Investigations: RBS appoints panel firm Clifford Chance to conduct independent review

Posted on |

Investigations have become big business for the City’s thriving litigation teams although the majority of them happen behind closed doors for valued clients and are not said to offer an ‘independent’ assessment.

A recent exception is the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) disclosure yesterday (25 November) that it has appointed Clifford Chance (CC) to conduct an independent inquiry into the treatment received by small business customers in financial distress, after allegations that the bank deliberately drove them to collapse for its own gain. Continue reading “Investigations: RBS appoints panel firm Clifford Chance to conduct independent review”

Team work in the public sector as Bevan Brittan joins forces with Harrow and Barnet councils

Posted on |

The dividing line between private practice and public legal services providers is blurring again with Harrow and Barnet councils unveiling a new partnership with Bevan Brittan as the two local authorities become the first to apply for an alternative business structure (ABS) licence.

Harrow and Barnet councils, which came together in September last year to create HB Public Law (HBPL) and already provide services a small number of other local authorities, will work in a joint venture with Bevan Brittan to offer combined legal services to both existing and new public services clients, drawing on complementary resources from both sides.

Continue reading “Team work in the public sector as Bevan Brittan joins forces with Harrow and Barnet councils”

In-house: former Thomson Reuters group GC resurfaces at Rentokil

Posted on |

The former Europe & Asia general counsel (GC) of global multimedia giant Thomson Reuters, Daragh Fagan, has resurfaced at UK-based support services company Rentokil Initial as group GC.

Following the merger of Thomson and Reuters in 2007, an $8.7bn deal that created the world’s largest provider of financial news and information, Fagan was appointed from legacy Reuters as GC for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, after joining from Italian energy group ENI in the summer of 2007.

Having been further appointed as GC for the Europe and Asia regions in January Fagan, a former Herbert Smith lawyer, departed the media giant in the summer and took up his new position at Rentokil, which offers a mix of services including pest control and workwear, in September.

Continue reading “In-house: former Thomson Reuters group GC resurfaces at Rentokil”

Quarter of in-house lawyers’ salaries frozen in past 12 months as average increase falls

Posted on |

Almost a quarter of in-house lawyers suffered pay freezes in the last 12 months, double the 10% who had their pay frozen the previous year, according to recent research from Thomson Reuters.

The Incomes Data Services executive compensation review found that the impact on the most senior in-house counsel was the most dramatic, with 30% of employers freezing basic salaries for their heads of legal, up from 13% in 2012.

The review also finds that this is the third consecutive year that in-house lawyers have seen below-inflation salary rises, and concludes that the increased number of pay freezes is having a ‘dampening effect’ on salary rises generally. Continue reading “Quarter of in-house lawyers’ salaries frozen in past 12 months as average increase falls”

Norton Rose antitrust partner to join new competition authority as body unveils second wave of directors

Posted on |

As the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) pulls together the second wave of its senior leadership team one of the names that stands out is Michael Grenfell, who is joining the new body as a senior sectoral director from Norton Rose Fulbright, where he has specialised in competition for 25 years, including heading the group between 2002-2011.

Grenfell, who is a leading name in competition circles and co-author of Coleman and Grenfell on the Competition Act, becomes one of five appointments to the new markets and mergers directorate of the CMA, which brings together the Competition Commission (CC) and certain consumer functions of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Continue reading “Norton Rose antitrust partner to join new competition authority as body unveils second wave of directors”

In-house: HMRC appoints DWP director Gill Aitken as new GC as Sir Hector Sants resigns from Barclays

Posted on |

With a long pedigree in working for the government, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) director general Gill Aitken is to replace HM Revenue & Customs’ outgoing general counsel (GC) Anthony Inglese, the body announced today (13 November).

Aitken, who will replace Inglese when he retires in January after 38 years in the government legal service, has been director general of legal services at the DWP since October 2011, after joining the team the previous year. Continue reading “In-house: HMRC appoints DWP director Gill Aitken as new GC as Sir Hector Sants resigns from Barclays”

Lloyds Banking Group takes on Morgan Stanley lawyer to head litigation and contentious regulatory

Posted on |

As Lloyds Banking Group makes a series of senior management hires it has emerged that the global financial institution has brought in Morgan Stanley lawyer Michael Hartridge to replace group litigation and contentious regulatory head Nicola Myatt, who has left the bank.

Following LBG’s takeover of UK banking group HBOS in 2008, Myatt was appointed to head the combined litigation team, having headed the same function at Lloyds. Continue reading “Lloyds Banking Group takes on Morgan Stanley lawyer to head litigation and contentious regulatory”

Water regulator seeks to fill newly-created GC role as sector overhaul looms

Posted on |

Following proposals for the first major reform of the water and waste sectors since privatisation in the 90s, industry regulator Ofwat is now looking to fill a newly-created general counsel (GC) role as it seeks high level strategic advice and leadership on the opening of markets, reform of licences and the evolution of price controls.

The new GC – who will receive a salary of around £120,000 and will be based in Ofwat’s offices in London and Birmingham – will report directly to chief executive Cathryn Ross and will manage a team of 11 counsel. These include three legal directors, one of which is Huw Brooker, who joined Ofwat as deputy head of legal in 1999 and has led the legal team since 2006. Continue reading “Water regulator seeks to fill newly-created GC role as sector overhaul looms”

In-house round-up: High level moves at HMRC, Premium Credit, RSC and Time Inc.

Posted on |

Senior in-house moves across the media, culture and financial services sectors have seen former Virgin Money legal director Jasan Fitzpatrick named general counsel (GC) at Premium Credit, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) hand interim GC Marina Zain a permanent role, former News Corp GC Lon Jacobs take up a deputy role at Time Inc. and HMRC’s GC Anthony Inglese prepare to retire.

Inglese, who has led HMRC’s 200-strong legal team since 2008, is set to retire in January 2014. Since joining the civil service in 1975 to train as a barrister, Inglese has spent his entire 38-year career in public service, working in seven government departments and heading five of them. Continue reading “In-house round-up: High level moves at HMRC, Premium Credit, RSC and Time Inc.”

Slaughters teams up with Carillion law venture to cut costs for bluechip clients

Posted on |
legal-business-default

As general counsel (GCs) push their advisers to think more innovatively about costs savings, Slaughter and May has begun offering the services of Carillion’s new low-cost legal arm to its own clients, including a recent transaction for key client Vodafone.

The Magic Circle firm, which is one of Carillion’s lead corporate panel advisers, offered Vodafone the option to use Newcastle-based Carillion Advice Services (CAS) on an undisclosed deal, which included a customer contract exercise.

Continue reading “Slaughters teams up with Carillion law venture to cut costs for bluechip clients”