Gerard Starkey

January 31, 2013 | International Edition

DWF is understood to be in talks with Cobbetts over a potential deal which could see it take on the stricken firm, which yesterday (30 January) filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators ahead of a fire-sale of its business. A senior source in the Manchester market suggested that a pre-pack deal would be a likely outcome, allowing DWF to minimise its exposure to Cobbetts' debt.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

January 31, 2013 | International Edition

Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May are among a raft of firms to have secured roles on the finalised 48-firm Government Procurement Service panel. The magic circle firms have all been named on the long-awaited roster after firms received final confirmation of their appointments following a ten-day stand still period.

By Gerard Starkey

4 minute read

January 30, 2013 | International Edition

Cobbetts is set to enter administration as the firm looks to secure a fire-sale of its business, marking the first failure of a major UK law firm since the fall of Halliwells in 2010. The Manchester-based firm has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators and will look to sell off its business and assets as soon as possible.

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read

January 30, 2013 | International Edition

Clyde & Co has put a number of support staff positions at risk of redundancy, following a review of its business services departments carried out in the wake of its merger with legacy Barlow Lyde & Gilbert. It is understood that fewer than 10 members of staff are involved in the consultations, with the changes primarily affecting the firm's London office.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

January 28, 2013 | International Edition

Pinsent Masons has strengthened its City financial services practice with the hire of banking litigation partner Michael Isaacs from Addleshaw Goddard. Isaacs, who is currently based in Addleshaws' Manchester office, is set to move to Pinsents' London base, bringing the total number of partners at the firm's City headquarters to around 150. His start date is yet to be confirmed.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

January 28, 2013 | International Edition

Business process outsourcer Capita has moved into the legal process outsourcing (LPO) market after sealing a deal with Pinsent Masons to handle document review work in Poland. Pinsents last November instructed Capita to review documents in relation to a large dispute case, with the work sent to the company's 550-seat operation in Krakow.

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read

January 28, 2013 | International Edition

Hill Dickinson has sealed a deal to take on DLA Piper's defendant insurance practice in Sheffield and Manchester, after DLA decided to divide up the 50-strong business. The deal will see approximately 30 staff - including three partners - transfer to Hill Dickinson's offices in the two cities by the end of February, with the agreement also including the handover of its client book, comprising around 20 clients.

By Gerard Starkey

2 minute read

January 24, 2013 | International Edition

Herbert Smith Freehills and Eversheds have earned a combined total of more than £70m from work for Transport for London (TfL) since 2008, a freedom of information request submitted by Legal Week has revealed. The two firms are the biggest earners from contracts awarded by the transport body over the five-year period to the end of 2012, with Herbert Smith billing £42.2m and Eversheds £31.5m. Key TfL work Herbert Smith has handled in recent years includes advising on the upgrade and extension of the East London Line, and the administration of transport group Metronet, the UK's first-ever public-private partnership (PPP) insolvency

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read

January 24, 2013 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has received more than £14m in legal fees from the Bank of England (BoE) since March 2008, according to new figures that show the extent to which the bank's legal spend has fallen since the height of the financial crisis. The magic circle law firm – which is the UK central bank's preferred legal adviser – billed £4.7m for work from March 2008 to February 2009 as the credit crunch reached its peak, followed by fees of £5.7m for the following 12 months.

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read

January 24, 2013 | International Edition

DLA Piper has confirmed that it will close its Glasgow office by 30 April, making approximately 45 staff redundant following a redundancy consultation launched at the end of November. It is expected that the 10 Glasgow-based partners will transfer to DLA Piper's Edinburgh office, along with the remaining 30 staff that currently make up the 85-strong Glasgow office.

By Gerard Starkey

3 minute read