Simon Petersen

July 06, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds has piloted a new flexible working scheme which could see the firm's staff allowed to change their working hours at short notice. The scheme, which was trialled between February and March, saw 150 lawyers and support staff encouraged to work flexible hours, work from home or work from clients' premises.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

July 06, 2011 | International Edition

Shoosmiths is advising troubled retailer Thorntons on its restructuring plans and an associated outsourcing agreement set to save the chocolate maker at least £5m over the next six years. The national law firm's commercial team is advising the company as it prepares to close a number of its stores following a strategic review of its business.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

July 06, 2011 | International Edition

Roschier has recruited three partners from Vinge and appointed new management to take the helm of the firm's Stockholm office. Private equity and M&A partner Malin Leffler and corporate and M&A partners Pontus Enquist and Ola Sandersson are set to join the Finnish firm later this year from the Stockholm office of Sweden's Vinge.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

July 05, 2011 | International Edition

Taylor Wessing has added four partners to its Frankfurt base, including the hire of a capital markets team from Linklaters. Linklaters partner Christoph Vaupel will join Taylor Wessing as an equity partner along with two managing associates, who will join as fixed-share partners.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

July 04, 2011 | International Edition

Dundas & Wilson has announced its 2010-11 financial results, posting revenues of £62m against profits per equity partner (PEP) of £325,000. The results represent an increase of just under 2% from last year's turnover figure of £61m, with PEP climbing from a reported figure of £317,000 on the back of total profits of £25.4m. The firm's final PEP figure for 2009-10 was lower than initially reported, as partners later made additional payments to the staff bonus pool.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

July 04, 2011 | International Edition

Ogier has become the first offshore firm to secure a formal presence in mainland China with the launch of an office in Shanghai. The new base will be headed by managing director Kristy Calvert, who joins from international mining group Rio Tinto, where she was a legal director. She is a native Mandarin and Shanghainese speaker.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

July 04, 2011 | International Edition

DLA Piper has bolstered its Munich office with the hire of a team of seven lawyers from Hogan Lovells. International arbitration counsel Thomas Gadtke and commercial and regulatory senior associate Thilo von Bodungen will join DLA as partners, with their start date yet to be confirmed.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

June 29, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Gleiss Lutz have picked up advisory mandates as German energy companies prepare for the Government's plans to phase out nuclear power plants by 2022. Herbert Smith's German alliance partner Gleiss Lutz is advising E.ON in relation to the plans to close all 17 of the country's nuclear power plants within the next 10 years, which were announced by the German coalition government at the end of May.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

June 29, 2011 | International Edition

DWF and Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) have joined the growing ranks of UK law firms to announce positive financial results for 2010-11, with both seeing revenues grow over the past year. DWF, which broke into the UK top 50 last year on the back of a 17% turnover hike, has again posted a double-digit increase, with fee income growing 15% to £83m.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

June 29, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds is considering mergers in both London and the US as part of an ambitious three-year strategy intended to reposition the law firm as a credible global player. The firm's management is consulting with partners and staff about what they want to see in the firm's 2012-15 strategy, but it has highlighted the need to form some kind of presence in the US and a possible merger in the City as priorities.

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read