The legal profession has seen a handful of high profile cases of commercial lawyers caught out in allegations of fraud or questionable behaviour in recent years, a process that often involves the employing law firm rapidly turning on its own staff. But while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has referred two partners of Addleshaw Goddard to …
Continue reading “Addleshaw stands by its men as two partners face SDT hearing”
In further evidence of the intense pressure facing small practices, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) today (31 October) announced that 153 law firms are at threat of closure after having failed to secure professional indemnity insurance (PII) cover. Under the new PII arrangements – introduced this year to replace the old assigned risks pool – …
It has become a cliché among deal professionals to say that – even in these risk-averse times – there is still the confidence and financing to make acquisitions with a solid story. Securing one such deal are DLA Piper and Clifford Chance (CC), who have taken lead roles advising on the £300m sale of Dr …
Continue reading “Deal Watch: CC and DLA Piper step up on £300m Dr Martens buyout”
Continuous money saving has been the order of the day for Vodafone’s general counsel (GC) and company secretary Rosemary Martin, who has been under continued pressure to cut costs and headcount since becoming responsible for around 350 professionals in the telecom giant’s global legal team spread across 24 countries. Vodafone, in common with other mobile …
New York’s impenetrable legal community is well used to seeing – and rebuffing – the advances of UK law firms but Osborne Clarke (OC) is attempting a more tactical sashay into downtown Manhattan to cultivate its core TMT client base. The 500-lawyer UK law firm is today (28 October) officially launching a branch in New York …
Continue reading “OC rocks up in BoHo New York to chase the creative dollar”
A clutch of international general counsel moves this week has seen Total bring in oilfield services heavyweight Maarten Scholten as its head of legal while across the Atlantic Jay Itzkowitz has been hired as senior vice president and general counsel (GC) of NASDAQ-listed in-flight entertainment provider Global Eagle and international environmental consultancy Environ has appointed its first-ever …
Just weeks away from its merger with King Wood & Mallesons, SJ Berwin corporate heavyweight Ed Harris is leaving for Hogan Lovells as Bingham McCutcheon also raids Jones Day to build its London competition team and Osborne Clarke’s remaining two-partner private client team joins Bond Dickinson. Harris, who will move across to Hogan Lovells on an …
Osborne Clarke (OC) has made its 25th lateral hire in 18 months, while managing partner Simon Beswick has revealed plans for the firm to continue to build out internationally. Former Pinsent Masons partner Andrew Normington, who will join 600-lawyer OC’s infrastructure and project finance team, specialises in providing advice to sponsors and financial institutions with …
Continue reading “Growth plans: Osborne Clarke continues lateral hiring spree”
The latest instalment of Ashurst’s senior management elections has seen Ashurst Australia’s chair Mary Padbury voted in as vice chair of the newly-merged firm just days after partners said no to incumbent head Charlie Geffen for the chair role in favour of Ben Tidswell. Padbury, who was widely-tipped for the vice chair post, held a …
Continue reading “Ashurst leadership contest – Mary Padbury for vice chairman”
As former co-head of Bird & Bird’s London-based international life sciences sector group and rated intellectual property (IP) litigation partner Trevor Cook joins WilmerHale’s New York office, Irwin Mitchell this week took on Pinsent Masons former dispute resolution and litigation head Nigel Kissack and Squire Sanders IP partner Alex Newman, while in Birmingham, Eversheds and DWF pulled in international rail partner Andrew …
