Legal Business

Revolving doors: Shoosmiths appoints five new partners as Burford and RPC make hires

Posted on |
Strategic recruitment Burford CapitalRPCShoosmiths
legal-business-default

The front door was spinning at Shoosmiths this week as it swooped for hires from three City firms, while Ashurst‘s exits continued, and Burford Capital and RPC Perform both recruited.

Shoosmiths’ recruitments hot up an otherwise quiet August with a spate of hires from Hogan Lovells, Charles Russell Speechlys, King & Wood Mallesons and a move for Iconix’s senior in-house counsel.

The UK firm hired Hogan Lovells corporate partner Amit Nayyar and senior real estate associate Ed John, who joins the firm as partner. Shoosmiths tapped Charles Russell for planning partner Tim Johnson, and added to the exits at King & Wood Mallesons by recruiting Angus Evers, who will join as the firm’s head of environment.

As well as grabbing a raft of new partners from the City, Shoosmiths added Richard Millington who joins from Iconix, the home of brands including Umbro, where he was VP international counsel. Millington will join Shoosmiths’ technology, media and commercial team in the firm’s Manchester office.

As the firm continues to struggle with a string of exits, Ashurst has lost a key member of its Africa team, with oil & gas and mining project partner Nicolas Bonnefoy leaving the firm to start his own practice. Bonnefoy has advised clients such as Mitsui & Co, oil company OMV Group and Sasol as well as Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bonnefoy is the latest in a wave of recent departures, including the firm’s CFO Brian Dunlop earlier this month.

While Burford Capital, the global litigation financing firm, has appointed former Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson head of competition and antitrust Craig Arnott as its new managing director. Arnott takes over after the sudden resignation of Nick Rowles-Davies.

Arnott will focus on the UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Burford chief executive Christopher Bogart said: ‘We’re very pleased to welcome Craig to Burford. He brings over 20 years of commercial law experience in multiple legal jurisdictions that will assist us in meeting the increasingly global demands of our clients.’

Finally, RPC’s general counsel consulting arm, RPC Perform, has hired Royal Bank of Scotland consultant Varun Srikumar in the latest addition to the team. RPC Perform was founded early in 2016, headed up by former T-Mobile GC and Huron Consulting legal managing director Julia Chain. Srikumar is the fifth new signing for the fledgling practice.

matthew.field@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Launching Leeds: Shoosmiths takes Gordons employment duo to open eleventh office

Posted on |
Commercial GordonsShoosmiths
legal-business-default

Shoosmiths is to open a new office in Leeds with an employment duo from Yorkshire-based Gordons as part of the firm’s ongoing strategy to increase its share of the UK legal market.

Partners Simon Robinson and Phil Crowe will lead the offering, which will be Shoosmith’s eleventh office. The firm said the new office is likely to open in late 2016.

Shoosmiths chief executive Claire Rowe said that the move was part of a plan to create a Northern hub and take a larger share of the domestic market.

Rowe (pictured) added: ‘Although we already advise clients based in Yorkshire, this new office will enable us to develop more work from some of the largest national and international corporates in that region. We plan to create a Northern hub of legal expertise for Shoosmiths’ clients with our Leeds and Manchester offices working closely together and anticipate recruiting specialists in key fields including corporate, real estate and commercial disciplines to help us fulfil that goal.’

Last week, the firm announced 4% growth in revenue for 2015/16 to £107m. The figure was down on the firm’s double-digit growth last year of 10%. In 2014/15, the firm saw turnover recover to near pre-2008 levels, reaching £102.7m. The latest figures see the firm beat its 2007/8 record for the first time, when the revenues reached £103.4m.

Shoosmiths profit per equity partner was lower at £365,000, compared with last year’s figure of £416,000. The firm said this was because this financial year was its first as an all-equity partnership, having moved to the model in May last 2015.

