Gerard Starkey

May 20, 2013 | International Edition

Kennedys and Farrer & Co have become the latest law firms to address their outsourcing arrangements as firms continue to grapple with the issue of back office costs. Kennedys has signed a three-year deal to outsource library services to Integreon, while Farrer & Co has signed a new five-year deal with administrative support outsourcer Intelligent Office.

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read

May 19, 2013 | International Edition

Pannone has moved to quash rumours it has held talks with Irwin Mitchell over a potential merger deal, as the latter prepares to unveil solid financial results for 2012-13. Speculation over a potential tie-up has been circulating in recent months, with one senior partner at a rival national firm telling Legal Week that many of his Manchester partners believed a merger was a "done deal".

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read

May 17, 2013 | International Edition

Eversheds has recruited Morgan Lewis energy partner Ingrid Zhu-Clark to head up its new Beijing office ahead of its formal opening next week (20 May). Ex-Dewey & LeBoeuf partner Zhu-Clark, who moved to Morgan Lewis following the collapse of the US firm last year, will be joined at the new Beijing base by Uria Menendez special counsel Jay Ze.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 16, 2013 | International Edition

Linklaters and Addleshaw Goddard have landed roles on a £335m public private partnership (PPP) initiative to build a new hospital in Liverpool. The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust has selected Carillion as the preferred bidder, with construction to start next year on what is set to be the largest hospital in the country. Linklaters is advising Carillion and equity investors Lloyds Banking Group with a team led by head of global project finance Bruce White. The magic circle firm is one of several firms on the construction giant's legal panel, which also includes Slaughter and May and DLA Piper.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 16, 2013 | International Edition

Hill Dickinson is considering whether to overhaul its partnership deed as managing partner Peter Jackson has been elected to serve a third term in office. Jackson (pictured), who succeeded David Wareing in the post in 2005, is due to begin his third four-year term in May 2014, despite the firm's limited liability partnership deed restricting incumbents to a maximum of two terms.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 16, 2013 | International Edition

Legacy Cobbetts partners could face a financial penalty of up to £100,000 if they choose to break the two-year lock-in set out in the failed firm's pre-pack purchase agreement with DWF. The former Cobbetts partners, who had their capital contributions protected following the Manchester firm's collapse earlier this year, all joined DWF as fixed-share partners as part of the £3.8m distressed purchase. In order to protect its investment, DWF imposed a two-year lock-in on the transferring partners and it is now understood that this includes a release clause penalty of £100,000 for any partners trying to leave during the first year and £70,000 for any trying to leave in the second.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 15, 2013 | International Edition

Weightmans has announced a turnover of 6.4% to £82m, becoming the second UK top 50 firm to announce its results for the 2012-13 financial year. The firm, whose 2011-12 revenue stood at £77.1, said its revenue had grown by 8.7% within its insurance division and 6.5% in commercial over the course of the 12 months. Weightmans has enjoyed a period of rapid expansion over the past two years and in March picked up a 14-stong Manchester-based team from Semple Fraser following the Scots firm collapse.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 15, 2013 | International Edition

Osborne Clarke (OC) has launched a redundancy consultation with 13 fee-earners and confirmed that a small number of partners have also been asked to exit the firm. The redundancy consultation, which was announced internally today (15 May) and the partner restructuring both come as part of plans to reduce a surplus of senior lawyers within the firm. The number of partners set to leave OC is understood to be in single figures and follows a review of its partner ranks, where the firm felt it had reached overcapacity.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 14, 2013 | International Edition

DWF is to make a small number of fee-earners and secretaries redundant across its Edinburgh and Glasgow offices following a review of its Scottish business. Twelve staff are included in the consultation, with the firm anticipating that eight of these could go after identifying a number of duplicate roles as a result of last summer's tie-up with Scots firm Biggart Baillie

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

May 13, 2013 | International Edition

RPC has become the latest firm to announce its new partner promotions, with the top 50 UK firm making up one new partner. The firm has made up regulatory lawyer Robbie Constance to its all equity partnership, taking its total partner count to 80. Constance joined RPC in 2004 after qualifying as a barrister, and initially focused on financial services insurance litigation, before moving into the London regulatory team.

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read