Alex Aldridge

March 18, 2010 | International Edition

Half of all female solicitors believe they work too many hours and that flexible working arrangements negatively affect career development, according to a survey released today (18 March) by the Association of Women Solicitors and King's College London. Eight hundred female solicitors, including partners, associates and assistants at firms ranging from large City outfits to smaller regional and high street practices took part in the study, which was carried out last year.

By Alex Aldridge

2 minute read

March 17, 2010 | International Edition

The pharmaceutical industry is going through a turbulent period. Patents protecting companies' blockbuster drugs are expiring - according to consultancy firm Evaluate Pharma, around half of the $383bn (£255bn)-worth of patented drugs sold worldwide last year will lose patent protection in the next five years - while barriers preventing makers of generic drugs from selling their own versions of leading products continue to fall.

By Alex Aldridge

13 minute read

March 17, 2010 | International Edition

In-house legal salaries are beginning to increase once more, while recruitment activity is also returning to the sector, according to new research. The survey, conducted by legal recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, states that lawyers working at investment banks are set to to see the most significant pay rises this year, with an average four-year post-qualified (4PQE) lawyer at an investment bank earning £90,000-£140,000 in 2010, as opposed to £85,000-£115,000 in 2009.

By Alex Aldridge

2 minute read

March 12, 2010 | International Edition

The College of Law has unveiled a new course that will enable students to sit the New York Bar exam. From September, students sitting the full-time Graduate Diploma in Law programme who go on to complete either the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) will be able to take the New York Bar Exam after an additional 22-week study programme.

By Alex Aldridge

2 minute read

March 10, 2010 | International Edition

Last year was not good for Sony Ericsson. The troubled mobile phone manufacturer found itself recording a $1.1bn (£730m) loss as the recession saw handset sales plummet and competitor products, such as Apple's iPhone, dominate what was left of the market. During the last 18 months the company has cut over 2,000 jobs, including 10 in its legal department. "Although I am very confident about our future, we're very much in protect and survive mode at the moment," admits Sony Ericsson general counsel and company secretary Jonathan Pearl.

By Alex Aldridge

5 minute read

March 09, 2010 | International Edition

Barclays Capital (BarCap) general counsel Jonathan Hughes has left his position to take on a predominantly non-legal front office role with the investment bank. Longstanding GC Hughes was replaced by Judith Shepherd, who took up the post last week having previously served as general counsel of Barclays' global retail and commercial banking division. Shepherd, who joined Barclays from US law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in 2006, takes over one of the most influential legal roles in investment banking with BarCap last month unveiling an 89% increase in annual profits to £2.46bn.

By Alex Aldridge

2 minute read

March 03, 2010 | International Edition

BAE Systems general counsel Philip Bramwell likes to delegate. Last year he charged UK chief counsel Roger Wiltshire with handling the defence company's recently concluded review of its UK legal advisers - its first panel review in 12 years. And he has just handed the job of re-assessing the group of law firms BAE uses for its international work to Andrew Guest, chief counsel for Saudi Arabia.

By Alex Aldridge

6 minute read

February 17, 2010 | International Edition

Microsoft has entered into an agreement with legal outsourcing provider CPA Global to offshore legal work to lawyers in India. The technology giant began a pilot scheme with CPA in October and formally rolled it out at the end of 2009. A team of between three and five qualified lawyers at CPA are handling multi-jurisdictional legal support work, including legal research, for Microsoft. The lawyers are based in CPA's offices in Gurgaon, near Delhi.

By Alex Aldridge

3 minute read

February 17, 2010 | International Edition

Working in-house often means rewarding tasks and a better work/life balance - but it can also mean a flatter career trajectory. Alex Aldridge talks to leading general counsel about how they're keeping lawyers motivated

By Alex Aldridge

8 minute read

February 15, 2010 | International Edition

Rio Tinto managing attorney Leah Cooper is leaving the mining giant to join legal outsourcing provider CPA Global. Cooper, who was the driving force behind the deal struck last year by Rio to outsource low-level legal tasks to a team of CPA lawyers in India, will become a member of the company's legal outsourcing board, focusing on strategy and development.

By Alex Aldridge

2 minute read