The firm has recruited and promoted 14 partners in the last year, strengthening its offices in Birmingham, Manchester and London, having moved into its new office at Tower 42 in 2015. Rowe said the firm was leading an IT transformation programme as part of its digital strategy.

kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

‘Building our business’: Turnover growth stalls at Shoosmiths with 4% revenue rise

Posted on |
Financial results 2015/16 Shoosmiths
legal-business-default

Shoosmiths has seen revenue rise 4% for 2015/16 to £107m, down on the firm’s double digit growth last year of 10%. In 2014/15, the firm saw turnover recover to near pre-2008 levels, reaching £102.7m. The latest results see the firm beat its 2007/8 record for the first time, when the revenues reached £103.4m.

Shoosmiths profit per equity partner was considerably lower at £365,000, compared with last year’s figure of £416,000. The firm said this was because this financial year was its first as an all-equity partnership, having moved to the model in May last 2015. Rowe (pictured) added: ‘this is a reduction on last year, but is still our second highest PEP in the last nine years’.

The national firm said on a like for like basis, profits were up by 4% to £25.1m.

Shoosmiths chief executive Claire Rowe said: ‘These growth figures reflect the fact that we are building our business for the future by investing in new talent and the infrastructure required to operate as a successful, forward-thinking modern law firm.’

Rowe told Legal Business: ‘Undoubtedly the Brexit vote has caused a considerable amount of uncertainty. On the transactional side we have seen some deals paused. Equally we have had some come back on track and they have now completed. I think there will be a continued dampening effect on the market, but equally there are always two sides to a challenge. While transactional activity may pause there will be an increased demand in advisory work for what the change might mean for businesses. The key is to stay close to your clients and find out what their concerns and challenges are.’

The firm has recruited and promoted 14 partners in the last year, strengthening its offices in Birmingham, Manchester and London, having moved into its new office at Tower 42 in 2015. Rowe said the firm was leading an IT transformation programme as part of its digital strategy.

Other national firms to announce their financials have seen similar growth. Addleshaw Goddard posted a revenue bump of 5% up to £201.8m, while Pinsent Masons also grew turnover by 5% to £382.3m.

Posting results today (6 July) DAC Beachcroft saw subdued turnover growth of 2% to £202m, with profits up 9% to £35m.

matthew.field@legalease.co.uk

 

Legal Business

Shoosmiths grows revenues 10% to pass £100m mark and return to pre-financial crisis high

Posted on |
Financial results 2014/15 Shoosmiths
legal-business-default

National firm Shoosmiths has returned to its pre-financial crisis highs, breaking the £100m mark in revenues for the 2014/15 financial year and profit per equity partner (PEP) jumping 44% to £416,000.

Turnover at the top-50 firm grew 10% to £102.7m, returning to the level recorded in 2007/08 when the firm posted revenues of £103.4m and building on strong results last year which saw a 7% increase in revenue to £93m with PEP up 21% to £290,000.

The regionally-focused firm has also revealed it has taken permanent office space in London’s Tower 42, as of today (13 July). The firm has ten offices in total including the Tower 42 base, with its remaining nine offices spread across the UK in Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Northampton, Thames Valley, Basingstoke, Southampton and Edinburgh.

The firm’s chief executive Claire Rowe (pictured) said the ‘stellar results’ boil down to the firm’s ‘sustained investment’ that has largely contributed to the firm’s growth in headcount. In the last three years, the firm appointed 46 new partners and increased its Birmingham and Manchester office headcount to 224 staff and 152 staff respectively. Shoosmiths also recently appointed its first non-executive director, Jeremy Horner.

‘We have also invested in various infrastructure and IT initiatives and these have been reflected in recent years’ accounts,’ said Rowe. ‘We have focused on building strong relationships with our clients and gaining a reputation for delivering quality legal advice which enables us to grow organically, particularly through recommendation.’

In April, Shoosmiths announced all its partners will move to an all-equity partnership from 1 May 2015 with 76 salaried partners becoming fixed-share, bringing the total number of equity partners to 126. Some 92% of the existing salaried partners chose to become members of the LLP as fixed share equity partners with the remaining 8% staying as salaried partners.

jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

An opportunity to ‘get involved’: Shoosmiths to move to an all-equity partnership

Posted on |
Partnership Shoosmiths
legal-business-default

National law firm Shoosmiths will move to an all-equity partnership from 1 May 2015 with 76 salaried partners becoming fixed-share – and bringing the total number of equity partners to 126.

