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International Edition

DWF merger run set to continue as firm targets London and international expansion

DWF is set to continue its recent rapid expansion, with a further tie-up in London on the cards as the firm also weighs up its options for international expansion. Managing partner Andrew Leaitherland (pictured) told Legal Week the firm is considering further merger options in the City in the wake of its recent takeover of London professional indemnity firm Fishburns.
2 minute read

International Edition

Lessons of the new world – why brutal markets mean there is no room for error

As law firm collapses go, Cobbetts has neither the partner infighting of Halliwells nor the sheer scale and alleged top-level mismanagement of Dewey & LeBoeuf to generate popular appeal. What Cobbetts does provide, though – far more so than the more extreme examples above – is a salient lesson to all law firms about how quickly and easily things can go wrong in today's ever-uncertain economic climate.
3 minute read

International Edition

Eversheds, Dentons lead on tender for £3.1bn National Grid upgrade

Eversheds and Dentons have taken lead roles on the tender process for a £3.1bn deal to upgrade National Grid's UK gas distribution networks. Construction giant Balfour Beatty and a joint venture (JV) between Morrisons and Skanska have both been awarded eight-year contracts by the electricity and gas utility company, with the work getting underway at the start of this month.
2 minute read

International Edition

DWF merger mill set to keep on turning as acquisitive firm refuses to stand still

Whatever anyone may think about DWF and its ambitious managing partner Andrew Leaitherland, no one could describe either as dull right now. Five quick-fire mergers, including the recent acquisition of failed firm Cobbetts for a knock-down price, have ensured the firm has never strayed far from the headlines over the past 18 months and, according to Leaitherland, the firm has no intention of stopping now.
5 minute read

International Edition

Resistance to criminal Bar reforms escalate as protests disrupt northern courts

The chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has appealed to the public to back protests against Government reforms of criminal advocacy, following an all-day meeting of Northern Circuit barristers this week that led to disruption at courts in the north of the UK. The Northern Circuit of the Bar met in Manchester on Monday (22 April, pictured top) to address the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) plans to introduce price-competitive tendering (PCT) for legal aid contracts, which could see criminal work awarded to the lowest bidder regardless of expertise.
4 minute read

International Edition

The path to oblivion - the events that brought Cobbetts' 175-year history to an abrupt end

On 6 December 2012, Cobbetts' managing partner Nick Carr released a confident statement about the firm's financial position, saying: "Our half-year results ensure we remain on target, and new client wins mean that trading predictions for the next six months are strong. We expect to meet our financial targets by year end." Taken in isolation, this statement is no different to the numerous anodyne comments issued on behalf of law firm managers whenever full and half-year financial results are announced.
25 minute read

International Edition

Top announced deals for Q1 2013: global and UK

Top announced deals for Q1 2013: global and UK – the top deals from the past three months, featuring Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells and Slaughter and May
1 minute read

International Edition

Eversheds and Wragges act on £450m uni development

Eversheds and Wragge & Co have advised on a deal that will see the development of a £450m science and innovation campus at Swansea University. Regeneration specialist St Modwen Developments is working with the university as development partner on the first phase of the project, which will include 430,000 sq ft of academic space and around 900 student apartments.
2 minute read

International Edition

Integreon BD chief quits to launch new UK outsourcing venture

Integreon president of business development John Croft has left the outsourcing giant to launch a UK arm for recently formed alternative legal services provider Elevate Services. Croft, who joined Elevate as president yesterday (18 April), has launched the new operation in London, through which the company will target law firms and in-house legal departments across Europe. At Integreon, Croft was responsible for signing high-profile deals with law firms including CMS Cameron McKenna and Osborne Clarke, both of which have recently been revised.
2 minute read

International Edition

Linklaters, A&O and Wragges sign up to Government gender reporting initiative

Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Wragge & Co are among a line-up of nine law firms to have signed up to a Government gender reporting initiative that aims to boost equality in the workplace. The trio joined the voluntary 'Think, Act, Report' initiative earlier this year, which encourages companies to share best practice and improve transparency on gender equality issues in business. Six other law firms have already signed up to the scheme: Eversheds was the first firm to sign up in 2011, followed by DWF the same year. Hogan Lovells, DAC Beachcroft, Pinsent Masons and Berwin Leighton Paisner all joined last year.
3 minute read

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