Suzi Ring

April 20, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose has announced its annual promotions, with 15 made up to partner, including four in the City. The firm has made up seven senior associates, seven of counsel and one special counsel to its partnership ranks

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 19, 2011 | International Edition

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has appointed veteran Swiss lawyer Felix Ehrat as its new general counsel as current head Thomas Werlen steps down. Ehrat, currently the senior partner with Swiss law firm Baer & Karrer, will take up the role from October 2011. The appointment will also include taking a place on Novartis' executive committee and Ehrat will directly report to Novartis chief executive Joseph Jimenez.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 18, 2011 | International Edition

Watson Farley & Williams has announced its annual partner promotions, with the firm adding six lawyers to its partnership, including one in the City. Simon Petch has been made up in the finance group in London, as one of two new finance partners alongside Andrew Nimmo in Singapore. Meanwhile, Romain Girtanner has become a partner in the Paris tax practice, with Verena Scheibe joining the tax partnership in Hamburg. Elsewhere, Luca Pardi and Philippe Manteau have been promoted in the corporate group in the Rome and New York offices respectively.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 15, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has appointed Barclays Capital managing director and global GC Judith Shepherd to its law and business school advisory board. Shepherd will be the ninth member of the board, which is made up of business academics, GCs and heads of knowledge and learning from a number of global organisations.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 15, 2011 | International Edition

The 'last chance saloon' for law firms unable to gain insurance cover is to be phased out as part of a shake-up of the current regime. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced a series of measures to overhaul client financial protection, primarily focused on the Assigned Risks Pool (ARP), which insures struggling law firms unable to buy commercial cover.

By Suzi Ring

3 minute read

April 14, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed a new global people partner as incumbent Caroline Stroud steps down from the role. Amsterdam-based corporate partner Richard Norbruis is set to take up the position as of 1 May for a three-year term. Stroud will return to full-time fee earning in the employment practice. Norbruis is only the second person to hold the role at the firm after it was created in May 2008.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 13, 2011 | International Edition

Kemp Little has overhauled its management structure and appointed litigation head Paul Garland to the first-time role of executive partner. Garland was appointed to the position earlier this month following the announcement that current managing partner Lucy Vernall is set to leave Kemp Little to take up a role as GC for online loan company Wonga.com in April this year.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 13, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells and Addleshaw Goddard have all been identified as top employers for women in a list published by The Times today. All three firms are featured in The Times' annual Top 50 Employers for Women list, with both Freshfields and Hogan Lovells included for the first time.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 13, 2011 | International Edition

Berrymans Lace Mawer has announced its annual partner promotions, with the UK top 50 firm adding eight lawyers to its partnership. The promotions are split across five of the firm's nine UK offices, with the bulk of the new partners in Manchester. John Collins, Mark Flavell, Sally Hancock and Paul Tarne have all joined the partnership in the Manchester personal injury practice.

By Suzi Ring

2 minute read

April 07, 2011 | International Edition

Success fees look set to be ushered in for complex commercial cases, ironically just as the Government unveiled reforms expected to severely restrict their widespread use in volume personal injury claims. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last week revealed its long-awaited proposals for civil litigation reform - confirming that it was to implement most of the blueprint put forward in a report last January by Lord Justice Jackson.

By Suzi Ring

7 minute read