At The Lawyer Management Conference last week I chaired an absorbing session on pricing. In the past few years the debate has, thankfully, moved away from whether the hourly rate is dead towards are more nuanced exploration of the issue. Certainly, The Lawyer Management session delegates explored topics from organisational behaviour to how to decouple […]
Lois Gordon joined Shearman & Sterling in 2007. She previously held HR roles at Denton Wilde Sapte and Marks & Spencer. Lois Gordon joined Shearman & Sterling in 2007. She previously held HR roles at Denton Wilde Sapte and Marks & Spencer. How has your role changed during your time with the firm? It has […]
There are good reasons that claimants in the Cyprus properties row should litigate on the island, not in the UK A recent article (TheLawyer.com/cyprus) raised, but left undiscussed, a number of points that I, as one of the barristers arguing the case in question [on behalf of Spanish firm Judicare], would like to address. Legal […]
Since squatting in residential homes was outlawed, a commercial property has become the dropout des res Last September squatting in a residential property became a criminal offence punishable by up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to £5,000. The result: an increase in squatting in commercial properties. Surely the legislature could […]
The ECB will soon be regulating all big eurozone banks, but many questions of accountability remain On 12 September the European Parliament approved a regulation on the single supervisory mechanism (SSM) conferring bank prudential supervision tasks on the European Central Bank (ECB). It is expected that in the second half of 2014 the ECB will […]
In the past few months there has been a growing sense, at least in parts of the corporate sector, that the M&A market is finally back. As RedLaw Recruitment’s Amy Hambleton says, “2013 has seen a marked increase in deals which don’t abort and there is a sense of optimism becoming prevalent among corporate lawyers.” […]
Claimant groups will need a lot of convincing about a new proposal for progressing mesothelioma cases It was with a sense of dismay that I read of the dispute between asbestos charities, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in relation to the MoJ’s proposed replacement of the existing Mesothelioma […]
Firm closes Berlin office after lawyers go in search of the conflict-free life at MoFo Conflicts are often an issue for international offices caught up in a global merger and Hogan Lovells seems to have suffered particularly in the years since its tie-up. A key client for one group is not necessarily a key client […]
Manulife’s Asia GC Steven Yeo uses the Chinese philosophy of ‘yin and yang’ to safeguard the insurance company’s strong growth across Asia Hong Kong’s bustling Causeway Bay district is a shopping mecca that recently overtook New York’s Fifth Avenue as the world’s most expensive retail location. It also hosts Manulife Financial’s Asia headquarters. The robust retail market […]
Shale gas extraction is the hot environmental issue of the moment, offering great opportunities but meeting stubborn opposition Few legal issues literally make the earth move, but fracking is one. As the environmental controversy du jour, everyone from Yoko Ono to the Church of England has stuck their oar into the £1trn (or thereabouts) question […]
What was your first-ever job? Chambermaid in a hotel in Norway. What was your worst experience as a trainee? Running in to a hearing at the Bear Garden without having had time to work out which of the three parties I was meant to be representing. Where’s the best place to go for firm gossip? […]
It’s property work, but not as we know it: fussier clients mean firms are having to redefine their offerings and there is still talk of the magic circle backing away The real estate sector was hardest hit by the 2008 global crash, prompting scores of firms to reduce their involvement in the market until economic […]