Some 92% of the existing salaried partners have chosen to become members of the LLP as fixed share equity partners with the remaining 8% staying as salaried partners.

Speaking to Legal Business, Shoosmiths chairman Andrew Tubbs said the decision was part of the firm’s three-year strategy to drive growth: ‘Currently our strategy runs from 2014 – 2017 and the key focus of that strategy is growth. We have a strategy committee and any strategy document doesn’t just sit there as a bit of paper – it evolves. The proposal to move on this basis came out of that committee then it went to a debate with the current fixed share and full equity partners and was voted on in that forum.’

The firm then carried out consultations with its salaried-partner group with the leadership team making presentations around the firm’s offices before salaried-partners were given the choice to join the membership.

Tubbs added: ‘Any decisions that require ordinary or special reservations of the LLP – those partners will now be involved in voting in those decisions. Strategically for example – where we merged with ACH in Scotland in 2012 – that sort of decision would be an opportunity for all those members to vote and get involved in debate.’

Taylor Wessing announced last week it is also set to convert into an all equity partnership on 1 May following a lengthy review and partnership vote. While others set to make the move to all equity structures include Mishcon de Reya this autumn, where current equity partners will become ‘senior equity partners’ and junior partners will become ‘junior equity partners’.

kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

In-house: Mercedes Benz appoints Nabarro and Shoosmiths to UK legal panel as WLG loses out

Posted on |
Adviser reviews CMS UKShoosmiths
legal-business-default

Nabarro and Shoosmiths have secured a joint appointment to the legal panel of Mercedes-Benz UK following a competitive tender process, while Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co has failed to win a place.

Announced in a joint statement today (24 February), the appointment ‘allows Nabarro to build on a relationship of more than six years’ with the German automotive brand while Shoosmiths is a new addition to the panel.

The tender process was initiated by Mercedes-Benz group general counsel and compliance officer Jonathan Lipman, who joined the business in 2013 from PSA Peugeot Citroen, after former legal chief Iain Larkins left the role to found virtual commercial firm Radius Law.

Commenting on the panel, Lipman said: ‘We review our legal suppliers rigorously. The re-appointment of Nabarro is testament to the quality of advice and other support the firm continues to provide Mercedes-Benz. In appointing Shoosmiths, we are confident we have found a firm that will work effectively as an extension to our own team and look forward to working with them. The firms are expected to support us particularly in the areas of property, financial services, corporate and competition’.

The last review took place in 2009, with Nabarro and legacy Wragge & Co winning the two spots available while Shoosmiths and Pinsent Masons lost out.

Nabarro’s client relationship partner for Mercedes-Benz, Jonathan Warne, said: ‘We have worked closely with Mercedes-Benz for many years and have developed a deep understanding of the key commercial and legal issues and opportunities facing their business. We never take longstanding clients for granted, so we very much appreciate this opportunity to continue working with Jonathan and his colleagues for another three years.’

Robin Webb, Mercedes-Benz client partner at Shoosmiths, added: ‘We are excited to have been appointed to the Mercedes-Benz legal panel and are looking forward to working closely with the team. We take a very innovative and commercial approach to client service and will seek to develop efficient and collaborative solutions in conjunction with the business.’

Other in-house panel reviews of late include the UK legal arm of French insurer AXA, which is set to look at its relationships with Magic Circle and international firms to scope how effectively they can work for the company, and follows a review of the UK specific ‘business-as-usual’ panel which was cut from seven to two and now comprises Pinsent Masons and DAC Beachcroft.

sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

‘We will undoubtedly face many challenges’: Shoosmiths commercial head Peter Duff set to take on chairman role after Tubbs’ 12 year reign ends

Posted on |
Leadership Shoosmiths
legal-business-default

Shoosmiths chairman Andrew Tubbs is set to step down after 12 years with partner Peter Duff lined up by the firm to take over the role next year.

