Simmons & Simmons is starting to ease a series of measures taken earlier on in the pandemic, dishing out bonuses to staff while profit distributions remain under review. Last spring, decisions around bonuses and pay reviews had been deferred. A spokesperson for the firm said in a statement: “Simmons & Simmons is pleased to confirm […]
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has promoted 20 lawyers to its partnership, a bigger pool than 2019 that sees a similar number of elevations in the City. The merged firm’s promotions will be effective from January 2021, taking the firm’s partner headcount up to 545, and include four partners made up in London, one less […]
Reed Smith has revealed its plans for a year-long programme to make its future trainees ready for the new Solicitors Qualification Exam (SQE) which will take place entirely within the law firm’s walls. The firm’s “professional SQE training path” will launch in 2022 and in effect will replace the Legal Practice Course (LPC). It will […]
RPC has today embarked on its second round of global partner promotions for 2020, just six months after the firm announced its first batch of 15. It was back in May that the initial promotions were confirmed, although this tally has now been boosted by a further three lawyers as the firm continues its push […]
Simmons & Simmons is starting to ease a series of measures taken earlier on in the pandemic, dishing out bonuses to staff while profit distributions remain under review. Last spring, decisions around bonuses and pay reviews had been deferred. A spokesperson for the firm said in a statement: “Simmons & Simmons is pleased to confirm […]
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has promoted 20 lawyers to its partnership, a bigger pool than 2019 that sees a similar number of elevations in the City. The merged firm’s promotions will be effective from January 2021, taking the firm’s partner headcount up to 545, and include four partners made up in London, one less […]
Reed Smith has revealed its plans for a year-long programme to make its future trainees ready for the new Solicitors Qualification Exam (SQE) which will take place entirely within the law firm’s walls. The firm’s “professional SQE training path” will launch in 2022 and in effect will replace the Legal Practice Course (LPC). It will […]
RPC has today embarked on its second round of global partner promotions for 2020, just six months after the firm announced its first batch of 15. It was back in May that the initial promotions were confirmed, although this tally has now been boosted by a further three lawyers as the firm continues its push […]
The overnight shift to remote working during lockdown has shaken up attitudes to the traditional commute forever, while raising fears over childcare assistance and career development, our major industry-wide survey reveals
The Higher Education sector is in big trouble. As we reported last month, universities are struggling to fill places on their undergraduate courses – not least for law degrees. Many are in financial distress. Tuition fees for home students have been capped at £9,250 since 2017 and are falling well behind what is profitable, but […]
Associate retention is one of the biggest bugbears for law firm leaders, as competitive salaries and the promise of greater opportunities lure rising stars away. Added to this, a firm’s biggest cost is its people, but that didn’t stop Freshfields last year pledging to up its trainee intake from 90 to 100 from 2025. Should […]
Of the UK Top 50 firms, just 16 have no overseas offices, and of the remaining 34, more than half (19) were bigger outside the UK last year. Internationalisation is a hallmark of a Top 50 firm, but for many it is the UK that keeps the investment pipelines pumped. For firms with international offices, […]
The upcoming UK200 has welcomed its sixth employee ownership trust (EOT) member. Altrincham’s Myerson Solicitors joins Yorkshire’s Ison Harrison and the West Midlands’ Talbots Law in embracing employee ownership, having converted from a limited liability partnership (LLP) to a 100 per cent employee-owned company last week. The EOT model allows all employees to take a […]
Over the last decade, the UK’s Top 50 firms have trialled a variety of tactics to satisfy an incessant demand for revenue growth. Consolidation has been a feature of the decade, with ‘critical mass’ becoming a key term used by managing partners as they push forward their growth agendas. Internationalisation too is a hallmark of […]
Slaughter and May and Travers Smith are leading on Legal & General’s sale of its UK housebuilder, Cala Homes. Slaughters is leading for longstanding client L&G as it sells Cala to to Ferguson Bidco, a joint venture between Sixth Street Partners and Patron Capital. Slaughters corporate partner Victoria MacDuff is at the helm of the […]
Cahill Gordon & Reindel has added a new partner to its ranks in London, following a number of exits from its finance practice over the year. Cahill has hired Andrew Kelly as a partner, a former Clifford Chance member. He joins its banking and capital markets practice, working on high yield matters, acquisition financings, recapitalisations […]
Greenberg Traurig is leading for Harland & Wolff, the company famous for building the Titanic, as it looks set to appoint administrators. Harland & Wolff posted a notice of intention to appoint an administrator yesterday. Greenberg’s team is led by corporate partner Shashank Krishna, co-vice chair of the restructuring group John Houghton and corporate partner […]
In a bid to expand its intellectual property practice, Addleshaw Goddard is adding five lawyers to its ranks from a specialist City firm. Stobbs’ head of litigation Geoff Steward is joining Addleshaws, along with four lawyers. Steward has worked at Stobbs for nearly six years, and played a key role in developing the firm’s IP […]
Having introduced a firmwide bonus for the first time two years ago, Shoosmiths is now contemplating whether to develop an individual reward scheme for its lawyers. The firmwide bonus, set up in August 2022, recognises all firm employees (excluding partners). It set out to pay staff between 5 to 7 per cent of their basic salary […]