The Euro Elite: France – La vie en rose

Paris in pink

Any conversation with a French lawyer these days turns at some point to the volatility of the market and the unpredictability of the future. But there is more substance to these words this time around than a reflection of the industry’s traditional caution.

In just over two years, France has gone from an election that might have ended up with a populist anti-EU leader to the enthusiasm for the victory of business-friendly, pro-European Emmanuel Macron… and then to the rude awakening of social unrest and economic slowdown. Continue reading “The Euro Elite: France – La vie en rose”

Client Service Awards – What clients really want

analytics

Stewarts, Mishcon de Reya and Weil, Gotshal & Manges have emerged among the top-performing law firms for client service in the UK, according to brand new Legal 500 research assessing what clients really think about their external advisers.

The trio are among a host of leading US and UK firms to have been recognised by our new research project, which is the culmination of one of the most comprehensive surveys of law firm clients ever. Continue reading “Client Service Awards – What clients really want”

The Last Word: Elite forces

Stefano Simontacchi

As part of our annual Euro Elite report, management at independent firms in Europe give their views on today’s market challenges

International focus

‘In 2017 we had a record performance. 2018 was a year of big investment to consolidate our development in Africa and the Middle East but we did it halfway through the year. We are going to continue and consolidate our strategy. A lot of attention and energy will be on the international development. Our strategy is still to become a leader in the Mediterranean area, Africa and the Middle East. For now we are optimistic but from the second half of 2018 we have seen a decrease of investment in M&A.’ Continue reading “The Last Word: Elite forces”

Sponsored briefing: With great funding comes great responsibility!

Augusta Ventures

Jacqueline Young from Augusta Ventures discusses the challenge litigation funders face to balance support for access to justice with more commercial considerations

We operate in a strong and growing legal environment. The UK legal services industry is going from strength to strength. A recent report valued the market at £35bn in 2018, with growth forecast at 5% in the coming years. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: With great funding comes great responsibility!”

Eversheds records double-digit growth as ‘uncertainty barometer’ rises

Eversheds Sutherland (International) has built on its 2017 transatlantic merger with a second year of strong revenue and profit growth.

However, chief executive Lee Ranson (pictured) has cautioned that the ‘uncertainty barometer is increasing’, although this will not dampen the firm’s appetite for further investment. Continue reading “Eversheds records double-digit growth as ‘uncertainty barometer’ rises”

Herbert Smith Freehills partner reported to SRA for threatening sexual harassment claimant

Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA

A woman who filed a sexual harassment case against her employer was allegedly told by a Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) lawyer the case would end her career.

City finance associate Nathalie Abildgaard was awarded £270,000 in April after settling a sexual harassment case against her employer IFM Investors. However Abilgaard wrote in a submission to the Women and Equalities Committee a HSF lawyer had engaged in ‘aggressive and intimidating behaviour.’ Continue reading “Herbert Smith Freehills partner reported to SRA for threatening sexual harassment claimant”

The Client Profile: Sonya Branch, Bank of England

Sonya Branch

Bank of England (BoE) general counsel (GC) Sonya Branch puffs her cheeks as she ponders how much work Brexit has created for her team. ‘It has been absolutely vast,’ she says.

About 65% of the UK central bank’s legal team, which has grown from 90 to more than 150 since she joined four years ago, has been involved since the mid-2016 referendum in reviewing about 10,000 pages of legislation and tracking 39 statutory instruments, to which it has contributed drafting. ‘The total count was 6,000 pages of binding technical standards, 6,000 rules that had to be changed, as well as 4,000 pages of secondary legislation,’ she comments. ‘That’s just having a regulatory framework for the UK financial services sector that’s fit for purpose on the point of exit.’ Continue reading “The Client Profile: Sonya Branch, Bank of England”

Three GC perspectives on change

three digital butterflies

Gloria Sánchez Soriano, head of transformation – legal department, Santander

When our group general counsel (GC), Óscar García Maceiras, joined two years ago, he came with the idea of transforming the legal department. But Santander as a business is also in a huge process of transformation. Maceiras had a concern that we in our legal department in the market – and in many other legal departments – were working the same way as 100 years ago. We have legal databases, word processing, some digital resources – but we were not doing anything special. So the project he envisioned was not only to implement a range of technologies, but to foster a savvier legal department, with fewer pain points and better co-ordination and efficiency. Continue reading “Three GC perspectives on change”

Life during law: Dominic Griffiths

Dominic Griffiths

I didn’t plan a career in law. At school I did those career survey things twice and on both occasions it said I should become a fashion designer.

I have been a bar manager in a country house hotel and then a golf club bar. Great fun. Taught me the concept of keeping people in the line happy. I always say to junior lawyers: ‘Make sure you respond quickly to clients.’ It doesn’t mean you produce all the work in half an hour, as long as they know someone is looking after them. Continue reading “Life during law: Dominic Griffiths”

The DAC Interview – Close to the rocks

Virginia Clegg and David Pollitt

Legal Business (LB): You have both been in charge for nearly four years. What are some of the highlights?

