A long, long time ago when I used to report on fund management, one of the defining figures was Tony Dye, then the chief investment officer of Phillips & Drew, one of the City’s most storied asset management houses. Dye earned himself the nickname ‘Dr Doom’ through his bearish stance on equities, in particular by …
Continue reading “Being right in real life is much harder than being right intellectually”
One of the biggest mysteries of the UK legal industry since the wipe-out of 2008/09 is whatever happened at Addleshaw Goddard. The firm had a fine pedigree, the best partnership in the North West, a client-base to die for and a credible City merger under its belt in 2003 when it hooked up with Theodore …
Continue reading “The window opens for Addleshaws but only for so long”
‘We’re not a corporate firm, we’re an investors’ firm.’ That simple statement by one partner stood out more than any other during a recent meeting with Ropes & Gray. The point being made was that the firm – and its rapid progress in the City – had not been built on the back of large …
Continue reading “A new model, a new game as US firms secure a decisive victory”
It’s been the debate the profession has avoided over the last decade, but one that finally appears to be stirring. Scrutiny of the regulation, guidance and professional support for in-house counsel will be addressed by the UK’s primary legal watchdog, it has been confirmed.
Osborne Clarke (OC), Mishcon de Reya and Clifford Chance (CC) were among the major winners at the 2015 Legal Business Awards, with DLA Piper global co-chair Sir Nigel Knowles handed a special one-off award for industry-defining achievement marking the 25th anniversary of Legal Business.
DLA Piper’s new head Simon Levine jokes about avoiding becoming the David Moyes to his high-profile predecessor’s Alex Ferguson, but you could make a stronger case that Sir Nigel Knowles’ (pictured) transformative track record at DLA Piper is closer to making him the firm’s Tony Blair.
It’s the spirit of the age that law firms feel the need to not only deliver better value and efficiency but to be seen to do so by clients.
Our third annual GC Power List report looks more like a state-of-the profession piece than its two predecessors. While the earlier reports focused on standout individuals, in 2015 we highlight 50 exceptional in-house teams, which inevitably addresses how clients operate.
Fantastic as I look in a DJ, I wouldn’t say by character I’m a natural awards-type person but I have always said that if you are going to do an awards ceremony, there’s no point unless you do it really well. And doing it well means putting your shoulder to the wheel in the research …
Continue reading “Quality, outside scrutiny and Paxman – the LB Awards loom”
DLA Piper’s new head Simon Levine jokes about avoiding becoming the David Moyes to his high-profile predecessor’s Alex Ferguson, but you could make a stronger case that Sir Nigel Knowles’ transformative track record at DLA Piper is closer to making him the firm’s Tony Blair. Knowles took over an institution amid a period of upheaval …
Continue reading “Life after Sir Nigel – They built it, now what?”
