Legal Week

June 11, 2009 | International Edition

Macfarlanes has launched a second redundancy consultation with 15 jobs under threat. The consultation, which began yesterday (10 June), is set to affect 14 support staff including secretaries, as well as one professional support lawyer. The bulk of those facing the axe will come from corporate and central resources. Macfarlanes senior partner Charles Martin told Legal Week: "Regrettably this process has happened, principally as a result of market conditions. It also comes with changes to our working practices where secretaries cover more fee earners."

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June 11, 2009 | International Edition

Eversheds has moved at least £18m of firm and client money into different banks to offer protection in the event of further financial institutions failing. The law firm has transferred the bulk of the funds since October 2008, cutting back the number of institutions it uses from around 20, including Investec, to six UK clearing banks - including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

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June 11, 2009 | International Edition

The City could be set for a wave of merger discussions, with Wragge & Co joining firms such as Denton Wilde Sapte in confirming that it is open to a tie-up with another firm. The Birmingham heavyweight said it would consider a union to boost its presence in London and through this internationally, but stressed that it is not actively pursuing a merger.

By Legal Week

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June 11, 2009 | International Edition

The UK's top 100 law firms saw fee income drop by less than 5% in the fourth quarter of the last financial year compared with the same period in 2008, according to research from professional services leader Deloitte. Deloitte's latest quarterly survey found that the UK's largest law firms saw revenues fall by 4.3% compared with the same quarter in 2008.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

June 11, 2009 | International Edition

Lovells head of corporate finance Chris Ashworth is to leave the law firm after little more than a year. Ashworth joined Lovells from the London arm of O'Melveny & Myers in May last year and is set to leave the top 10 City law firm in the autumn.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

June 11, 2009 | International Edition

Linklaters has overhauled its international board (IB) with five new partners gaining a seat on the board and the law firm creating a seat for southern Europe. In London, partners Charlie Jacobs, David Ereira and Lynne Walkington have won positions representing the corporate, finance and commercial departments respectively.

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June 11, 2009 | International Edition

Ashurst has secured its first partner hire in Hong Kong, with the City law firm recruiting Lina Lee from Clifford Chance (CC) as a corporate partner. Lee, who was a senior associate at CC specialising in equity capital markets and M&A, will join the firm's Hong Kong office at the end of June.

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June 11, 2009 | International Edition

Eversheds has been appointed as the preferred legal adviser for technology company Smiths Group in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The law firm will provide commercial, litigation, employment, real estate and company secretarial advice across the region, with London-based head of international litigation and dispute management John Heaps acting as the relationship partner to Smiths. Eversheds will use its global account management system - first developed for its relationship with Tyco - with the London Stock Exchange-listed Smiths.

By Legal Week

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June 10, 2009 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has stepped up its involvement in the London 2012 Olympics, with dispute resolution partner Raj Parker playing a hands-on role in drafting anti-doping regulations for the Games. Parker is one of a number of Freshfields partners to get involved since the firm was appointed as the official law firm to the Olympics at the beginning of February by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

By Legal Week

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June 10, 2009 | International Edition

McDermott Will & Emery's London office has seen four partners and two senior lawyers leave within the last month from its tax and structured finance practices. The City tax practice, historically one of the firm's strongest UK practice areas, has lost two partners, a counsel and a senior tax director, leaving it with one UK-qualified tax partner - London senior partner Peter Nias.

By Legal Week

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