Georgina Stanley

September 30, 2009 | Legal Week

If there's one practice in desperate need of a boost, it's real estate. With the sector the first to feel the pain of the credit crunch, deals have been painfully thin on the ground for two years now. And news last month that Eversheds was to make more property job cuts was a reminder that many are not expecting a rapid rebound. But those real estate advisers lucky enough to still have a job may be able to start breathing a little more easily as the signs are finally pointing towards some form of recovery in the commercial property sector. In particular, Blackstone Group's joint venture with British Land in the £2.13bn Broadgate Circle estate in London was probably the most visible indication of the kind of trophy deal that has been missing but there have been some other signs.

By Legal Week

9 minute read

September 30, 2009 | International Edition

If there's one practice in desperate need of a boost, it's real estate. With the sector the first to feel the pain of the credit crunch, deals have been painfully thin on the ground for two years now. And news last month that Eversheds was to make more property job cuts was a reminder that many are not expecting a rapid rebound. But those real estate advisers lucky enough to still have a job may be able to start breathing a little more easily as the signs are finally pointing towards some form of recovery in the commercial property sector. In particular, Blackstone Group's joint venture with British Land in the £2.13bn Broadgate Circle estate in London was probably the most visible indication of the kind of trophy deal that has been missing but there have been some other signs.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

September 23, 2009 | International Edition

With the first half of 2009 defined by widescale redundancies and partnership restructurings at some of the City's top names, the fallout has meant the trend post-summer is equally clear: lateral hiring - and lots of it. Barely a day goes by without claim or confirmation of another partner move; generally someone heading out of a top 10 City firm for somewhere smaller, although not exclusively - as Linklaters' hire of Herbert Smith litigation partner Christa Band demonstrates.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

September 23, 2009 | Legal Week

With the first half of 2009 defined by widescale redundancies and partnership restructurings at some of the City's top names, the fallout has meant the trend post-summer is equally clear: lateral hiring - and lots of it. Barely a day goes by without claim or confirmation of another partner move; generally someone heading out of a top 10 City firm for somewhere smaller, although not exclusively - as Linklaters' hire of Herbert Smith litigation partner Christa Band demonstrates.

By Legal Week

25 minute read

September 16, 2009 | International Edition

After dominating the 1990s, Clifford Chance has weathered a turbulent decade and a brutal financial year. Georgina Stanley assesses if the firm can regain its former glory

By Legal Week

23 minute read

September 16, 2009 | Legal Week

After dominating the 1990s, Clifford Chance has weathered a turbulent decade and a brutal financial year. Georgina Stanley assesses if the firm can regain its former glory

By Legal Week

58 minute read

September 02, 2009 | Legal Week

They were the appointments that promised so much yet delivered so little - but what, if anything, do the swift departures of Maurice Allen and Mike Goetz from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer say about the City firm's wider finance practice? The message from Freshfields is that it just didn't work out as either party had hoped. There's plenty of truth to that, but it's hardly the full story. For a start, it is striking the level of naivety both parties seem to have brought to the deal - arguably the most eye-catching lateral appointment Freshfields had ever made in the City. Certainly there appeared to be a lack of communication on both sides as to how it would work, which contributed to later frustrations.

By Legal Week

9 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

They were the appointments that promised so much yet delivered so little - but what, if anything, do the swift departures of Maurice Allen and Mike Goetz from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer say about the City firm's wider finance practice? The message from Freshfields is that it just didn't work out as either party had hoped. There's plenty of truth to that, but it's hardly the full story. For a start, it is striking the level of naivety both parties seem to have brought to the deal - arguably the most eye-catching lateral appointment Freshfields had ever made in the City. Certainly there appeared to be a lack of communication on both sides as to how it would work, which contributed to later frustrations.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

August 14, 2009 | International Edition

Baker & McKenzie's City office looks set to take almost twice the hit on profits per equity partner (PEP) as the rest of the firm, with London PEP expected to have fallen by a third in 2008-09. The international firm's results show that firmwide revenues fell by 3% to $2.11bn (£1.27bn), with PEP falling by 17% to $992,000 (£598,000). However, Bakers expects London turnover to dip by 3.4% to £115.7m, with PEP set to plunge by 33.5% from £572,000 to £380,000.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

August 14, 2009 | Legal Week

Baker & McKenzie's City office looks set to take almost twice the hit on profits per equity partner (PEP) as the rest of the firm, with London PEP expected to have fallen by a third in 2008-09. The international firm's results show that firmwide revenues fell by 3% to $2.11bn (£1.27bn), with PEP falling by 17% to $992,000 (£598,000). However, Bakers expects London turnover to dip by 3.4% to £115.7m, with PEP set to plunge by 33.5% from £572,000 to £380,000.

By Legal Week

14 minute read