Duff’s new role will go into effect from 1 May 2015 for a three-year tenure, as Tubbs officially steps down at the end of April after completing four terms as chairman. Tubbs will continue to act as relationship partner for clients and will join the firm’s real estate team in Birmingham.

Employment partner Duff is currently head of the firm’s commercial practice group since 2009 after succeeding Claire Rowe who became chief executive. Duff joined Shoosmiths in 2004 and was promoted to head its national employment team within a year. Before Shoosmiths, Duff was at Baker & McKenzie for six years.  

Peter said: ‘As Shoosmiths continues to evolve we will undoubtedly face many challenges and choices; some of them internal and others driven by the rapidly changing external market.  As chairman, I will be helping the firm to take advantage of the opportunities that change brings.

‘In recent years, Andrew and our leadership colleagues have helped to reshape our business with great success and have had to take brave decisions along the way to become the integrated national firm it is today.  I wish to continue that journey when I take the reins next spring.’

Tubbs joined the commercial property department of Shoosmiths in 1986, and specialised in residential and commercial development acquisition, option agreements and property finance. He became a partner in 1989, before moving to a more management focused role as head of the firm’s financial institution’s division in 1994. 

Tubbs said: ‘I congratulate Peter on his appointment to lead the firm as chairman, alongside chief executive Claire Rowe. They will make an excellent team, and I am confident that Shoosmiths will continue to thrive under their leadership.’

Litigation partner Stuart Little will succeed Duff as head of the commercial practice group from 1 May 2015. Little specialises in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. He joined the firm in 1997 and became a partner in 2004.

jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

Financial results 2013/14: Shoosmiths posts 7% increase in revenue to £93m as Sackers drops 2% to £23.8m

Posted on |
Financial results 2013/14 Sacker & PartnersShoosmiths
legal-business-default

LB 100 firms Shoosmiths and Sacker & Partners have unveiled their financial results for the 2013/14 year, with top 50 firm Shoosmiths recording a near 7% increase in revenue to £93m, while at City firm Sackers turnover is down by 2% to £23.8m.

Shoosmiths’ profit per equity partner (PEP) rose 21% to £290,000, putting it back on a par with figures recorded in 2011.

The results are an improvement on last year’s results, when the firm posted a 4% revenue uptick to £87m – albeit a 16% drop in revenue since 2008 – with PEP down by 20% to £239,000.

High profile mandates since last year included advising administrator Duff & Phelps on the administration of beleaguered shoe retailer Barratts. The firm also strengthened its medical negligence team last August with an eight-strong team from the now defunct Challinors, including the latter’s former head of clinical negligence, Richard Bannister.

City firm Sackers, meanwhile, has seen PEP come in at £741,000, marking a 5% drop, although the top of the equity received £1.1m.

The pensions boutique last year recorded flat revenues of £24.3m, moving it down four places in the LB 100 rankings to 98th position. Profit per lawyer last year saw a 6% rise to £272,000 while PEP suffered a 9% drop to £781,000.

The results follow that of RPC, which yesterday (21 July) revealed revenue growth of 3% to £84.1m – representing an upward trajectory for the City firm of 40% since 2011 – however partner profits slid by 6% to £26m. Profit per equity partner (PEP) came in at £338,000 for the period, a 9% drop on last year’s figure of £372,000.

Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

LLP latest: Shoosmiths, Morgan Cole and MMS see significant drop in highest paid partner as Charles Russell’s takes home 64% more

Posted on |
Salaries Blake MorganMaclay Murray & SpensShoosmiths
legal-business-default

The latest round of LLP accounts for 2012/13 has revealed that Shoosmiths paid £1.5m to acquire Scottish firm Archibald Campbell & Harley, while Morgan Cole’s highest paid partner took home £116,000 less, Maclay Murray & Spens reduced their borrowing despite a tough year and Charles Russell’s highest paid equity partner took home £234,000 more.

