If the Ukraine invasion and its ensuing debates around right to representation inflicted a bruise on the legal profession’s reputation, recent professional misconduct episodes have surely left a greater wound.
In early May, a Twitter post authored by a Cardiff restaurant owner went viral, containing claims that a group of Ince lawyers had behaved inappropriately towards a waitress. Continue reading “Gerrard revelations and Ince restaurant-gate pose ethical quandaries for profession”
Asking around the market for tributes to Scott Simpson, Skadden’s eminent M&A partner who died suddenly at the age of 65 on 29 May, soon confirmed what was long suspected. Scott was the kind of man who got everyone up dancing to rock music, the sort of man who put the shirt-related fear of God into German hoteliers, the consummate enthusiast, sportsman and loving family man. He was the kind of man who would not hear of allowing a legal journalist to go unescorted in a foreign city or flinch when she put her foot in it. Effortlessly kind, generous, clever and funny.
Michael Hatchard, the now retired partner who did much to make Skadden a US heavyweight in public M&A work in Europe, recalls fondly: ‘When called to Düsseldorf for what would become the defence of Mannesmann in the bid from Vodafone, Scott left London just before the New Year holidays without hesitation with an overnight bag. He didn’t surface until the spring, by which time he had become a central player in the defence team and the deal had become recommendable. The hotel eventually asked him to sign a waiver because the collars on his much over-laundered shirts were about to fall off.’ Continue reading “‘A true star and magnificent friend’: Industry greats bid farewell to Skadden M&A doyen Scott Simpson”
The tables below summarise top-tier rankings, firstly by country (for the region’s major jurisdictions), and then on a regional basis, as drawn from The Legal 500 Latin America’s 2022 edition (published October 2021). Please note these listings exclude Central America, which will be considered separately in a subsequent edition of Legal Business.
Continue reading “Legal 500 data: The Legal 500 Latin America rankings”
Due to the favourable geopolitical location of Türkiye, it is a renowned hotspot for local and foreign investors. Its regulatory and political landscape has also seen recent, rapid evolution and change. Frequent developments are underway to laws regarding real estate, data privacy, citizenship, among others. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic presented a distinctive set of challenges for the country and for companies in Türkiye. General counsel (GCs), throughout this period, guided their respective companies with consistent and practical support.
The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Türkiye 2022 demonstrates an astounding level of legal ability against an arduous, transforming economic background. Driven by resilience, GCs in Türkiye have assumed a leading role in their companies and navigated unparalleled challenges. It does not come as a surprise that the in-house legal profession is burgeoning in Türkiye, attributable to the taxing undertakings they typically face in their organisations. Continue reading “GC Powerlist Türkiye 2022”
Salaried partners at BLM will have to re-apply for their positions once the firm’s merger with Clyde & Co goes live on 1 July.
Subject to a consultation, the salaried partners at BLM will be automatically transferred to Clyde with the title of legal director, and then given three options. Aside from remaining a director, they can apply to become a salaried partner (this option is only open to the casualty insurance practice) or a full equity partner at the merged firm. Continue reading “BLM salaried partners forced to re-apply for roles as Clyde merger looms”
The pandemic and GDPR regimes have heightened the litigation risk presented by data breaches and other cyber security issues in recent years.
Cyber attacks have grown in number and sophistication as businesses relied more than ever on technology to deliver their products and as remote working became the norm. According to a UK government report1, two in five businesses in Britain suffered cyber security attacks in the 12 months to March 2021, with an attached cost of £13,400 on average per data breach for medium and large companies. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: As data breach becomes a battleground for class action litigation, companies need to take a risk-based approach to cyber security”
Charles Avery reports on the firms taking a stand as sanctions bite
When news broke that Russia had invaded Ukraine, international law firms looked on in horror at the events unfolding and found themselves in the same predicament as just about every other major corporate entity. Continue reading “Conflict prompts Moscow exodus for Global 100 firms as Ukraine crisis takes its toll”
My mum is Syrian and my father’s Iraqi. I was raised in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. I was influenced by the war in Lebanon and then the war in Iraq. Constantly moving and never having a place that you can call your own, but also fighting to be educated.
As a girl in Saudi Arabia, I had to dress up as a boy to go swimming and horse riding. All the things women weren’t allowed to do. When I became a teenager, I wasn’t allowed to any more. It was very obvious that I was not a boy and I found my world cut in half. Continue reading “Life During Law: Diala Minott”
This issue holds our annual Legal Business Global London survey results.
To view the editorial commentary of the rankings go to: legal500.com Continue reading “Legal 500 data: The Legal 500 Global London rankings”
Conyers’ Barnabas Finnigan and Eric Flaye on how offshore jurisdictions have positioned themselves to take advantage of recent developments
The development of blockchain applications and the rapid growth of cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets have opened up new opportunities in the fintech space in recent years. Increasingly, sophisticated investors are seeking ways to access this niche sector. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Utilising offshore structures for digital assets”