David Pollitt (DP), managing partner, DAC Beachcroft: One of the first things we decided was to streamline our governance, which Virginia led on. We wanted to become more corporate, leaner and more efficient in decision-making. But we also wanted to be clear about our purpose, our vision, our principles and our business strategy. It took us some time, probably 12 months. Continue reading “The DAC Interview – Close to the rocks”

Sponsored briefing: A risk checkup can help companies fight back against fraud

Statistics show that in the UK alone, an estimated 7% of annual turnover is lost to fraud schemes, involving issues such as kickbacks, insider trading, financial statement and invoice fraud, bribery, and even the simple skimming and misappropriation of assets. It is estimated that fraud costs business in the UK over £110bn per year.

Fraud, like any serious disease, spreads if not treated early. It saps corporate reputations and finances, and in the worst cases can prove fatal to an organisation. Reputational damage, in particular, can be devastating. A loss of confidence by shareholders, customers, suppliers and regulators, as well as the potential of litigation in the wake of a fraud, can lead to a drop in share price from which a company may never recover. In addition, if it can be shown that a company’s directors and management have neglected their fiduciary responsibilities, they can be held personally liable for the loss incurred by the company. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: A risk checkup can help companies fight back against fraud”

No Buzz Lightyear complex as Kennedys’ revenue tops £200m for the first time

Nick Thomas

Kennedys senior partner Nick Thomas will be ‘very disappointed’ if the firm does not have another year of double-digit growth after its revenue broke through £200m for the first time this year.

Global turnover at the insurance and shipping specialist for the year to 30 April 2019 grew 11% to £218m, as fee-earner headcount grew 7% to exceed 2,000 for the first time. The firm made a number of lateral hires last year, most recently a 10-lawyer team – including two partners – from Norton Rose Fulbright. Continue reading “No Buzz Lightyear complex as Kennedys’ revenue tops £200m for the first time”

At best, murky: MPs slam ‘legally sanctioned secrecy’ of gagging orders in discrimination cases

Maria Miller MP

A parliamentary select committee has condemned the ‘routine cover-up’ of discrimination allegations by employers as calls for a clampdown on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) reach a new pitch.

The report by the Women and Equalities Committee on discrimination and harassment in the workplace, published today (11 June), is the culmination of an enquiry launched by MPs in the wake of the #MeToo movement that saw the legal profession’s handling of gagging orders thrown into the spotlight. Continue reading “At best, murky: MPs slam ‘legally sanctioned secrecy’ of gagging orders in discrimination cases”

CC follows Freshfields with £100k package for junior lawyers as pay war with US rivals intensifies

Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance (CC) has become the second Magic Circle law firm to raise the starting pay for its associates to £100,000, a month after City rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer announced a similar increase.

In a move signalling the widening impact of the pressure for talent from US firms on the City elite, CC has raised its compensation for newly qualified (NQ) solicitors from £91,000 including bonuses. Continue reading “CC follows Freshfields with £100k package for junior lawyers as pay war with US rivals intensifies”

Deal watch: City teams fly on £4.6bn Rolls-Royce pension deal as Kirkland and Goodwin take multi-billion dollar mandates

Big-ticket deals have been fuelling the market in pensions, private equity and fundraising recently with UK top-10 firms and US rivals alike taking the controls on significant mandates.

Legal & General (L&G) handed a joint mandate to CMS and Eversheds Sutherland to advise on its £4.6bn buy-in to buy-out with the Rolls-Royce UK Pension Fund (RRPF), a deal which is billed as the UK’s largest ever bulk annuity and which saw Linklaters act for the trustees. Continue reading “Deal watch: City teams fly on £4.6bn Rolls-Royce pension deal as Kirkland and Goodwin take multi-billion dollar mandates”

Clydes senior partner Konsta to step down as firm grows revenue 11% in 2018/19

Simon Konsta

Clyde & Co senior partner Simon Konsta (pictured) is to step down from his role in October just over half way into his five-year term.

The firm announced today (10 June) that Konsta will hand over to arbitration co-chair Peter Hirst, as it reported its 21st consecutive year of revenue growth to £611m in the year to 30 April, up 11% on £551.3m last year. Continue reading “Clydes senior partner Konsta to step down as firm grows revenue 11% in 2018/19”

Revolving doors: Freshfields hire to leave DWF managed services role after less than a year

Hope floats

DWF’s New Law credentials have been dealt a blow as its managed services chief executive is set to leave the firm less than a year after his arrival in the first major exit since the firm completed its IPO in March.

Anup Kollanethu was initially hired from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he led the Magic Circle firm’s Manchester office for over three years and established himself as a well-regarded chief of business operations. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Freshfields hire to leave DWF managed services role after less than a year”