Rachel is deputy editor (City) of The Lawyer and primarily covers corporate and the City
At the end of May, Herbert Smith Freehills’s executive partner for EMEA, UK and US flew to New York with a proposition. Alison Brown was preparing to present an opportunity to a firm that had come top of an HSF-commissioned external audit of the US market. It was a firm that had virtually no platform […]
A former partner of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been suspended for 24 months after a case was brought to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) over “inappropriate” conduct. Nick Williams was made up as a partner in the magic circle firm’s disputes and investigations team in March 2017, but left Freshfields two years later following the outcome of […]
The Lawyer is to launch a groundbreaking reporting project on the activities of the most powerful law firms in the world. The Lawyer Global Elite (TLGE) is a new, unashamedly high-end, analysis of the world’s most important legal markets, London and New York. Over the coming months, The Lawyer will articulate and define this market […]
Mishcon de Reya’s turnover for the first half of 2024/25 increased by 17 per cent, according to the firm. Its unaudited results show that revenue totalled £162m for the first half of the financial year. This represented growth of 17 per cent compared to the same period over 2023/24. Meanwhile, profits were £52.6m, up 13 […]
Herbert Smith Freehills is set to merge with US firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel in a key strategic move to enhance its global coverage. Announced today, the merger creates a firm with over $2bn in revenue and will operate under a single profit pool. It will be called Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, with over […]
As firms increasingly seek to impress clients with their ESG know-how, Freshfields staff are being asked to take mandatory training on environmental topics. Over the 2024/25 financial year, the firm will roll out a global environmental training module that is compulsory for all staff, partners and new joiners. The training will be delivered online and […]
Latham & Watkins has unveiled 24 promotions globally, in what is the firm’s lowest promotions round for the new year in a decade. Four make the grade in London; they are competition lawyer Stephanie Adams, Jon Fox in corporate, Jack Isaacs in restructuring and real estate lawyer Calvin Ng. None trained at Latham; Adams joined […]
Thirteen firms have more partners based in the UK than the magic circle, according to a new ranking from The Lawyer that gives a never-before-seen picture of the nation’s 300 largest legal businesses. The new report – The UK Legal Universe – brings together the UK revenues of the traditional UK firms, the US firms in London, […]
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has released the findings of its investigation into an ex-Allen & Overy Shearman partner, who was convicted of a drink-driving charge over the summer. According to the SRA notice, finance specialist John Goldfinch was arrested in April after his car collided with a parked unattended vehicle. When breathalysed at the […]
Freshfields has hired three lawyers from Weil Gotshal & Manges’ London office, in a move that connects its recent private capital hires in New York to the City. Weil partner Paul Stewart is moving across as Freshfields’s new global co-head of private credit and capital solutions. He will serve in this role alongside New York-based […]
London and New York formed but a small part of White & Case’s most recent promotions round, with three lawyers making partner in each. Instead, the firm’s global outlook was emphasised with elevations in five of its other US offices and nine cities across Continental Europe. Promotions are a sure-fire way of making everyone from […]
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. […]