Lawrence Graham (LG) has surrendered its Singapore foreign law practice licence in preparation for its merger with Wragge & Co next month. As a result of the licence surrender, LG’s formal law alliance (FLA) with Singaporean firm PK Wong & Associates has automatically become invalid. LG launched its Singapore office two years ago by foreign […]
DWF has confirmed that it has cut 19 jobs as part of a consultation launched last month, which put 21 operational roles in its finance department at risk. The redundancies are the result of a move to centralise the finance department in Manchester. It has impacted staff in that office as well as in Glasgow, […]
Australian firm HWL Ebsworth continues its growth spree with the acquisition of South Australian firm Kelly & Co. The combination between HWL Ebsworth and Adelaide-based Kelly & Co is set to complete on 1 July 2014. Kelly & Co’s 14 partners along with their legal and support teams will join national firm HWL Ebsworth to form […]
Morgan Cole and Blake Lapthorn have finally decided that three’s a crowd and, after months of flirting with Boyes Turner, gone ahead with a traditional two-way merger. But what will the £72m couple, soon to be known as Blake Morgan, really look like? Boyes Turner might have fled the muted three-way agreement but Morgan Cole managing […]
Speechly Bircham and Charles Russell will be known as Charles Russell Speechlys LLP should the merger be successful later this year. The two firms have extended the timescale on their discussions to create a £126m outfit, which were initially slated to be finalised by 1 May. If the deal goes ahead the combined firm will be home […]
Leeds-based Simpson Millar has been acquired by AIM listed financial services group Fairpoint Group after shelving discussions with Slater & Gordon in January. Fairpoint Group said it would pay £9m up-front to acquire the consumer firm with a further £6m in cash shares being handed over when the deal completes in June 2014. Fairpoint will […]
Morgan Cole has promoted two partners to its Oxford and Cardiff offices as well as promoting 20 others members of staff within the firm. The firm has made up succession wills and tax lawyer James Greig in the Thames Valley and commercial lawyer Jason Richards, based in Oxford and Cardiff. Last year the firm promoted […]
Morgan Cole is on the brink of closing a 14-strong redundancy consultation in Swansea following the offloading of its claims group to DAC Beachcroft and Berrymans Lace Mawer (BLM) last year. The consultation, which closes this month, comes after the firm’s merger announcement with Blake Lapthorn to create a £72m combined firm on later this […]
Dentons has made its second US merger play in under a year, entering Washington lobbying firm Patton Boggs and Squire Sanders’ tie-up talks. Just three months after the firm called off discussions with US firm McKenna Long & Aldridge (27 November 2013), a spokesperson confirmed it “has made a serious overture to Patton Boggs leadership” […]
Eversheds’ German arm Heisse Kursawe Eversheds has launched a Berlin office, ahead of a possible full merger between the firms. The new office will be headed by employment partner Stefan Kursawe and will cover all areas of commercial law, particularly public law, procurement and real estate. It will be staffed by around 10 lawyers, a […]
Pinsent Masons partners are warming up for the firm’s first contested leadership elections since incumbent managing partner David Ryan was elected in 1999. It will also be the first election since Pinsent Masons merged with McGrigors in May 2012 (6 February 2012). Both managing partner and senior partner elections had been due to take place […]
Manchester-based Linder Myers has avoided administration through a debt restructuring deal including investment from Assure Law director Tony Stockdale, who has become chief executive. As a result of the deal, the firm’s managing partner Bernard Seymour has instead taken on the role of senior partner. It is thought to be the first time a deal […]