Linklaters has reported a 1 per cent increase in turnover to £1.267bn in 2014/15, at the same time as managing partner Simon Davies confirmed he is stepping down early to join Lloyds Banking Group as chief people, legal and strategy officer. Davies is expected to begin his new role at Lloyds in January, meaning he […]
Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) has established a formal law alliance (FLA) with Singaporean firm AsiaLegal. The FLA is formed between HFW’s Singapore office and the four-director local firm. AsiaLegal was established in 2002 and focuses on shipping litigation, marine insurance, general insurance and reinsurance matters, and litigation and arbitration. The alliance, which has been approved […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s new managing and senior partner have said the next five years will be “crucial” for the firm to capitalise on new opportunities and international clients and increase efficiency and innovation. Summarising his next role as “running a business of partners”, Freshfields’ next co-managing partner Chris Pugh, who will take on the job […]
Latham & Watkins M&A and private equity partner Graeme Sloan has joined Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) as the firm’s London corporate head and global M&A co-chair. Sloan was at Latham for over nine years, where he served as global co-chair of the firm’s M&A practice. Prior to that, he was a partner at Maclay Murray […]
Olswang head of strategic development Nigel Rea has left the firm, becoming the latest in a number of management exits at the firm. Rea left the firm in May 2015 after just a year heading the strategic planning, opportunity assessment and operational effectiveness at Olswang. He is taking on a director role at Lexis Nexis. […]
Belgian boutique Strelia has added an insolvency specialist to its ranks with the hire of Taylor Wessing partner Bart de Moor and two senior associates. De Moor and his team joined Strelia today (1 July) and the firm plans to hire a further two associates from other firms to support the trio. He is the […]
West End firm Spring Law has acquired London employment boutique Ferguson Solicitors, giving it a combined turnover of £5m. The new team will practice under the name of Spring Ferguson and will consist of five directors, 20 fee-earners and five support staff. Ferguson’s two partners Charles Ferguson and Fiona MacDonald will move into Spring Law’s […]
Competition specialist Mrs Justice Rose has been appointed to succeed Mr Justice Peter Smith on a £1bn British Airways (BA) dispute after the latter agreed to recuse himself. Peter Smith J had been appointed to oversee the mammoth damages case, which relates to a 2010 European Commission (EC) ruling that BA and a host of […]
The AA has delayed signing off its legal panel review by three months, The Lawyer has learned. The motoring association undertook a full panel review of its commercial and corporate advisers at the end of last year, expected to include up to 10 firms. The review was due to be finalised in April, with the winning firms […]
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has launched a review of its transactions panel, with the 50 firms on its roster asked to freeze their legal fees for the next five years. The panel, which was put in place three years ago, is to go under review ahead of running out at the end of […]
Italian TMT firm Portolano Cavallo announced the launch of its first overseas office this week – opening in New York in a bid to better-serve its US clients. The firm’s clients include Columbia Pictures, Facebook and Fox and financial services company Mastercard and managing partner Francesco Portolano believes it can grow its offering more easily […]
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) will not strike in protest at legal aid cuts on Wednesday (1 July), despite its members balloting 96 per cent in favour of direct action before the general election. Members of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association (LCCSA) in London, Leeds and Manchester voted to strike by refusing to take […]