On merging with Archibald Campbell in October 2012, Shoosmiths acquired £1.77m of net assets, £1.47m of which was paid as a cash consideration, the UK top 45 firm’s first-ever LLP accounts show. The remaining £300,000 was collected by the end of the financial year.

The 418-lawyer firm, which incorporated as an LLP on 4 May 2012, with the business of its general partnership transferring to the LLP on 6 August 2012, saw its bank loans increase by 18% from £6.5m in 2011/12 to £7.7m last year, while other loans also increased from £1.7m to £2.6m.

Shoosmiths’ highest paid partner saw their earnings drop 25% from £375,000 in 2011/12 to £281,000 last year, as audited accounts also showed a drop in net profit of 12% during that period from £12.5m to £11m, although turnover increased 3.4% from £84m to £86.9m.

Elsewhere, at UK top 80 firm Morgan Cole the highest paid member of the equity took home almost 42% less at the end of the last financial year – £162,000 compared to £278,000 in 2011/12. The lowest paid equity partner also took home 35% less; £135,000 compared to £206,000 the year before.

This came as revenue dipped 8% from £36.6m to £33.7m, as profit dropped over 32% from £10.1m to £6.9m, which the Cardiff-based firm attributed to a one-off property charge which has now been resolved.

Meanwhile, Maclays has significantly reduced its borrowing despite seeing revenue and profits drop, with turnover down 12.6% to £40.8m last year compared to £46.7m at the end of 2011/12. Net profit was down 21.8% from £13.3m to £10.4m as the firm also reduced its headcount by 22 fee-earners and staff, as staff costs were cut 7.2% from £18m to £16.7m.

The Scottish market has been notoriously difficult but Maclays, which has seen its revenue drop by over 30% from its 2008 high of £61.1m, has nonetheless shaved its bank loan from just below £2m to around £1.3m in the last financial year.

The highest-earning partner took home £292,000, a 26% cut on £397,000 the year before.

The picture could not be more different at top 50 UK firm Charles Russell which, despite seeing turnover and profit increase only slightly, saw its highest paid partner take home £600,000, up from £366,000 in 2011/12, a 64% increase.

The 310-lawyer firm continues to pay off an £11m term loan taken in 2009 to refurbish its City offices, reducing its outstanding borrowings to £6.6m last year.

francesca.fanshawe@legalease.co.uk

Legal Business

In Administration: Barratts administrators instruct Shoosmiths as Blockbuster turns to Locke Lord

Posted on |
Corporate Locke LordShoosmiths
legal-business-default

Beleaguered shoe retailer Barratts has gone into administration for the third time in four years, with administrator Duff & Phelps turning to top 50 firm Shoosmiths to advise as it reviews the company’s position and considers all options including a fire sale.

Shoosmith’s restructuring and insolvency national head James Keates and Manchester partner Sarah Teale are advising Duff & Phelps this time around, after Barratts, which has 75 stores and 23 concessions across the UK and Ireland employing 1,035 people in total, was left with no choice but to turn to administrators when a recent offer of £5m from an investor was withdrawn on 7 November.

The latest development follows Barratts’ administration last year, when Squire Saunders advised Deloitte, with Leeds head of restructuring and insolvency John Alderton taking the lead.

Barratt’s collapse comes as fellow high street retailer Blockbuster has also filed for administration again, with Locke Lord’s London office being instructed by joint administrators Simon Thomas and Nick O’Reily of Moorfields Corporate Recovery.

Locke Lord’s restructuring partner David Grant is leading the team working for the administrators, as Blockbusters goes into administration for the second time this year. Locke Lord were appointed after Blockbuster’s owners, TS Operations, announced its intention two weeks ago to take the company into administration.

In January, when Blockbuster first went into administration, CMS Cameron McKenna advised Deloitte’s joint administrators Lee Manning, Matthew Smith and Neville Kahn.

The US private equity firm Gordon Brothers Europe first rescued Blockbuster in March but failed to turn around the company’s fortunes.

david.stevenson@legalease.co.uk