & Gray, which are providing US advice on the deal.

    1 minute read

  • May 21, 2008 |

    Hogan loses German duo; Ashurst adds in Frankfurt

    US firm Hogan & Hartson is set to lose two partners from its Munich office, including high-profile private equity partner Uwe Steininger. Steininger, the former co-head of SJ Berwin in Germany, has yet to announce his next move, while corporate partner Jochen Schaefer is leaving to join local sports law boutique Duvinage & Partner. The two will leave the firm at the end of the month.

    1 minute read

  • May 20, 2008 |

    2008 Assistant Pay League: a Legal Week Wiki special

    Who pays what and how. Your A-Z guide to the pay scales at the top UK and US firms.

    1 minute read

  • May 18, 2008 |

    Results 2008: fighting fit ahead of battle

    So when is the crunch going to show up in law firms’ financial performance?Conventional wisdom has it that there’s a significant lag between…

    1 minute read

  • May 15, 2008 |

    Norton Rose reaches new high in latest bumper results round

    A raft of firms including Norton Rose, Shoosmiths, Pinsent Masons and Ashurst have posted bumper revenue results for 2007-08. Norton Rose saw the most significant growth, with the firm posting a 27% increase in revenues, taking turnover at the top 10 City firm to a new high of £297m. The increase is significantly up on last year, when the firm posted an 11% rise, taking revenues to £233m while profits per partner rose by 15% to £512,000.

    1 minute read