Simon Petersen

April 14, 2011 | International Edition

Confidence at commercial firms edges upward despite wider fears about strength of UK recovery, with 95% of partners expecting revenue growth over next 12 months

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read

April 14, 2011 | International Edition

Wragge & Co has been ordered to pay more than £7.5m after a judgment in the High Court ruled that the firm gave negligent advice to former client Amalgamated Metal Corporation (AMC). The judgment, issued last Friday (8 April), found Wragges liable for professional negligence in relation to advice it gave when AMC settled a tax dispute with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in 2003.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

April 13, 2011 | International Edition

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison has announced plans to open an office in Toronto with a double hire from Shearman & Sterling. The office, which will practise only US law, will be the US firm's first presence in Canada, alongside its other international bases in Beijing, Hong Kong, London and Tokyo.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

April 12, 2011 | International Edition

French independent Jeantet Associes has strengthened its Paris office with the hire of three partners from Landwell & Associes. Corporate partner Nicole Goulard, litigation partner Sylvie Damany and employment law partner Francis Collin all joined the firm alongside three associates on 1 April, bringing the number of partners at the Paris office to 26.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

April 12, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds has made up 22 lawyers in its annual promotions round, including 12 based in the UK. The firm's London office receives four of the new partners, while Birmingham, Cardiff and Johannesburg receive three each. The remaining promotions are shared across the firm's offices in Newcastle, Munich, Shanghai, Geneva, Berne and Zurich. Almost one third - seven - of the new partners are female.

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read

April 11, 2011 | International Edition

Wragge & Co has been ordered to pay more than £7.5m after a judgment in the High Court ruled that the firm gave negligent advice to former client Amalgamated Metal Corporation (AMC). A High Court judgment issued last Friday (8 April) found Wragges liable for professional negligence in relation to advice it gave when AMC settled a tax dispute with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in 2003.

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read

April 08, 2011 | International Edition

Hill Dickinson company commercial practice group head and Manchester office head David Wareing has been appointed as the firm's new senior partner. Wareing is set to take over the senior partner role from Tony Wilson on 30 April, with Wilson to remain with the firm as an insurance partner in the firm's Liverpool office. Wilson has served as senior partner since 2001.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read

April 07, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds has seen its attempt to appeal an Employment Tribunal ruling finding the firm guilty of sex discrimination against a former male associate dismissed. A judgment from the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) issued yesterday (6 April) dismissed Eversheds' appeal on liability - standing by the original decision, delivered in March 2010, that Eversheds unfairly chose former Leeds real estate associate John de Belin for redundancy over a female colleague on maternity leave.

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read

April 06, 2011 | International Edition

DLA Piper has seen more partners resign from its limited liability partnership (LLP) since January 2010 than any other top 10 firm, according to Legal Week research that shows the extent to which leading law firms are continuing to reshape their partnerships. Filings with Companies House show DLA Piper has seen 75 partners resign from its international LLP since January 2010, of which 60 have left the firm entirely. Of the remaining 15, eight have stayed with DLA in non-partner roles, with seven set to rejoin the LLP on 1 May when the merger with former Australian alliance partner DLA Phillips Fox takes effect.

By Simon Petersen

3 minute read

April 06, 2011 | International Edition

Wragge & Co will not make up a single new partner this year, with the national law firm instead choosing to focus on lateral hiring and developing its international offices. The top 30 firm - which has an all-equity partnership - confirmed it is not holding an internal promotion round this year.

By Simon Petersen

2 minute read