The UK’s law firms have abandoned Elon Musk
“I’ve seen the future, and it’s porn, sharks and Nazis.” Twitter hadn’t even been founded at the time, but the above quote from the niche 2005 sitcom Bromwell High turned out to be unintendedly prophetic when considering the journey of one of the planet’s largest social media companies. Once ‘the world’s town square’, Twitter, latterly […]
What a Simpson Thacher rumour says about A&O Shearman’s future
One of Europe’s most enduring rumours is about Simpson Thacher & Bartlett opening in Luxembourg. It is one of the jurisdiction’s key referrers of work for the local Luxembourg players, meaning there is an amount of paranoia among them about what would happen if Simpson Thacher decided to open its own office there. The idea […]
The UK’s best personal injury firm is also its best commercial one
Which is the best personal injury firm in the country? Irwin Mitchell, perhaps? Maybe Leigh Day, or Slater & Gordon? Wrong, wrong, wrong. The answer in fact is Cheshire six-lawyer outfit Gavin Edmondson Solicitors, which according to the website reviewsolicitors.co.uk scores better than almost 2,500 PI firms across the country for its quality. What about […]
All eyes are on Mishcon’s cash bet
Cash piles rose during the pandemic, but the latest year-end shows a turnaround. Across the UK 200, debt levels are increasing, and those precious cash reserves are being eroded by a tide of rising costs. This evidence suggests the trend is most prominent among firms that occupy the mid-tier; these firms are spending big as […]
Magic circle firms are too big
Who says UK firms are getting left behind in the global legal market? Whoever it is should take a look at the top end of this year’s UK 200, which later this month highlights that for the first time ever, all four magic circle firms have a turnover of more than £2bn (though it’s worth […]
Stewarts victorious in ExCel business interruption case
The Stewarts-repped London International Exhibition (ExCel) Centre has successfully seen off an appeal by insurers over its Covid-19 business interruption claim. The case, which was one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2023 and Top 10 Appeals of 2024, concerned whether pandemic lockdowns entitled the Centre to claim £16m under the disease occurring “at […]
A&O Shearman to cull partnership by 10 per cent
A&O Shearman has set out its post-merger integration plans, which includes closing one of its global offices and reducing its partnership by 10 per cent by the end of the financial year. The firm said today that its partnership would reduce within the year following a strategic review of its business post-A&O’s tie-up with Shearman. […]
Dentons and Reed Smith win roles on Thomas Cook sale
Dentons and Reed Smith have taken the leading roles on eSky Group’s purchase of travel business Thomas Cook. Dentons private equity partner Nicholas Plant, along with Michał Wasiak, a partner in the firm’s Warsaw office, were at the helm of the team for Polish purchaser eSky. They were supported by corporate associate Alex Macdonald, IP […]
The Lawyer Podcast: Why lawyers now control football
Football law has typically been the domain of sports specialists. However, in recent years, there has been a growing number of large, elite firms and chambers entering the football market. Clifford Chance and Freshfields act for Manchester City, and Slaughter and May and Linklaters represent the Premier League. Latham and Watkins worked on the Chelsea […]
Ex-Ashurst employee probed by SRA over missing laptops
A former Ashurst employee has agreed to the outcome of an investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), after he was found to have stolen two laptops and sold them. Irfan Malik, an IT service desk analyst, was accused of removing “two laptops from the firm’s IT storeroom without its knowledge or consent”. The SRA […]