Over 100 law firms have less than two weeks to obtain professional indemnity insurance (PII) failing which they must close their practice by 29 December, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced today (18 December). The regulatory body has identified a total of 117 law firms still requiring insurance as of 16 December – none of which …
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Since New York elite firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore kicked off the US bonus season at the start of December with its decision to hold bonus rates at 2012 levels, firms including Boies, Schiller & Flexner, Cahill Gordon & Reindel, Sidley Austin, as well as Kaye Scholer, Schulte Roth & Zabel and Ropes & Gray have …
Eversheds has named litigator and former Tyco relationship partner Paul Smith as its next chairman as current incumbent John Heaps steps down. The partnership voted in favour of Smith in the third week of November against corporate partner Robert Pitcher, who also stood for election. Smith will begin his four year term on 1st May …
US firms have begun to announce their partnership promotions with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan making the largest number of partner promotions in the firm’s history, while Sidley Austin, Bingham McCutchen and Dechert all announced a decrease in associates to be made up on 1 January. Quinn Emanuel announced today (13 December 2013) it is …
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In the last major round of hires before 2013 draws to a close, Allen & Overy (A&O) has boosted its international competition capability while Eversheds has expanded its City tax team and firms including Wiggin, Dentons, Field Fisher Waterhouse and Olswang have this month made strategic lateral hires across the media, energy, real estate and insolvency …
Ashurst has tapped into the magic circle in a bid to strengthen its finance practice, hiring Linklaters debt capital markets (DCM) partner Francis Kucera to its City-based securities and derivatives practice. In his new role, Kucera will strengthen Ashurst’s DCM offering in the emerging markets. He joins a two-partner team – including former Linklaters’ colleague …
The fallout from upheaval within firms in the upper echelons of the Australian legal market continues with news today (5 December) that King & Wood Mallesons‘ (KWM) global head of disputes Beau Deleuil has quit to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in Sydney. The exit follows KWM merging with SJ Berwin, which went live …
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Freelance lawyers to cover fixed-term needs. For all the talk of innovation in the profession, experimentation with new models has so far been more evident at mid-pack players like Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Eversheds than elite London or New York advisers. However, as Legal Business revealed on 25 November, Allen & Overy (A&O) has …
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It’s not been the ideal launch after the final phase of its high-stakes global merger. Within days of the union between Ashurst and its Australian ally going live on 1 November, the combined firm has seen a run of senior departures and barely concealed dismay in some quarters at the surprise leadership defeat of Charlie …
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A recession-weary Ashurst has finalised a long-planned but high-stakes global merger – only to eject the leader synonymous with its brand and strategy. Is Ashurst heading for peace-time prosperity or factional warfare? The former Ashurst partner sits back in his chair and reads the text message. Having asked a friend about the mood at Appold …
