The inconvenient truths about global firms’ future in Hong Kong
New security laws and a US-China trade war mean Western players will have to change the way their do business to compete with the PRC heavyweights
Whitehall should leave apprentices alone
Kickstarting a legal career is an arduous journey that is likely to leave you saddled with debt. Firms and their clients are acutely aware of this, which is why buzz about solicitor apprenticeship programmes has amplified in recent years. City Century, established by the City of London Law Society, is the manifestation of that momentum. […]
Clydes must take care of its associate army
Big-ticket disputes are fuelling headcount growth among the UK’s largest litigation firms. According to The Lawyer’s UK Litigation 50 report, five firms are now home to more than 150 disputes partners in the UK – four of which (DAC Beachcroft, Clyde & Co, Kennedys and Keoghs) have strong insurance roots. These firms are hunting for […]
DLA is losing its grip on Leeds
The evolution of Leeds’ legal scene is representative of how the UK legal market is changing shape. Just 18 months ago, Leeds was dominated by five firms, including local stalwart (Walker Morris with 57 partners) and a group of national firms with regional roots: Addleshaw Goddard (44), Eversheds Sutherland (35), Pinsent Masons (34) and DLA […]
BCLP wants to think it’s turned a corner
Has Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) turned a corner? Its new partners presumably think so. Certainly, for the six Londoners and 18 other senior lawyers around its international network who were yesterday unveiled as the firm’s newest partners, a personal milestone has been reached. Congratulations to all of the 24 lawyers in the partnership promotions […]
Reed Smith and A&O Shearman lead on climate finance
The world’s climate ambitions took a serious hit last week. With Donald Trump poised to return to the White House, there’s a strong chance the US will once again pull out of the Paris Agreement. This would leave the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in jeopardy as the world’s largest economy […]
Tracking the transatlantic titans: The Lawyer launches Global Elite project
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 […]
The Lawyer Podcast: The HSF merger – Two firms do not a transatlantic powerhouse make
The announcement that Herbert Smith Freehills would merge with US firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel has got chins wagging across the transatlantic market. But is this a new mega-firm in the vein of A&O Shearman, a shrewd building block for HSF to make advances in the US, or a bit of an anti-climax? What […]
Mishcon and South Square secure £177m judgment against London Capital & Finance executives
Mishcon de Reya and South Square Chambers have secured a £177.5m judgment against the former CEO of London Capital & Finance (LCF) and others alleged to have been involved in a scheme which defrauded nearly 12,000 bondholders. The case was featured as one of The Lawyer’s top 20 cases of 2024. It went to trial […]
DLA Piper names new UK chief
DLA Piper has appointed its next UK managing partner to take over from Liam Cowell in December, The Lawyer can reveal. Andrew Dyson – who is the Leeds office managing partner and co-chair of the data, privacy and cybersecurity practice – has been selected for the role. Dyson joined DLA Piper in 2003, having spent […]
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 […]