Billables and Bad Partners: Why Associates Are Still Not Happy

A&O Shearman, White & Case and Others Battle it Out—On The Polo Pitch

Jack Womack | August 02, 2024

The annual tournament, which took place in Tuscany, Italy, awarded an individual prize to a Hengeler Mueller partner.

2 minute read

Latest Firms Join Junior Lawyer UK Salary Race

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | August 02, 2024

The firms will both be offering in and around £175,000 to London newly-qualified lawyers as of January 1.

3 minute read

3 Pressing Compliance Questions as the EU AI Act Clock Starts Running

Rhys Dipshan | August 01, 2024

While the regulation is finalized, there is still much that needs to be ironed out.

7 minute read

Goodwin Swipes Dechert Funds Partner in London

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | August 01, 2024

U.S firms in London have been rapidly building out their funds practices in the U.K. capital.

2 minute read

Sidley, Paul Weiss and Kirkland Act as Apollo Buys Evri for £2.7B

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | August 01, 2024

A former Paul, Weiss partner now at Sidley Austin headed up the team advising Apollo on the takeover, while Paul Weiss' growing London office advised the PE behemoths on the financing.

2 minute read

Former Slaughter and May Senior Partner Cooke to Chair UK Pub Group Young's

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | August 01, 2024

Steve Cooke retired from the firm earlier this year after eight years as senior partner.

2 minute read

Latham Hires Asset Management General Counsel in London

Jack Womack | August 01, 2024

Before joining Patria, the lawyer was previously a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, and co-head of the firm's Latin America group.

2 minute read

Paul Weiss Strikes Kirkland Yet Again as It Builds Out London Funds

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 31, 2024

The move comes as the firm continues to grow in London.

2 minute read

It's Here: The EU AI Act Has 'Entered Into Force'. Now What?

Rhys Dipshan | July 31, 2024

A number of EU AI Act provisions will come online over the next several years—with the first just months away. Yet even with a long ramp up, experts warn that compliance will be a steep challenge for organizations—and give some little time to spare.

9 minute read

The Power of Local Knowledge: White & Case Increases Regulatory and White Collar Lawyers Globally As Demand Rises

Patrick Smith | July 31, 2024

The firm says hiring more lawyers in foreign offices for white-collar and regulatory work can add political, social and economic context to its clients' matters.

7 minute read

As It Stands: Who's Leading the UK Top 50 Law Firm Revenue Race?

Caroline Byrne | July 31, 2024

An up-to-date table showing the performance of all the law firms to have announced results so far.

1 minute read

Gibson Dunn Guides UK Takeover Panel to Issuing Toughest Ever Punishment

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 31, 2024

The ten individuals have been punished for breaches to the code from over a decade ago.

2 minute read

Japan Streamlines Registration Process For Foreign Lawyers

Louis Altmann | July 31, 2024

The move could see an influx of lawyers from overseas after an agreement to simplify the registration process.

2 minute read

UK Residents Party to 8 Class Actions Each, Research Shows

Jack Womack | July 31, 2024

People do not often know that they are involved in class actions, with the research showing the value of U.K. opt-out claims had increased by 48% in 2023.

2 minute read

Daily Mail Publisher Taps Slaughter and May For Legal Head

Jack Womack | July 30, 2024

The lawyer was part of the Slaughter and May team that advised DMG Media on its joint venture with News UK in 2023.

2 minute read

A&O Shearman, Hogan Lovells to Defend £9.9 Billion Crypto Class Action

Jack Womack | July 30, 2024

Lawyers for the claimants have accused six crypto exchanges of "colluding to delist BSV from their exchanges" in 2019.

2 minute read

Quinn Emanuel Leads on Gaming Dispute Alleging Fraud and Physical Threats

Jack Womack | July 30, 2024

In one court document, Quinn's legal team stated the claimants "expect to recover in excess of £10 million".

2 minute read

White & Case, Linklaters Advise as Macquarie Takes Full Control of National Gas

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 30, 2024

The deal comes amid a political sea change in the U.K.

