Legal Week

September 18, 2008 | Legal Week

Bird & Bird is set to merge with City boutique Lane & Partners from next month. Lane & Partners which has more than 30 lawyers, has a particular focus on aviation work with clients operating in this sector as well as the travel, art, construction, engineering and utilities sectors. The firm will be incorporated under the Bird & Bird banner from 1 October, with the tie-up taking Bird & Bird's contentious team to more than 100 lawyers in London.The merger is the latest in a string of moves the expansive firm has made, after significantly boosting its presence earlier this month in Central and Eastern Europe with the launch of four offices - opening simultaneously in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Meanwhile in May, it scored a tie up with Finnish firm Fennica.

By Legal Week

4 minute read

September 05, 2008 | International Edition

Utilising the combined knowledge of ALM and Legal Week, the report looks at the current volume and value of legal services, potential growth in these markets and identifies the best local law firms in the jurisdictions as judged by those partnersat international law firms who refer work.

By Legal Week

1 minute read

July 30, 2008 | International Edition

On 6 March 1992 a firm of solicitors started a claim in the Crewe County Court against a former client for the recovery of £6,840 of fees for acting in a small building dispute. Eight years later the House of Lords handed down their opinions in the landmark case of Arthur JS Hall v Simons [2000] which removed immunity from suit for advocates for negligent acts and omissions in court. The solicitors' fees claim had been met with a counterclaim from Mr Simons alleging negligence in the conduct of the building dispute. If you Google 'Arthur JS Hall' you will get around 1,200 results; it is probably not the kind of notoriety that the firm anticipated when it started its £6,840 fees claim.

By Legal Week

4 minute read

July 25, 2008 | International Edition

Education provider Kaplan Professional has extended its legal offering after acquiring Altior, a specialist in post-qualification legal training, it was announced yesterday (24 July) The acquisition follows the launch in London last year of Nottingham Law at Kaplan Law School, which specialises in the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and the Graduate Diploma in Law, as well as extending in to legal professional development by acquiring Hawksmere.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

July 21, 2008 | International Edition

Specialist insurance firm Kennedys is set to acquire the Tiverton-based regional office of rival practice Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC). The insurance office will transfer to Kennedys on July, with the Devon arm hosting six lawyers and one partner specialising in high-volume claims for the London market and regional offices.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

June 25, 2008 | International Edition

Hill Dickinson unveils its latest star lateral as regional firms continue to hedge their practices against the downturn. Top brass from the Scouse powerhouse are gathered here to demonstrate that organic growth is still possible if you nurture the grassroots of your business with sufficient client focus and a bag full of mulch.

By Legal Week

1 minute read

June 19, 2008 | International Edition

Specialist insurance firms Kennedys and Davies Lavery are set to merge, it was announced yesterday (18 June). Under the terms of the tie-up, which is set to go live from 1 September, 2008, the combined practice will take on the Kennedys banner, boasting 110 partners and around 600 staff in total.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

June 05, 2008 | International Edition

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain's (RPC's) head of media litigation is leaving the firm to take up a legal post with client Associated Newspapers. Liz Hartley will leave RPC in September after spending 10 years with the firm. She will take up her new role as a group legal adviser with Associated Newspapers, publisher of titles including the Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Metro and London Lite, in January 2009.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

May 15, 2008 | International Edition

Boston-based law firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has launched a new European patent practice based at its London office. The new venture will operate as a separate UK limited liability partnership called EAPD Innovations and will be headed up by Candi Soames, who joins the firm as a partner from patent firm D Young & Co.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

May 14, 2008 | International Edition

Ever found yourself thinking: "What am I doing in this place? I would be much happier running my own specialist ship." For those who successfully live the dream, the rewards are spectacular - financial, professional and personal. "But," you wonder, "could I do it?" Let me share some of the lessons we have learned at Sackers in developing our niche pensions practice - even though I would stress we are a long way from perfection.

By Legal Week

4 minute read