Growth spurts: Can Goodwin Procter’s impressive string of European hires hold it together?

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Growth spurts: Can Goodwin Procter’s impressive string of European hires hold it together?

Madeleine Farman and Victoria Young sit down with Europe chair David Evans (pictured) to discuss laterals, integration and the next steps in the region

After its recent haul of new hires, it is hard to believe Goodwin Procter’s 119-lawyer offering in Europe began in 2011 with one partner, a telephone and a desk in London. Europe chair David Evans joined Goodwin after a 26-year stint at Ashurst, where he had served as a board member. One month later he was followed by colleague Samantha Lake Coghlan, a real estate funds partner. It was nearly a year before they gained their next lateral partner, Linklaters’ global co-head of real estate Joe Conder.

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Life during law: Lord Dyson, 39 Essex Chambers

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Life during law: Lord Dyson, 39 Essex Chambers

I’ve enjoyed every minute as a barrister and a judge. Two careers. I’ve been privileged.

I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Even when I went to Oxford I didn’t know. I thrashed around, then stumbled into the Bar. I wanted to do something in the real world. My father was always starry-eyed about the Bar. I suspect that came into it too.

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One man band: Can Ropes & Gray maintain the momentum without Allen?

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One man band: Can Ropes & Gray maintain the momentum without Allen?

Madeleine Farman and Victoria Young ask the firm’s leaders about growth in the City.

Ropes & Gray’s rapid growth in London is an ascent which any newcomer would aspire to. Although the Boston firm was late to the party when it officially opened in 2010, its sole European base has enjoyed an impressive upward trajectory. Revenue was up by almost a third in 2015 to $83m, a successful result on the back of a 30% increase in 2014 when City turnover was $64m. Continue reading “One man band: Can Ropes & Gray maintain the momentum without Allen?”

Shell moves to ‘appropriate’ fee arrangements for all matters following panel review

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Royal Dutch Shell has implemented a rule that all new legal matters must be priced using ‘appropriate’ fee arrangements (AFAs), following the oil major’s most recent panel review in April 2016.

AFAs, which include capped fees, fixed fees and contingency fees, have been in place for all litigation work since June 2014, but now apply to all legal matters. In addition, every piece of work will be put out to tender to three or more panel firms.

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Joyce stands for re-election as Addleshaw partners vote through Scottish merger

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Addleshaw Goddard managing partner John Joyce is to stand for re-election for a second term beginning May 2017, it was revealed at the end of November as partners at the firm voted to acquire HBJ Gateley’s three Scottish offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Joyce, who was appointed into the role in May 2014 for a three-year term, is hoping to serve another four years as managing partner, following recent changes to the firm’s partnership deed that extended the terms of both managing partner and senior partner by a year.

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‘A combination of poor decisions’: KWM’s plan to recapitalise European business fails

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Legacy SJ Berwin on the brink as global managing partner stands down

Persistent troubles at King & Wood Mallesons’ (KWM) beleaguered European arm came to a head in November as the partnership, which is carrying more than £30m in debt, failed to get a deal over the line to recapitalise its business. As Legal Business went to press, the firm was assessing its options for a merger or pre-pack administration deal. It was understood that a shortlist of potential suitors had been drawn up.

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Quinn Emanuel’s Jagusch says modern arbitration has become ‘riddled with rogues and corruption’

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Arbitration today is full of routine corruption and rogue elements disrupting the process, argued Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s Stephen Jagusch QC (pictured) at Legal Business‘s International Arbitration Summit in November.

The second annual arbitration event held at The Brewery saw a panel comprising a quartet of silks, including Jagusch, Boies, Schiller & Flexner’s Wendy Miles QC, Fountain Court Chambers’ Brian Doctor QC and 20 Essex Street’s Duncan Matthews QC.

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Slaughters and Addleshaws follow Simmons in developing fintech funds

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Slaughter and May and Addleshaw Goddard are targeting the fintech market, following in Simmons & Simmons’ footsteps to develop funds that back free legal advice to fintech clients.

In May Simmons launched a £100,000 fund to cover free advice for up to four fintech start-ups. In November Slaughters upped the ante, putting £300,000 forward for its initiative. Meanwhile, Addleshaws has also announced it will provide up to £500,000 worth of legal mentorship and advisory programmes for up to 16 selected start-ups over the next 12 months.

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Burness Paull defends multimillion-dollar claim relating to legacy business

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Long-running dispute reaches Court of Session

One of Scotland’s leading independent firms, Burness Paull, is defending a $210m claim relating to legacy business Paull & Williamsons, Legal Business has learned, with a procedural hearing understood to have taken place in the Court of Session – Scotland’s supreme civil court – in November.

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United states: Kaye Scholer/Arnold & Porter union sees reshuffle in City practice

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Merger will create a $1bn firm with over 1,000 lawyers

In what is the largest announced US law firm merger of 2016, Washington DC’s Arnold & Porter and New York’s Kaye Scholer confirmed last month they are to merge, creating a firm with $1bn in revenue.

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