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International Edition

All aboard – Scotland makes debut in near-shoring market

As market speculation around the potential tie-up between SJ Berwin and King & Wood Mallesons went strangely quiet this week, attention instead refocused very much closer to home. Well, 400 miles away from London, but still distinctly closer than Asia. The reason? Ashurst's decision to build a low-cost back office and legal support centre in Glasgow, which puts the job security of some 350 support staff in London under threat but, at the same time, promises to bring roughly 150 new jobs to Scotland within the next 12 months. And, given the recent upheaval in the Scottish legal market, some might say this second point is no bad thing.
2 minute read

Legal Week

All aboard – Scotland makes debut in near-shoring market

As market speculation around the potential tie-up between SJ Berwin and King & Wood Mallesons went strangely quiet this week, attention instead refocused very much closer to home. Well, 400 miles away from London, but still distinctly closer than Asia. The reason? Ashurst's decision to build a low-cost back office and legal support centre in Glasgow, which puts the job security of some 350 support staff in London under threat but, at the same time, promises to bring roughly 150 new jobs to Scotland within the next 12 months. And, given the recent upheaval in the Scottish legal market, some might say this second point is no bad thing.
5 minute read

International Edition

SJ Berwin partners prepare to discuss KWM merger at annual retreat

SJ Berwin partners are set to discuss the firm's potential tie-up with Asia Pacific leader King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) at a partner conference this weekend (8-9 June), as the two firms edge closer to voting on the deal. Partners will discuss the union at the UK firm's annual partner retreat, which is being held in Marbella this year. It is understood that the potential tie-up, which would see SJ Berwin joining KWM's Swiss Verein structure, has been loosely discussed at previous partner meetings but not formally with the partnership as a whole. Issues likely to be covered include the merged firm's name, with SJ Berwin's name potentially set to disappear.
2 minute read

International Edition

Norton Rose Fulbright sets sights on key Africa markets and US west coast

Norton Rose Fulbright is eyeing expansion into new markets in Africa and the west coast of the US, as the newly merged firm's transatlantic tie-up gets off the ground. The $2bn (£1.3bn) firm, which went live at the start of this week through the combination of Norton Rose and Texas firm Fulbright & Jaworski, is already considering further geographies into which it could expand. In Africa – where the firm currently has bases in South Africa, Morocco and Tanzania – Nigeria, Egypt, Mozambique and Angola have all been identified as potential destinations for office launches, while a move into northern California is also under discussion.
3 minute read

International Edition

BLP real estate team to feel brunt of cuts as partners predict sharp PEP dip

Real estate is set to be heavily affected by Berwin Leighton Paisner's (BLP's) recently announced redundancy plans, with one third of the planned lawyer cuts set to hit the firm's property and planning teams. The UK top 15 firm last month put around 100 jobs at risk of redundancy, including 58 legal roles. It has now emerged that roughly 17 of the lawyer positions are in the real estate team, with a further three roles at risk in the planning department. It is understood that the firm may try to move some of the lawyers at risk of redundancy into its Lawyers On Demand service. Meanwhile, partners have said profits per equity partner (PEP) could be down by as much as 50% this year, against broadly static revenues. This could take PEP down to around £330,000, compared with a figure of £660,000 in 2011-12, when profits fell by 7%.
3 minute read

International Edition

Maclay Murray set to cut 30 legal and support jobs in Scotland and London

Maclay Murray & Spens is set to cut up to 30 jobs after announcing a redundancy consultation with both legal and support staff at the firm. Around half of the jobs at risk are fee-earning roles, with the firm's corporate and property practices set to be the most heavily affected areas. All four of Maclay Murray's offices in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are expected to see job cuts, although there will not be any fee-earner redundancies in Aberdeen.
3 minute read

International Edition

Addleshaws signs formal alliance with Japan best friend in Asia push

Addleshaw Goddard has entered into a formal alliance with its Japanese best friend Hashidate Law Office, as part of a new initiative to ramp up its overseas capabilities. The 750-lawyer firm, which recently launched a new international division led by private equity partner Andrew Carpenter to spearhead its expansion outside of the UK, has had a best friends relationship with Hashidate for 15 years.
3 minute read

International Edition

Norton Rose Fulbright sets out top team as $2bn mega-merger goes live

Norton Rose Fulbright has confirmed its full management line-up, as the transatlantic merger between the two firms goes live, creating a global top 10 giant with combined revenues of around $2bn (£1.3bn). The union between legacy UK firm Norton Rose and Texas firm Fulbright & Jaworski, announced in November last year, has formed a firm with close to 3,800 lawyers, more than 750 of which are in the US.
1 minute read

Legal Week

Norton Rose Fulbright sets out top team as $2bn mega-merger goes live

Norton Rose Fulbright has confirmed its full management line-up, as the transatlantic merger between the two firms goes live, creating a global top 10 giant with combined revenues of around $2bn (£1.3bn). The union between legacy UK firm Norton Rose and Texas firm Fulbright & Jaworski, announced in November last year, has formed a firm with close to 3,800 lawyers, more than 750 of which are in the US.
3 minute read

International Edition

Compare the Market owner acquires £100m firm in major UK legal takeover

Claims firm Minster Law has been acquired by insurance business BGL Group - the owners of comparethemarket.com - in a deal which marks the largest outright sale of a UK law firm to date. The deal was made possible after Minster, which has annual fee income of £107m, received approval from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to convert to an alternative business structure (ABS).
3 minute read

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