Claire Ruckin

March 03, 2010 | International Edition

Herbert Smith has appointed disputes partner Martin Bakes to the newly-created role of general counsel. Bakes, who will take up the new post on 1 May, will be responsible for risk and compliance matters and will work alongside the top 10 City firm's head of risk management Clare Wilson.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

March 03, 2010 | International Edition

Pinsent Masons is set to move all of its London lawyers under one roof after signing a deal to take on new space in the recently completed 30 Crown Place building. The national firm is planning to move its 600 London staff into the 16-storey building near Liverpool Street in early 2011 after a three-year hunt for suitable premises.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

March 03, 2010 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse and Bevan Brittan have both won spots on the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) first-ever litigation panel. The panel, which was announced yesterday (2 March), saw five firms appointed, replacing the previous arrangement whereby a number of firms were instructed on a case-by-case basis.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

March 03, 2010 | International Edition

Eversheds is overhauling its associate bonus structure, moving towards a broader system that recognises team performance and client skills. The new system, which will come into effect from the start of the new financial year on 1 May, sees the firm move away from a model based purely on chargeable hours to a system covering three elements.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

March 01, 2010 | International Edition

Charles Russell spent £14m on its new City office during the last financial year, with the firm taking out an £11m bank loan to help finance the move. The investment is detailed within the firm's 2008-09 limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts, recently filed with Companies House.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

March 01, 2010 | International Edition

Beachcroft has expanded its public sector team with the hire of Eversheds partner Eve Gregory. Gregory joins the national firm today (1 March) as a partner in the Leeds office after serving nine years as a partner at Eversheds, where she was responsible for the UK top 10 firm's health estates group in the north.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

February 26, 2010 | International Edition

Withers has been found guilty of contempt of Parliament after suggesting that an MP could face legal proceedings for criticising a client of the firm in Parliament. The Commons standards and privileges committee said yesterday (25 February) that Withers was in contempt of the House when it threatened Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming with libel proceedings if he were to repeat "defamatory claims" about the firm's client in Parliament.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

February 26, 2010 | International Edition

Herbert Smith has bolstered its pensions practice with the high-profile hire of Dan Schaffer from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Schaffer will join the UK top 10 firm next month (8 March) as a partner in the City and will work closely with the three-partner pensions team led by Ian Gault, after 12 years as a partner at Freshfields.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

February 25, 2010 | International Edition

The latest round of QC appointments has been announced today (26 February), with 129 barristers claiming the elite kitemark. One hundred and twenty nine out of a total of 275 applicants have been awarded QC status, a success rate of 47% - up on last year's rate of 42% and the equivalent figure of 29% for 2007-08.

By Claire Ruckin

7 minute read

February 25, 2010 | International Edition

The Ministry of Justice is to put together a new taskforce to take the lead in a drive to boost diversity among the judiciary. The Judicial Diversity Taskforce is among 53 recommendations laid out in the report issued by the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity, which was formed by Lord Chancellor Jack Straw last April and is chaired by Baroness Julia Neuberger.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read