Bench strength revisited

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Bench strength revisited

The resounding message is that London is still booming. Fears surrounding its status as a leading jurisdiction for disputes being adversely impacted by Brexit appear to have gone largely unfounded, with not only the established players, but less traditional disputes practices and boutiques thriving. Martin Davies of Latham & Watkins sums up the outlook across the board, commenting: ‘There is a growing fragmentation in the London litigation market with some of the winners being at opposite ends of the spectrum, ie the international top tier who can serve clients worldwide, and the more niche boutiques.’ Continue reading “Bench strength revisited”

Gearing up – cases of the year

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Gearing up – cases of the year

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added gale force to the economic storms already picking up in early 2022, and has produced a spate of sanctions work as well as at least one ultra-high-value insurance dispute. Meanwhile, group litigation, litigation funding, and ESG remain at the forefront of lawyers’ minds.

Continue reading “Gearing up – cases of the year”

Overview – Elite Level: annual Euro Elite report finds the continent’s leading independents still in a bullish mood

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Overview – Elite Level: annual Euro Elite report finds the continent’s leading independents still in a bullish mood

Our annual Euro Elite survey finds the 100 leading firms across more than 40 jurisdictions still in a strong position, despite a potentially bleak outlook for 2023.

According to the European Central Bank, economic growth slowed considerably in the third quarter of 2022, as strong effects from the post-pandemic reopening and easing supply chain disruptions were tempered by lower consumer confidence and high inflation. This high inflation, uncertainty and weak consumer and business confidence is predicted to slow economic growth from 3.4% in 2022 to 0.5% in 2023. But, as energy markets rebalance, supply bottlenecks resolve and foreign demand strengthens, growth is expected to recover to 1.9% in 2024 and 1.8% in 2025. Continue reading “Overview – Elite Level: annual Euro Elite report finds the continent’s leading independents still in a bullish mood”

Success or failure? The push for gender equality is no longer a binary matter

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Success or failure? The push for gender equality is no longer a binary matter

Talking about diversity in law is hard. While there has been widespread progress when it comes to driving up the number of women in law, it is clear there is still much to be achieved with regards to other underrepresented groups. It is a particularly challenging task given both the scarcity of useful data and the related privacy considerations that make it hard to capture.

Put simply, we know there is much more to diversity than the issue of women in law – and that gender is not binary. That said, to ignore the progress women are making in the upper echelons of the legal market (and, in turn, The Legal 500 rankings) would mean we were failing to do justice to those breaking the glass ceiling and the profession more broadly. Continue reading “Success or failure? The push for gender equality is no longer a binary matter”