Filter This View

  • 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 |

    A&O and Ashurst among firms under scrutiny for Pakistan government ties

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Ashurst and Arnold & Porter have found themselves under the spotlight for their links with the Government of Pakistan, in the wake of growing unease among the UK legal profession over the regime's clashes with local lawyers. The three firms have previously advised the Pakistani Government, which was recently criticised by the UK's Law Society and Bar Council for the escalating political crisis in the region which has affected the country's under-fire legal community.

    1 minute read

  • January 23, 2008 |

    Metals giant Rusal appoints ex-BP legal chief

    Natural resources giant UC Rusal has appointed BP's former Russian general counsel, Kirill Alexandrov, as its new legal chief. Alexandrov joins the Russian metals giant - the world's largest producer of aluminium - from the Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK), which he joined in 2005 after a two-year stint as local legal chief at BP.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2008 | International Edition

    UK trainees avoid crunch fallout as top firms' retention soars above 90%

    Trainee retention rates across the UK's elite legal profession have remained steadfast, with many firms keeping hold of more than 90% of their intake despite a sharp dip in City lawyers' overall business confidence. Eighteen out of 25 of the UK's top firms are holding on to more than 90% of their March class of qualifying lawyers, including six firms with a 100% retention rate.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2008 |

    UK trainees avoid crunch fallout as top firms' retention soars above 90%

    Trainee retention rates across the UK's elite legal profession have remained steadfast, with many firms keeping hold of more than 90% of their intake despite a sharp dip in City lawyers' overall business confidence. Eighteen out of 25 of the UK's top firms are holding on to more than 90% of their March class of qualifying lawyers, including six firms with a 100% retention rate.

    1 minute read

  • January 15, 2008 |

    Bar's Vos takes access charity chairman role

    Former Bar Council chairman Geoffrey Vos QC has taken up a role as chairman of the trustees of the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF). The charity, which aims to help youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds enter major professions, named Vos to replace Conservative MP Oliver Letwin at the helm of its board of trustees.

    1 minute read

  • January 14, 2008 |

    City elite battle OFT in overdraft fees test case

    A landmark case brought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) regarding the fees charged by banks for unauthorised overdrafts is set to hit the High Court later this week (16 January), with a host of top City firms lining up to oppose the competition authority. The case will see the OFT take on seven banks and one building society in a bid to prove that the charges, which have affected thousands of customers, are illegal.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2008 | International Edition

    Ashurst adds two to management board

    Ashurst has elected two new members to its management board, with partners from London and Germany winning posts on the committee. Ashurst partners voted London litigation partner Ben Tidswell and Frankfurt corporate partner Reinhard Eyring on to the board, with effect from the start of this month.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2008 |

    Ashurst adds two to management board

    Ashurst has elected two new members to its management board, with partners from London and Germany winning posts on the committee. Ashurst partners voted London litigation partner Ben Tidswell and Frankfurt corporate partner Reinhard Eyring on to the board, with effect from the start of this month.

    1 minute read

  • January 9, 2008 |

    Bristows takes lead role on mobile phone dispute

    Bristows is advising T-Mobile on its dispute against 3 Mobile relating to an allegation that four of the UK's biggest mobile phone operators abused their majority in a regulatory body in 2005. Legal Week incorrectly stated on 13 December that T-Mobile was solely advised in-house. Barlow Lyde & Gilbert is advising 3, while O2, Vodafone and Orange are being advised by Ashurst, Herbert Smith and Field Fisher Waterhouse respectively.

    1 minute read