2 minute read

UK Court Finds UAE Company Liable In 'Tuna Bonds' Bribery Case

Alfred Olufemi | July 30, 2024

Mozambique has emerged victorious as Justice Robin Knowles finds allegations of bribery and corruption were largely substantiated.

3 minute read

Travers Smith Profits Rebound 22%

Louis Altmann | July 29, 2024

Only Macfarlanes was able to boast a similar figure for profit growth, in a year of recovery.

2 minute read

Ranking

Which Law Firms Have the Most State School-Educated Lawyers?

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 29, 2024

Social mobility continues to be one of the most overlooked diversity metrics, as law firms struggle to catch up to the U.K. national average.

5 minute read

Mishcon Reports 17% Revenue Rise as Profits Dip Post-Merger

Jack Womack | July 29, 2024

Earlier this year, Mishcon bought a majority stake in the Brazilian group actions business Somos—which manages group action claims, and has offices in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.

2 minute read

Commentary

The Looming Shadow of Consolidation

Paul Hodkinson | July 28, 2024

Law firm strategy has never been so focused on mega scale as it is today, writes the Global Lawyer. Thanks a lot Dentons and Kirkland!

5 minute read

Rimon Launches Fourth Asian Office in Tokyo

Jessica Seah | July 26, 2024

The firm has spent months hiring a group of senior partners with substantial experience in the Japanese market.

2 minute read

Vinson & Elkins Taps Fried Frank For European Arbitration Head

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 26, 2024

Lateral activity between U.S. firms in London continues at a busy pace.

2 minute read

DLA Piper is Claimant in £5.5M Land Transaction Dispute

Louis Altmann | July 26, 2024

The claim relates to a 2013 land transaction in Cheshire.

2 minute read

Ex-Irwin Mitchell Solicitor Rebuked Over Unsent Email

Louis Altmann | July 26, 2024

The solicitor believed he had sent the email to appeal, but the window for his client, who had been sentenced to prison, then ran out.

2 minute read

Middle East Deal Roundup: White & Case, CC & Freshfields Lead on Deals

Dario Sabaghi | July 26, 2024

Clifford Chance is advising ALAFCO's $3.3 billion sale to Macquarie while White & Case is working on Rasan's IPO and ADES' $3 billion facility,

4 minute read

Where (and Why) Law Firm Lateral Partner Activity Is Surging

Andrew Maloney | July 25, 2024

"There is a boom coming. We just don't know when," one recruiter said this week. "But it's absolutely coming, and it's going to be synonymous with the interest rate drops."

4 minute read

From Big Law to the Big Games: The Story of Mayer Brown's Olympic Athlete

Louis Altmann | July 25, 2024

The Mayer Brown Paris paralegal and South African men's hockey vice captain talks about balancing the two sides of his life.

5 minute read

Post Office Litigation Funder Subpoenaed in the US

Jack Womack | July 25, 2024

Earlier this year, the arbitrator who awarded $15 billion to the claimants in the dispute was sentenced to six months in prison and disqualified from working as an arbitrator for one year for disobeying orders from the court.

2 minute read

Big Law's New York Offices More Than Doubled Am Law 100 Head Count Gains

Patrick Smith | July 24, 2024

Kirkland saw another boost in Manhattan head count last year, growing by 6% to 842 lawyers and retaining its top spot as the largest firm in the state.

6 minute read

Baker McKenzie Lawyer to Face SDT Over Road Traffic Offence Allegations

Jack Womack | July 24, 2024

The allegation that the lawyer "failed to provide a specimen of breath for analysis" is subject to a hearing before the SDT.

1 minute read

Dentons Taps Former EY Executive as New Global CEO

Dan Roe | July 24, 2024

Former EY global vice chair Kate Barton will take the helm in November as Dentons continues to draw inspiration from Big Four accounting firms.

5 minute read

Clifford Chance US Offices Drive Revenue Growth as Firm Outpaces Rivals

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 24, 2024

A number of firms announced financial results on Wednesday, including U.K. top 50 firm Simmons & Simmons

4 minute read

Strong Results For Bird & Bird and Taylor Wessing

Jack Womack | July 24, 2024

The two law firms, both known for their strength in the technology and life sciences sectors, are the latest to post robust figures.

