Business leadership

Matt Meyers

Kingsley Napley names ex-Taylor Vinters CEO as managing partner

Kingsley Napley has elected the former CEO of Taylor Vinters as its new managing partner from 1 April 2025. Matt Meyer will take over from Linda Woolley, who announced her retirement today (13 November) after 18 years in the position. Kingsley Napley says she will stay with the firm to ensure a smooth transition. The […]

retention and keeping teams together

Legal recruiter Montresor sells shares to employees

Montresor Legal has become the latest search firm to convert into an an employee ownership trust (EOT). The business, founded 12 years ago by Tom Balmer, had three shareholders; Balmer, senior director Hamish Drake, and managing director Joshua Blake. As part of the deal, the trio have sold their shares to Montresor Employee Trustee Limited. […]

Isabel Parker, White & Case

White & Case hires Deloitte Legal innovation pro

White & Case has hired a partner from Deloitte Legal to support its innovation efforts in a new global role. Isabel Parker has left Deloitte Legal after just under two years at the Big Four outfit. She is moving to White & Case, where she will take on the position of chief innovation officer. Here, […]

Jane Stewart

Slaughters innovation pro set for DLA Piper move

Slaughter and May’s former head of legal operations is to join DLA Piper this month. The Lawyer understands that Jane Stewart will take on a senior strategy role at DLA Piper. Her arrival coincides with a change of leadership at DLA, as longstanding chief Simon Levine prepares to hand over the co-CEO reins to Charles Severs […]

Paul Orchard

Stephenson Harwood goes all-in with new GenAI tech

Stephenson Harwood has introduced a tech product to its generative AI toolkit, acting as an alternative to another well-used provider, Harvey. The firm is partially rolling Curvestone AI’s Workflow GPT to its legal and support staff, with a larger rollout planned. Curvestone AI is an addition to Stephenson Harwood’s suite of products, with the firm […]

Analysis

How not to lose your associates

The exits we saw last year may have slowed a little since the most recent salary war cooled down, but the wider trend is one that dates back years: workers are less loyal than they used to be. Law firms are finding it increasingly difficult to retain their associates at a time when employers offer […]

Opinion

How to blow up a (talent) pipeline

Given we are in the midst of the festive season, it is worth calling to mind a heart-warming Christmas movie that lawyers can no doubt all relate to. Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy In Bruges is a film in which two hitmen end up stuck in the eponymous Belgian town awaiting orders from their boss. As […]

Why law firm leaders should speak out on politics

The world has changed significantly; Brexit, the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have challenged businesses leaders and the people they employ in ways we’ve not experienced since the Second World War; which means for most of us this context is entirely new. Given the scale of the challenges we’re facing whether around society, the economy or […]

Law firm floats – waving or drowning?

Since the flotation of Gateley in May 2015, a range of law firms have floated on the stock market or considered doing so. The largest of these was Mishcon de Reya, which abandoned its proposed main listing float in June 2022 “for the foreseeable future due to market conditions”. The entry into administration of Ince […]

Can tech companies work even better together?

Thomson Reuters’ chief product officer for legal tech Kriti Sharma talks to The Lawyer about holding technology and tech companies more accountable for user needs, what can be done to reduce tech waste and getting tech companies to work better together.