In a busy week for City hires, Nabarro and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have added to their ranks, while accounting firms EY and PwC have added to their legal arms with partner appointments.
Why are there no lawyer-backed MDPs?
With the rise of multi-disciplinary practices (MDPs) receiving daily comment in the professional news, this is certainly a question worth asking.
Before adding my own observations to the debate, I should spell out what I am thinking about and what I am not.
For starters, I appreciate that much work of many solicitors’ firms in England and Wales falls outside the reserved areas. As a result, there is a sense in which many law firms are already MDPs. Similarly, I am not thinking about those alternative business structures (ABSs) that, in the course of providing retail legal services, offer ancillary, non-legal services, such as car hire, medical reports, etc.
Aiming for 80 jurisdictions: EY law launches in Sweden with Stockholm office
Ernst & Young’s (EY) legal team has launched in Sweden with the hire of a six member team in Stockholm, including two partners from Swedish commercial law firm Delphi, completing its coverage of Scandinavia.
Continue reading “Aiming for 80 jurisdictions: EY law launches in Sweden with Stockholm office”
‘We are offering something new’: EY latest Big Four giant granted ABS licence
EY has become the latest accountancy giant granted an alternative business structure (ABS) licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, in a bid to provide ‘integrated, multidisciplinary’ legal services across England and Wales.
Continue reading “‘We are offering something new’: EY latest Big Four giant granted ABS licence”
Deloitte plots legal market assault with appointment of global managing director
Deloitte has become the last of the Big Four accountancy firms to announce plans to re-enter the legal market with the appointment of Rotterdam-based Piet Hein Meeter as global managing director of Deloitte Legal. Continue reading “Deloitte plots legal market assault with appointment of global managing director”
Return of the accountants: KPMG and EY consider ABS
Global accountants including KPMG and EY have the UK’s legal sector firmly in their sights as they consider their options under the Legal Services Act (LSA) in a move said by one tax partner at a leading City law firm to be ‘clearly a threat’.
Last month it emerged that KPMG is looking at an alternative business structure (ABS) conversion in a bid to expand its legal services capability. EY, meanwhile, has the position ‘under review’ and PwC is also understood to be considering its position. Deloitte was the only one of the Big Four accountants to deny any plans to set up an ABS.
Continue reading “Return of the accountants: KPMG and EY consider ABS”
Return of the accountants: KPMG and EY consider ABS
Global accountants including KPMG and EY have the UK’s legal sector firmly in their sights as they consider their options under the Legal Services Act (LSA) in a move said by one tax partner at a leading City law firm to be ‘clearly a threat’.
Last month it emerged that KPMG is looking at an alternative business structure (ABS) conversion in a bid to expand its legal services capability. EY, meanwhile, has the position ‘under review’ and PwC is also understood to be considering its position. Deloitte was the only one of the Big Four accountants to deny any plans to set up an ABS.
Continue reading “Return of the accountants: KPMG and EY consider ABS”