3 minute read

Macfarlanes Profit Per Equity Partner Shoots Up 24%

Louis Altmann | July 24, 2024

The numbers will make the firm a contender for having the highest PEP among the largest U.K. firms.

1 minute read

Latham, Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance Among Advisers on Latest Private Equity Deals

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 24, 2024

The buyouts also included mandates for firms such as Weil Gotshal, CMS and PedersoliGattai.

3 minute read

Brussels' Reverse Revolving Door: Why Lawyers Leave Lucrative Jobs at Law Firms to Join the EU's Powerful Antitrust Enforcer

Linda A. Thompson | July 23, 2024

The revolving door from the European Commission to Brussels-based law firms has frequently stirred controversy, but the revolving door from law firms to one of the world's top antitrust enforcers has received much less attention.

6 minute read

Paul Weiss Fills Restructuring Gap With Akin Hire

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 23, 2024

The move comes as the firm continues to grow in London.

2 minute read

Harvey Raises $100 Million Series C Investment, Reaches Unicorn Status

Isha Marathe | July 23, 2024

The funding round, led by Google Ventures, and with participation from OpenAI and other venture capital funds, brings Harvey's valuation to $1.5 billion.

3 minute read

London Lateral Hiring Has Busiest First Half in 5 Years

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 23, 2024

Hiring in the finance sector was up, while private equity saw a distinct decrease in moves.

2 minute read

Anglo American GC: 'Maybe Partners Should Make Less Money and Associates Should Make More'

Tom Parry | July 23, 2024

In a wide-ranging interview, the mining giant's company secretary Richard Price expresses concerns about the effects of soaring associate pay and the erosion of the rule of law.

8 minute read

Am Law 50 Law Firms See Uptick in Partner Hiring, With Focus on Funds and White-Collar Practices

Andrew Maloney | July 23, 2024

Partner moves in investment management, funds and white-collar defense practices in four major markets have more than doubled from the same time as last year, Macrae said.

4 minute read

MidEast Roundup: Greenberg Traurig, Al-Tamimi & Addleshaw Strengthen Teams

Dario Sabaghi | July 23, 2024

Greenberg Traurig, Al-Tamimi & Co., and Addleshaw Goddard have all expanded their Middle East teams with new hires to enhance their regional capabilities.

3 minute read

Linklaters Hires Capital Markets Duo, Targets New Economy Market in China

Tony Sabine | July 23, 2024

Linklaters says it has high hopes for the pair as it looks to build on its strategy shift with an emphasis on "New Economy" deals while retaining its traditional strengths in capital markets.

5 minute read

UK 100 Firm and Consulting Group Alvarez & Marsal to Create New Law Firm

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 22, 2024

"Big law firms are pricing themselves out of quality work, yet mid-market firms are failing to capitalize on this dynamic due to structural headwinds," said the firm's managing partner.

3 minute read

How Philip Bowden's Hire Fits into Proskauer's London Strategy

Kasvi Sehgal | July 22, 2024

"All of our competitors are really ramping up on the private credit front. We welcome it," say the leaders of Proskauer Rose's fast-growing London operation, following the hire of the A&O Shearman duo.

5 minute read

British Legal Awards Deadline Extended to August 2

Jack Womack | July 22, 2024

Latham & Watkins, Hogan Lovells, Shoosmiths and Octopus Energy were among the big winners at last year's British Legal Awards.

2 minute read

Commentary

Is the Hiring Market Under Threat?

Krishnan Nair | July 21, 2024

A restrictive move by Kirkland & Ellis on exiting partners could precipitate a culture of staying put, writes The Global Lawyer.

4 minute read

Expert Opinion

Shareholder Activism on the Rise: What Investors and Companies Need to Know

Anthea Eleftheriadis, A&O Shearman | July 21, 2024

The practice made headlines recently when Disney fended off activist investors, writes an A&O Shearman Johannesburg lawyer.

5 minute read

CrowdStrike Outage Yields Mixed Impacts on Big Law

Amanda O'Brien | July 19, 2024

"I'm hearing of more West Coast latencies than on the East Coast," said one Am Law 100 executive. "It really depends where [the office] is regionally, whether they're experiencing the same symptoms even within the same firm."

