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  • February 28, 2008 |

    A&O spends £108m on Bishops Square HQ

    Allen & Overy spent £108m fitting out its new Bishops Square headquarters after securing a sizable rent free period, it has emerged. Accounts recently filed with Companies House reveal that the magic circle firm spent £55.7m on office improvements over the 2006/7 financial year, in addition to £14.8m on furniture and fittings and more than £10m on computers. The LLP is also benefiting from a rent free period.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2008 |

    Morley, Dejonghe elected to A&O top roles

    Allen & Overy has confirmed that managing partner David Morley will replace Guy Beringer as senior partner with Belgian managing partner Wim Dejonghe taking over from Morley as firmwide managing partner. The firm announced the results internally last night (27 February) with voting closing earlier that day.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2008 |

    Fixed-fee concerns stoke wider profits fears for 2008

    Leading law firms fear that fixed-fee deals struck to win highly competitive business have become a significant risk to profitability, according to new research.A Sweet & Maxwell survey of finance directors at top 100 UK law firms found that cost overruns on fixed-fee deals are seen as a risk to profitability by 36% of respondents, a sharp rise on a similar poll in 2007 when just 5% cited the issue.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2008 |

    Pressure to open in Abu Dhabi sees licence approval backlog

    Some of the UK's leading law firms are having to push back their long-awaited launches in Abu Dhabi due to delays in receiving their licences from local authorities. The move comes as growing numbers of firms rush to the region amid increasing pressure from local clients, including coveted sovereign wealth funds, to launch offices in Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai.

    1 minute read

  • February 27, 2008 |

    Mourant adds two to finance and funds

    Mourant du Feu & Jeune has hired two partners for its finance and funds practices. The firm has added Allen & Overy finance partner Richard de Basto to its Cayman Islands office, while Maples and Calder associate Matthew Feargrieve is joining its London-based Cayman funds group. Stephen Ball, Mourant's chief executive officer, said the hires would strengthen and expand the Cayman practice following the firm's merger with local firm Quin & Hampson last year.

    1 minute read

  • February 27, 2008 |

    Commentary: S&C in the City - crossing the Rubicon slowly

    "They are the super-elite, the brilliant. Forget Skadden, they're in another class, this is the Praetorian Guard. It is a fantastic faith in intellect. They believe that if you get a group of very bright people together in a room, you will get it done." Welcome to Sullivan & Cromwell, a firm that, as can be seen from the above comment from one rival partner, is viewed by some as the US' best all-round corporate law firm. But can it be considered the best in the world? Whatever the deal tables say, and Sullivan recently topped a three-year breakdown of US firms in the European M&A from Mergermarket, doubts remain over how committed this most conservative of Manhattan institutions is to the international market.

    1 minute read

  • February 26, 2008 |

    Links tops law firms in '08 Superbrands survey

    Linklaters has surpassed magic circle rival Clifford Chance (CC) as the UK law firm with the strongest brand, according to a new study. The 2008 table of the top 500 business brands compiled by Superbrands saw Linklaters rank highest among law firms at 259 on the list, with CC at number 296 and Eversheds the third-placed law firm at 309.

    1 minute read

  • February 25, 2008 |

    ...Legal Week Lunchbox 25/02/08...

    The five most popular articles on legalweek.com today; the pick of the day's posts; a new Career Clinic dilemma; and more

    1 minute read

  • February 22, 2008 |

    Allen & Overy signs Indian referral deal

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has entered into a referral relationship with Indian practice Trilegal. The non-exclusive agreement was signed one month ago and is the first time the London-based law firm has signed a referral agreement in India's coveted legal market.

    1 minute read

  • February 21, 2008 | International Edition

    Sky calls in A&O for ITV competition battle

    Allen & Overy (A&O) is set to battle on behalf of BSkyB as the satellite television operator launches a legal challenge against the Competition Commission over its stake in rival broadcaster ITV. A&O is fielding a team under City competition partners Antonio Bavasso and John Wotton to represent Sky, after the Commission last month ordered the company to sell the majority of its stake in ITV.

    1 minute read