Pay for female lawyers not up by much

Pay for male lawyers in the UK is significantly down from 2011, while women enjoyed a small rise in salary in 2012. Despite this sliver of positive news, the gender imbalance continues with male and female lawyers still receiving dramatically different treatment. The profession still has a long way to go. Recent research from recruiter …

Manchester market takes another hit as Cobbetts seeks saviours

With Manchester-based Cobbetts on the verge of administration, signalling increasingly difficult market conditions in the north, local rivals will surely be able to snap up some bargains and save jobs. The firm, ranked 62nd in the LB100, announced on 30 January that it was seeking to obtain ‘statutory moratorium to enable a sale of the …

Cleary and 2012 GC take top prizes in 2013 Legal Business Awards

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Linklaters and London 2012’s Terry Miller were among the key prize-winners at last night’s Legal Business Awards. Cleary Gottlieb was named Law Firm of the Year from a shortlist including Baker & McKenzie, Bristows, Clifford Chance, Clyde & Co, RPC and Travers Smith. The Wall Street leader was singled out …

Latest Dundas departures are reminder of pressure facing Scotland’s most storied firms

Dundas & Wilson is bracing itself for the departure of three more partners from the firm’s London arm. Corporate partners Julian Matthews and Simon Sale, along with banking and finance partner Michael Wrigley have decided to leave the Scots leader, which has faced a difficult few years by any yardstick. These moves compound an unsettled …

Freshfields partners with Stephen Lawrence charity to provide scholarships to aspiring black lawyers

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is launching a scholarship with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (SLCT) to help students from black and ethnic minorities gain access to the profession, in the latest of a string of diversity initiatives in law. The scholarship will allow four successful male candidates committed to pursuing a career in the legal profession …

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square merges with public law specialists Atlas Chambers

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square has merged with Public law set Atlas Chambers in a bid to boost headcount following a swathe of barrister exits late last year. The tie-up will see Atlas director John Lister and his team of eight barristers move in with 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, which was hit by the exit of …

Central and eastern Europe: CEE the light

The most recent global deal statistics have shown that the outlook remains pretty dark for the world’s emerging markets. According to figures published by mergermarket, the value of emerging markets deals plummeted by 24.1% in the first three quarters of a2012, down from $386.8bn in 2011 to $293.5bn. Significantly, it’s not simply a result of …

Offshore: branching out

While fresh legislation is good news for the Cayman Islands’ insurance and reinsurance markets, BVI funds lawyers welcome a new regulatory regime. LB assesses the response from the Caribbean’s top law firms Significant legislative changes have brought good news to the thriving Caribbean offshore market. After much anticipation, the Cayman Islands Insurance Law 2010 came …