Margaret Cole, managing director and board member of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), tendered her resignation from the top post in February, with fresh speculation that she could return to private practice. Cole has already been linked to a Magic Circle firm and a US firm.
Neil Kinsella, Russell Jones & Walker (RJW)’s chief executive, is non-committal on the possibility of a UK listing for his firm, should its recently announced acquisition by listed Australian firm Slater & Gordon (S&G) complete. S&G, the world’s first listed law firm, is set to buy UK personal injury firm RJW for £53.8m later this …
Continue reading “UK listing for Russell Jones & Walker not immediate priority”
Pinsent Masons and McGrigors confirmed in early February that partners had voted in favour of the two firms merging. The new firm will operate from 1 May as one unified partnership under the Pinsent Masons brand. Management says that the combination will likely see the creation of a near £300m, 1,500 lawyer business spanning 15 …
Continue reading “Pinsents and McGrigors tie-up gets rubber-stamped”
Shearman & Sterling’s loss is Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s gain after Stephan Hutter, Germany’s pre-eminent capital markets specialist, swapped one US firm for another in February. Hutter joined Skadden’s Frankfurt office along with fellow partner Katja Kaulamo, gifting the firm the German capital markets capability it has sought for so long.
Firms operating in the Leeds market have been in a state of flux recently, with the region’s mid-tier firms taking advantage of the shrinking headcount at the larger players. Despite troubling economic conditions in the Leeds market, Gateley was not deterred, and opened its Leeds office in January, marking the firm’s eighth office in the …
Continue reading “Leeds market set to change markedly as top tier loses talent”
Travers Smith has always been one to plough its own furrow and last month the firm confirmed it was reviewing its roster of US best friend firms. The corporate powerhouse is reviewing its line-up in the wake of a raft of US firms strengthening their own London offerings.
Taylor Wessing is more likely to merge with a local practice in Hong Kong than to set up in the region organically, the firm indicated last month, as it continues to expand its Asian footprint after taking over Singapore alliance firm RHT Law in March. Tim Eyles, the firm’s London-based managing partner, told LB that …
Continue reading “Taylor Wessing eyes Hong Kong deal after Singapore launch”
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has hired former Stephenson Harwood chief executive and litigation heavyweight Sunil Gadhia in its London office, marking a growing trend of US firms bulking up City disputes practices. Gadhia is set to join Cleary’s London outpost this year after 15 years as a partner at Stephenson Harwood, of which he …
Continue reading “Cleary hires former Stephenson Harwood chief executive”
Eversheds has bolstered its Manchester offering with the hire of an eight-lawyer contentious construction team from McGrigors just months before the Scottish firm is due to tie the knot with Pinsent Masons. McGrigors’ Manchester chief David Moss and construction disputes partner Paul Giles joined Eversheds in March, along with six additional lawyers. The team provides …
Continue reading “Eversheds boosts construction practice with McGrigors team”
James Tsolakis of The Royal Bank of Scotland published his annual report, A perspective on the legal market, in March. In it, he says UK firms have 5% overcapacity in fee-earner resources and has told LB that firms need to address this issue at partner level. The report also says that the success of new …
