Legal Week

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Hammonds has won a role advising Brit Insurance as it takes over from Vodafone as the new team sponsor of England cricket. The national law firm advised the insurer, a new client, on its four-year sponsorship mandate from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

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September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Pinsent Masons has strengthened its international projects team with the hire of Ashurst head of transport Raymond Beven. Beven, who will join the national law firm as a partner in its London office later this month, will lead Pinsents' transport team, which sits within the projects and international construction group.

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2 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Pinsent Masons has lost a partner in Hong Kong, with construction disputes specialist Paul Teo set to relocate to Singapore to join Lovells. Teo joins the top 10 UK law firm later this month, where he will be part of the infrastructure and construction group and the office's arbitration practice.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Mills & Reeve has agreed a deal to send its future trainees to Kaplan Law School. The tie-up will see all of Mills & Reeve's future trainees choosing to study in London take their Legal Practice Course (LPC) at Kaplan's centre in Borough from September 2010. Those who do not want to study in the capital can attend the regional LPC provider of their choice.

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2 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

New partner promotions across the UK's top 50 law firms plunged by a third between 2008 and 2009, with the downturn impacting on lawyers' opportunities to advance into the partnership. Taking into account promotions at firms such as Clifford Chance and Simmons & Simmons, which pushed their decisions back until the summer, there were 399 promotions across the UK's 50 biggest firms by revenue in 2009. This compared with 598 in 2008.

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3 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Soon after becoming editor two years ago, I said I wanted a new style for Legal Week. The idea was simple: to earn more trust from readers, develop a more balanced tone and usher in a more constructive style. I was proud of the magazine but had come to loathe the gossipy, build 'em up, knock 'em down antics that had become associated with the legal press. Having recently taken time to meet senior management at major law firms to gauge their views, the feedback I've received is that we have made real ground on those aims. But it's time to move further in this direction, a goal that coincides with the way Legal Week has been evolving over the last three years in print and online. In short, we are set for real change in editorial content and style, which will have a substantial impact on how we interact with the industry.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has the highest mid-level associate satisfaction rate among AmLaw 100 firms, according to research by Legal Week sister title The American Lawyer. The magazine's annual survey of US associates with three to five years' experience at law firms across the US shows Gibson Dunn, which features at number four in the rankings, is the highest placed AmLaw 100 firm, with only three of the 100 largest firms in the US making it into the top 10 for workplace satisfaction.

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3 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Simmons & Simmons is considering introducing psychometric testing into its graduate recruitment process in a bid to increase diversity. The firm hopes testing will improve the quality of candidates accepted for training contracts and at the same time promote diverse representation by being less reliant on academic qualifications such as A-levels.

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2 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Ashurst and Allen & Overy (A&O) are among a raft of firms advising as home improvement retailer Focus DIY moves to secure a rescue deal through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). Ashurst has been advising Focus DIY on the proposed CVA, which received more than 90% backing from creditors last month (24 August). It will see landlords of some 38 closed stores agreeing to waive rent liabilities in return for a share of a pot of money thought to be worth around £3.7m.

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2 minute read

September 01, 2009 | International Edition

Jones Day has made its second lateral hire in as many weeks, bringing in a partner from Dundas & Wilson's London office to head its construction practice. Hamish Lal will join the US firm at the beginning of October, bringing with him a practice encompassing both contentious and non-contentious advice covering real estate, utilities, engineering, nuclear and project finance matters. His clients include a number of construction and nuclear energy companies.

By Legal Week

2 minute read