Legal Week

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Pupil-to-be Thom Dyke reviews blog-turned-novel 'BabyBarista and The Art of War'...John Mortimer once described the process of undertaking pupillage as one of life's "splendid miseries". In BabyBarista and The Art of War, Tim Kevan provides a portrait of the year-long quest for tenancy.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has relocated London-based partner Robert Griffin to Abu Dhabi to launch a Middle East investment funds practice for the firm. The funds specialist has been based in London for the last five years since relocating from Akin Gump's Dallas office.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Leading law firms are set to move substantially towards a merit-driven pay model for assistants according to research that shows more than 90% of partners forecasting such a shift. The latest Legal Week Big Question survey found an overwhelming 96% of responding partners in favour of some form of move away from the associate lockstep system towards a merit or competency-based salary model.

By Legal Week

4 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Lehman Brothers' European creditors could start seeing assets returned as early as next year, as part of a scheme of arrangement being worked on by Linklaters. Linklaters is advising Lehman's administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers, which made an application to the High Court in relation to the proposed scheme.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

SJ Berwin has pulled together lawyers from its litigation and corporate practices to create a new private equity and partnership dispute resolution practice. The new group - formed last month (15 July) - is headed by litigation partner Hilton Mervis and corporate partner Michael Halford.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

The past five years have seen a dramatic period of growth for the UK's top 25 law firms, despite many suffering steep drops in profitability during the past financial year. Research by Legal Week shows that between 2003-04 and 2008-09, the top 25 UK law firms have averaged a 57.8% increase in turnover and a 38% increase in profits per equity partner (PEP), with turnover growing from an average of £262,820 in 2003-04 to its current figure £414,868. PEP, meanwhile, has risen from an average of £448,720 to £619,640.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has made its second round of London litigation hires in just over a month with the appointment of a heavyweight partner duo from Teacher Stern. The top 20 firm is set to bring in high-profile disputes partner Graham Shear and partner Joby Davies from Teacher Stern in mid-September.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

McGrigors has bolstered its contentious tax practice with the hire of three non-lawyer tax investigation specialists from top 10 accountancy firm Tenon Group. Tenon's former national head of tax investigations has joined McGrigors as a director alongside Paul Williams and Jessica Maude, who join the Scots firm as manager and assistant manager respectively.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Mayer Brown London finance litigation partner Ed Sautter has gone on secondment to longstanding client Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Sautter, who sits within Mayer Brown's City financial institutions group, is currently the only Mayer Brown partner on secondment to a bank and will remain with the client for almost five months until November 2009.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 04, 2009 | International Edition

Salaries for US general counsel rose last year despite the global financial crisis, according to new research by Legal Week sister title Corporate Counsel. The magazine's 2009 GC compensation survey, which is based on in-depth research into the 2008 salary packages of the 100 best-paid general counsels in the US, found that average salaries increased by 5% to $596,393 (£354,685), while average bonuses also increased marginally - rising by just less than 1% to $1.16m (£689,870).

By Legal Week

4 minute read