Suzi Ring

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

Wragge & Co has grown its City real estate practice with the hire of SJ Berwin partner Duncan Field. Field, who is also a qualified barrister, is set to join the law firm's planning and regeneration team this spring after 13 years at SJ Berwin, where he has been a partner since 2005.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's partnership council has given the go-ahead to plans to reopen in Singapore. The magic circle law firm is now set to relaunch the office in the third quarter of this year, only five years after shutting its former arm in the region. Freshfields has not yet applied for a licence in Singapore, but has confirmed that it intends to practise UK and US law initially, rather than pursuing any kind of domestic law venture with a local firm, despite moves to open up the market to foreign advisers. The firm is currently in talks with a number of lateral hires to staff the office and is also expecting to relocate partners to Singapore from the rest of its network.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

"The low number of criminal QC appointments is a reflection of great uncertainty in public funding. It is particularly troubling that juniors from the top sets didn't even apply..."

By Suzi Ring

5 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

Flexible working and better performance assessment are key to retaining more women in law, according to a recent survey by the Law Society and LexisNexis. The survey, published to coincide with International Women's Day today (8 March), canvassed 1,144 respondents, with flexible working options and performance metrics that allow for fewer hours in the office cited as the best ways for the legal profession to retain more women.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

The Government's legal aid reforms have suffered a number of setbacks this week, with peers voting in favour of key amendments to the controversial proposals. The House of Lords has held two sittings on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO) this week, with modifications put forward on proposed cuts to cases involving domestic violence and welfare benefits.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

Clyde & Co and 3 Verulam Buildings (3VB) have won roles on the multimillion-pound dispute between Liverpool FC's former owners and RBS. Clydes is advising US businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillet, who claim that they lost around £140m when they were pushed into the sale of Liverpool FC by RBS in 2010, arguing that the club was sold at a significant undervalue.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

March 07, 2012 | International Edition

Herbert Smith and McGuireWoods are set to take lead roles on a multibillion-pound lawsuit brought against former Lloyds TSB directors for allegedly misleading investors over its merger with Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) in 2008. The case will be launched in the coming weeks, dependent on funding being obtained by the claimants - shareholder group Lloyds Action Now (LAN) - with the action expected to reach trial in the next two years.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

March 06, 2012 | International Edition

The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) has launched a consultation on the handling of complaints and discipline of judges, following the merger of the courts and tribunals service last year. The consultation, which opened last week and will run until 23 May this year, is aiming to gather feedback on creating a more efficient judicial complaints process, after Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service was created in April 2011, bringing the two factions together.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

March 06, 2012 | International Edition

Olswang, White & Case and Ashurst are among a raft of firms to have taken advisory roles related to the £62m rescue acquisition of property manager Peverel Group by a duo of private equity houses. The acquisition has seen Peverel - one of the UK's largest property management companies - taken out of administration, securing 4,200 jobs and reducing the group's debt from £125m to £25m.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

March 05, 2012 | International Edition

Siemens has appointed a new UK GC and company secretary with the hire of Vodafone legal director Claire Carless. Carless takes over the role from Gerard Gent, who has retired from the electronic and engineering giant after 16 years at the helm of the company's legal function.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read