In a further blow to its client roster, White & Case has ended its training contract deal with The University of Law (ULaw) and switched to rival BPP Law School.
Under its previous contract, ULaw took on 30 trainee solicitors per year to earn a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and the Legal Practice Course (LPC) over a period of two years.
Ulaw is undergoing a period of transition after being sold in June by Montagu Private Equity to Global University Systems (GUS), less than three years after the private equity house acquired it, and after ULaw’s chief executive John Latham departed the institution by ‘mutual consent’, with chief operating officer David Johnston stepping in as his replacement from 1 August.
The school is also trying to recover from losing several law firm clients including Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy and Baker & McKenzie who switched to BPP at the end of last year.
On a more positive note, Linklaters – which acted for Montagu on the ULaw sale while Eversheds advised buyer GUS and Travers Smith represented ULaw management – renewed its partnership for five years with ULaw providing an increase in business management modules.
Mayer Brown also teamed up with ULaw to offer a ‘direct to solicitor’ apprenticeship in June, while the school also won Shearman & Sterling and Trowers & Hamlins this summer, and counts Ashurst as key clients.
ULaw now faces fierce competition from key rival BPP after it was revealed yesterday [25 August] that Kaplan Law School is set to close at the end of 2016 after several clients turned to other legal practice course providers.
White & Case declined to comment on the switch.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
