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  • 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 17, 2008 |

    Links breaks bank litigation taboo for BarCap

    Linklaters has emerged as the first magic circle firm to litigate against a bank since the credit crunch, after accepting an instruction from Barclays Capital in a major dispute with US investment bank Bear Stearns. The City law firm is advising long-term UK client BarCap, which filed a claim against Bear Stearns at the end of last month in relation to two collapsed hedge funds exposed to the sub-prime market.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 | International Edition

    A&O boosts work-life credentials with holiday 'trading' initiative

    Allen & Overy (A&O) lawyers are now able to buy and sell holiday entitlement, under the latest flexible working scheme introduced at the magic circle law firm. Lawyers and staff at A&O have been given the option of selling a proportion of their holiday allowance back to the firm as well as being able to buy extra holiday.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    A&O boosts work-life credentials with holiday 'trading' initiative

    Allen & Overy (A&O) lawyers are now able to buy and sell holiday entitlement, under the latest flexible working scheme introduced at the magic circle law firm. Lawyers and staff at A&O have been given the option of selling a proportion of their holiday allowance back to the firm as well as being able to buy extra holiday.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    Commentary: Courts case - time to restructure the restructuring laws?

    There is an old adage among restructuring lawyers that there is no point frittering away money on creditors when it can be better spent on commercial advisers. The joke is only used among those experienced enough to make light of such a sensitive topic. But even some of the City's most seasoned restructuring partners have expressed surprise - and envy - at the level of fees Allen & Overy (A&O) has earned from the liquidation of furniture outlet Courts. The firm is taking a significant share of the £18.5m paid in professional services fees.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 | International Edition

    Big four cast long shadow in deal league but nationals gain ground

    It was a good year for London's big four in the key M&A markets, no doubt, but 2007's wildly uneven corporate market also drew a strong performance from firms such as Eversheds and Pinsent Masons. Echoing its market-leading performance in Legal Week's primary adviser tables, which track lead corporate roles on Europe's largest deals, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer topped the full tables for European M&A, according to recently-released research from Mergermarket.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    Big four cast long shadow in deal league but nationals gain ground

    It was a good year for London's big four in the key M&A markets, no doubt, but 2007's wildly uneven corporate market also drew a strong performance from firms such as Eversheds and Pinsent Masons. Echoing its market-leading performance in Legal Week's primary adviser tables, which track lead corporate roles on Europe's largest deals, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer topped the full tables for European M&A, according to recently-released research from Mergermarket.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2008 |

    Online special: Global economic woes create sharp downturn in business confidence

    Business confidence among the UK's top lawyers has dropped from sky-high levels to its lowest rate in almost five years in the clearest indication yet that City partners expect shifts in the global economy to hit the legal sector. The quarterly Legal Week/EJ Legal business confidence poll shows 30% of partners are expecting double-digit revenue growth over the next 12 months, down from last year's high of 70% and significantly down from 66% last quarter.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2008 |

    After primary adviser victory, Freshfields tops overall M&A deal league

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has stormed to the top of the European M&A adviser rankings for 2007 after ousting Clifford Chance (CC) from top spot by deal value. After a strong fourth quarter Freshfields completed 282 deals worth €482.8bn (£360bn) in 2007, according to figures from Legal Week's data partner, Mergermarket. CC - which had topped the third-quarter rankings - slipped to second, advising on 292 deals worth a combined €464.7bn (£346bn).

    1 minute read