NEXT
Sign in to follow

International Edition

Slaughters mulls senior adviser role in partnership alternative rethink

Slaughter and May is in the early stages of a review of its career structure for senior lawyers wishing to take an alternative route to partnership. The magic circle firm has begun a rethink of its senior adviser role, which is broadly aligned with a senior counsel position at other firms.
2 minute read

International Edition

Hill Dickinson secures second Asia base with Hong Kong launch

Hill Dickinson is to open an office in Hong Kong in association with a local law firm after receiving clearance from the region's authorities. The office, which is due to open in October, will become the firm's second base in Asia following the launch of its Singapore base in 2009 and will focus on marine-related work. Hill Dickinson has agreed terms with a local firm but, due to a confidentiality agreement, is unable to reveal its identity until the association is finalised in the coming weeks.
2 minute read

International Edition

Making your British Legal Awards entry stand out from the crowd

With the entry deadlines for the British Legal Awards and the African Legal Awards looming, John Malpas offers six top tips for awards success...
6 minute read

International Edition

Quinn Emanuel set for Munich launch as firm continues European expansion drive

Quinn Emanuel is opening its third base in Germany, spearheaded by intellectual property (IP) litigation partner Marcus Grosch. The US disputes specialist's launch in Munich has been long-touted after the firms set out plans last year to open a string of offices across Europe and Asia.
2 minute read

International Edition

Olswang eyes China launch as firm plans to ramp up Asia presence

Olswang has outlined plans to open in China in the medium term, while sizing up expansion opportunities in emerging Asian markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The firm is looking to expand into mainland China within the next few years, with consultant Andrew Halper, who heads up the firm's China desk, spearheading the launch plans. Halper was hired earlier this year from CMS Cameron McKenna, where he was head of China at the firm.
2 minute read

International Edition

McKenna Long & Aldridge eyes Shanghai for China debut

McKenna Long & Aldridge (MLA) is applying for a licence to open in Shanghai as it looks to join the raft of international law firms doing business in China. The US outfit said in a statement it was in the process of applying to the authorities for a licence, but gave no details as to the status of the application or when it expected to open.
3 minute read

International Edition

Client demand and intense competition set the agenda as law firm leaders look back on another difficult year

"This is a rapidly changing market and you cannot afford to stick to one formula. You have to be responsive..." Emerging markets provide source of comfort as law firm leaders lament patchy deal flow...
19 minute read

International Edition

He who would be King – firms must run to stay still as merger glut gathers pace

When SJ Berwin elected Stephen Kon as its senior partner last year, it did so on a manifesto promise of international growth. And Kon has certainly delivered. The firm has never been one to follow the herd, and the successful conclusion of its merger talks with Sino-Australian giant King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) this week certainly marks it out. The combination – uniting the top 30 firm with the partnerships of legacy King & Wood and Australia's Mallesons Stephen Jaques – will create a firm of some 2,700 lawyers, with the UK firm's moniker being subsumed and KWM lawyers outnumbering SJ Berwin's five to one.
3 minute read

International Edition

Mergers fuel growth in domestic market as national firms outpace top 50 rivals

Nationally represented law firms have once again outpaced their City counterparts as consolidation among mid-tier firms continues to drive growth. Mergers and acquisitions involving top 50 firms across the UK helped push average revenue growth up to 12.3%, well ahead of the average growth of 6.9% for the top 50 as a whole and also up on last year's average growth of 9.4% for the same group. Expansive DWF posted by far the biggest increase as revenues climbed 84.5% to £188.2m, following a transformative year which included a string of mergers, most notably the February acquisition of Cobbetts – catapulting the firm 15 places up the UK top 50 to 18th.
3 minute read

International Edition

DWF, Kennedys and RPC shine as two thirds of top 50 see PEP fall over five years

Two thirds of firms in the UK top 50 have seen profits per equity partner (PEP) fall over the past five years, according to research compiled by Legal Week. The figures show that only 16 firms in the top 50 have increased PEP since the 2007-08 financial year, compared with more than 30 that have seen profits slide. More than 20 firms have seen PEP fall by over 10% in the five-year period since the height of the credit crunch, with Field Fisher Waterhouse, Speechly Bircham and Trowers & Hamlins all seeing partner profits tumble by more than 40%.
3 minute read

More from ALM

More from ALM

Legal Speak is a weekly podcast that makes sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.

Resources

  • Aligning Client Needs with Lawyer Growth and Profitability

    Brought to you by BigHand

    Download Now

  • Technology to Make E-Discovery Smarter, Not Harder

    Brought to you by Nuix

    Download Now

  • Does Generative AI Have the Power to Transform Legal Services?

    Brought to you by HaystackID

    Download Now

  • How This Personal Injury Firm Reduced Client Intake Time by 80%

    Brought to you by PracticePanther

    Download Now