5 minute read

Commentary

The Law Firm Disrupted: A New Opportunity isn't a Betrayal

Dan Packel | July 19, 2024

Punitive measures for departing partners are on the rise.

4 minute read

Cooley London Head Leads Team Exit To Akin

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 19, 2024

The three-partner team is headed up by Justin Stock, the London managing partner of the Palo Alto-headquarted firm.

2 minute read

Stricter Lateral Exit Policies Become More Common Across the Legal Industry

Andrew Maloney | July 19, 2024

Law firms are increasingly using lateral departure deterrence methods, such as punitive non-competes or debits for unpaid bills, legal industry sources say.

5 minute read

Linklaters, Al-Tamimi and AS&H Clifford Chance Work on $3.9B Energy Projects

Dario Sabaghi | July 18, 2024

The projects are part of Saudi Arabia's efforts to achieve an optimal energy mix for electricity production, with a target of 50% renewable energy and 50% from high-efficiency gas-fired plants by 2030.

3 minute read

A&O Shearman Implemented $50,000 Referral Bonus on Merger Completion

Dan Roe | July 18, 2024

Kirkland & Ellis isn't the only Big Law firm offering $50,000 for successful placements in today's market.

2 minute read

Herbert Smith Freehills Posts Double-Digit Rises Across Key Metrics

Louis Altmann | July 18, 2024

The firm also reported an increase in the share of its partners who are female.

2 minute read

Latham Double Ollies With Roles on Two International Deals

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 18, 2024

One of the deals included the $1.5 billion sale of iconic skateboarding brand Supreme, while the other was Pernod Ricard's disposal of its wine portfolio to an Australian consortium of investors and wine makers,

3 minute read

Expert Opinion

Rainmakers are Not the Answer to Transformational Growth: Here's Why

Gavin Sharpe | July 18, 2024

It seems common practice these days, even for the most conservative of law firms to bet on this high-risk strategy.

6 minute read

Expert Opinion

McDonalds v Supermac: When Trademarks Turn Philosophical

Peter Vaughan | July 17, 2024

The EU dispute revealed a cautionary tale and some useful take home points for trade mark proprietors and their advisors.

5 minute read

Research

The Age-Old Question: The Law Firms with the Oldest and Youngest Lawyers

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 17, 2024

Age within law firms is a complex and often overlooked matter—Law.com data reveals significant variability in how different firms approach the issue in the U.K.

6 minute read

Video

Watch: Why Are So Many Firms Building Up in Private Equity Funds?

Paul Hodkinson | July 17, 2024

Law.com International editor-in-chief Paul Hodkinson takes a look at the drivers behind recent moves.

1 minute read

'Deeply Reactive': Are Law Firms Becoming Increasingly Hostile to Leavers?

Kasvi Sehgal | July 16, 2024

Top London partners, ex-lawyers and support staff talk about the averse situations law firms designed to make their exit difficult and how it speaks to the wider issue of clawback in present-day partnerships.

7 minute read

Kirkland Hires from Clifford Chance as Partner Exits to A&O Shearman

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 16, 2024

The movement sees the firm gain a tech partner but part ways with a debt finance expert.

3 minute read

Ashurst Revenue Up 9% as US Expansion 'a Priority'

Habiba Cullen-Jafar | July 16, 2024

The firm is routinely touted as a merger candidate.

3 minute read

KPMG Shutters Australian Legal Practice, Seeks Law Firm Alliances

Christopher Niesche | July 16, 2024

The Big Four firm's legal practices will continue in other jurisdictions.

6 minute read

The 10-Year Plan That Has Willkie Growing Faster Than Any Other Big Firm

Patrick Smith | July 15, 2024

The firm's leaders pointed to a strategy for expansion about a decade ago, pinpointing certain markets, practices and large lateral groups. In London, Willkie now has 131 attorneys, including 38 partners.

7 minute read

Paul Hastings London Funds Partner Exits to Morgan Lewis

Jack Womack | July 15, 2024

Despite the exit, Paul Hastings has itself made hires from US rivals in London this year, including Weil, Gotshal and Manges and Latham & Watkins.

2 minute read