RPC and Bates Wells Braithwaite (BWB) lead on creation of Leveson’s new press regulation system. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is being established to independently regulate the UK’s newspapers and magazines following the News of the World hacking scandal and subsequent Leveson Inquiry into press standards. The organisation is expected to be fully operational […]
Spanish firm Gomez-Acebo & Pombo has reported a third successive year of falling revenue, but has almost halted the rate of decline, posting a turnover drop of just 0.9 per cent last year. Turnover fell from €61.9m in 2012 to €60.7m last year (7 February 2013). The results follow a 1.4 per cent drop between […]
Solicitors’ salaries have risen by £5,000 over the past year but bonuses are down, according to a new survey by recruiter Laurence Simons. A rise in salaries over the past 12 months has taken the average across the market from £103,450 to £108,690 in a year, but at the same tine the average bonus has […]
The previous 12 months were certainly a refreshing change as the UK economy finally looks to have turned a corner and, until now, slow and halting recovery appears to have gathered some genuine momentum. Talk is now much more positive and there is a real sense of optimism. Fears about a triple-dip recession have been […]
BT has hired a new competition general counsel from Sky following last year’s internal restructuring of BT Retail and a subsequent reorganisation of the telecoms company’s legal teams. Bruce Breckenridge, formerly principal legal adviser at Sky with more than 15 years experience, has joined BT as its new group head for competition and regulatory. The […]
A Guildhall barrister charged with attempt to defraud in relation to the sale of four open-cast mining sites has been cleared at a Cardiff Crown Court hearing. The SFO had brought the case against Guildhall Chambers silk Stephen Davies QC, who is also a door tenant at London’s Wilberforce Chambers (6 February 2013). Yesterday (18 […]
More than half (56 per cent) of merger discussions between law firms are ending in failure according to research from accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson. In addition the research found that a third of firms spent more than three months negotiating before ending the talks while 15 per cent reported spending more […]
A month and a half into 2014 and mergers are still top of the news agenda. FFW has bolted on Heatons, while the latest LLP results are telling an interesting tale about different firm combinations. Which is the fairest of them all? FFW partners vote to merge with Manchester firm Heatons Bond Pearce merger cost […]
A downward trend in the number of new Queens’ Counsel has been reversed, with 100 silks appointed in this year’s round – the largest number for three years. In total, 95 barristers and five solicitor-advocates were named yesterday as QCs, up from 83 barristers and one solicitor last year (27 February 2013). The successful applicants […]
Hill Dickinson is consulting on its second cash call in 12 months in response to HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) change to the partnership taxation rules, which will come into effect on 6 April. Following approximately 12 consultation meetings around the country, Hill Dickinson managing partner Peter Jackson has recommended a capital investment of 30 […]
With none of the three committee members based in Asia, will DLA Piper’s new US-led Asia management structure help the firm to achieve its ambition to be bigger and stronger in the region? In a surprising move, DLA Piper revamped its Asia management structure at the end of last year, replacing the managing director role, […]
One of legacy King & Wood’s founding partners, Bai Yanchun, has joined Beijing-based Commerce & Finance as a partner. The move comes almost two years after Bai’s sudden departure from King & Wood at the end of 2011, which coincided with the Chinese firm’s announcement that it was merging with Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques […]