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• Herbert Smith set to lay off 51 in London

  Apr 30 2012 Herbert Smith has announced plans to lay off 51 people London, and has commenced a 30 day consultation to carry out the cuts. The biggest cuts will take place in the... more

• Vinson & Elkins hires top energy & infrastructure talent from Herbert Smith in Tokyo

  Apr 27 2012 Vinson & Elkins has scored a high profile recruit in energy and projects specialist James Watson. Watson joins Vinson & Elkins as a partner at the firm’s Tokyo... more

• Singapore set to license more foreign law firms

  Apr 26 2012 More foreign firms will be granted entry into the Singapore legal services market with a second round of licences to be granted in 2012. The first round of approvals... more

• Major law firms step up efforts to retain and promote women

  Mar 23 2012 Herbert Smith, Hogan Lovells, Simmons & Simmons and Addleshaw Goddard are among large number of law firms that are launching new initiatives aiming to retain and... more

• UK firm Herbert Smith gets a slap for lackadaisical approach to litigation

  Mar 20 2012 UK firm Herbert Smith has received stern admonishment from a top judge for a ‘lackadaical’ approach to its disclosure obligations. The judge’s comments, which... more

• How much would that firm be worth on the stock market? New report makes a guess

  Mar 02 2012 A new report estimates the value of leading UK law firms to be somewhere between $711 million to $4.1 billion, with Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy leading among the... more

• Herbert Smith and Freehills consider July merger

  Feb 01 2012 Herbert Smith is still in merger negotiations with Australian firm Freehills, with reports emerging that a tie-up between the firms could happen as early as 1 July... more

• Fried Frank boosts Hong Kong corporate practice with hire from Herbert Smith

  Jan 28 2012 U.S. firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has boosted its Hong Kong corporate practice with the hire of partner Carolyn Sng of Herbert Smith. Sng’s practice... more

• Herbert Smith's bank borrowings reach £70.9m

  Jan 26 2012 Bank borrowings at Herbert Smith grew from £59.5m to £70.9m in 2010-11, bringing total debt back up to near 2008-09 levels, the firm’s LLP accounts have revealed.... more

• Herbert Smith enters negotiations with Australian firm Freehills

  Jan 23 2012 Herbert Smith has entered into merger talks with Australian firm Freehills, with a number of different options on the table including a full merger, a Swiss... more

• Herbert Smith's Belfast office grows apace

  Jan 21 2012 Herbert Smith has hired 18 lawyers in its Belfast office, bringing the number of employees at the office to 56. The office was launched in April 2011 with the aim... more

• Simmons & Simmons voted most gay-friendly law firm

  Jan 20 2012 Simmons & Simmons has taken out top honours for a fourth year running in the ratings for the most gay-friendsly law firm. The rating, conducted by charity organisation... more

• DLA Piper and Dechert settle dispute over lateral hire

  Jan 18 2012 A long running dispute between DLA Piper and Dechert over Dechert’s hire of former DLA litigation co-head Neil Gerrard has been settled after going through arbitration... more

• Herbert Smith and friends see their share of M&A work plummet

  Jan 02 2012 Herbert Smith and its former European alliance partners Gleiss Lutz and Stibbe saw their share of the M&A market plummet in 2011, according to recently published... more

• Herbert Smith to part ways with Gleiss Lutz and Stibbe on 31 Dec

  Dec 29 2011 The alliance between Herbert Smith, German firm Gleiss Lutz and Benelux firm Stibbe will officially dissolve on 31 December 2011. Following a strategic review,... more

• Herbert Smith to de-equitize 15 partners

  Dec 12 2011 Herbert Smith is set to de-equitize around 15 partners – ten per cent of its total equity partnership – in order to reach profits on the same scale as the so-called... more

• Herbert Smith boosts Asia finance practice with A&O hire

  Dec 06 2011 Herbert Smith has boosted its Asia finance capacity with the hire of Philip Lee, a former international capital markets consultant in Allen & Overy's Singapore office.... more

• Herbert Smith boosts Paris infrastructure practice with A&O hire

  Dec 04 2011 Herbert Smith has boosted its energy and infrastructure practice in Paris with the hire of partner Christophe Lefort, who was previously the general counsel at French... more

• A&O asks 12 partners to leave the firm

  Dec 02 2011 Allen & Overy has once again taken the shears to its partnership ranks, asking around 12 of its partners to leave the firm. And while the move is not on the same scale... more

• Herbert Smith to leave alliance after 'best friends' reject formal merger

  Nov 26 2011 Merger negotiations between Herbert Smith and its alliance partners have fallen through, thwarting the UK-based firm’s plans for the next step in a ten-year alliance.... more

• Herbert Smith appoints new head of Asia dispute resolution practice

  Nov 24 2011 Herbert Smith has appointed litigation specialist Gavin Lewis as the new head of their Asia dispute resolution practice. Lewis takes over from Mark Johnson, who has... more

• Indian firm J. Sagar Associates hires Herbert Smith attorney

  Oct 10 2011 Indian firm J. Sagar Associates has hired Promod Nair as a Partner in the Bangalore office. Nair previously working as a Senior Associate with Herbert Smith’s... more

• Leading UK and Irish firms launch work-experience diversity initiative

  Sep 14 2011 Twenty-three UK and Irish law firms have signed up to a new diversity initiative aimed at improving social diversity within the legal profession. The programme will... more

• Herbert Smith's corporate partners face heat over revenues

  Sep 08 2011 The corporate department at Herbert Smith may face layoffs after its budget target by £20m last year. Some reports suggest the firm is preparing to axe 15 to 20... more

• Herbert Smith appoints new Asia head

  Sep 01 2011 Herbert Smith has appointed dispute resolution chief Mark Johnson to lead the firm’s operations in Asia when incumbent Ashley Alder leaves the firm next month.... more

• Pinsent Masons and Wragges freeze salaries for newly qualified lawyers

  Aug 24 2011 Pinsent Masons and Wragge & Co have announced the details of their associate slaries for 2011-12, with both firms freezing rates for newly-qualified lawyers in London.... more

• Top London firms report strong growth

  Jul 13 2011 Top London firms have reported a good year, with revenues and profits on the up. Allen & Overy posted a 7 per cent increase in revenue to £1.12bn, and an 8.3% hike... more

• Herbert Smith reports growth in revenues and PEP

  Jul 07 2011 Herbert Smith has reported a 3.4% increase in revenue in the 2010-11 financial year, from £449.9m to £465m. Profits per equity partner also rose by a significant... more

• Herbert Smith freezes salary bands

  May 30 2011 Herbert Smith has frozen salary bands for associates, following the trend set Allen & Overy and Linklaters. Pay at the firm is set to stay at £38,000 for... more

• Rumor mill: Herbert Smith planning to open in Australia?

  May 23 2011 Rumour has it that Herbert Smith is considering a move to Australia, following the path laid down by Norton Rose, Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy. It is not yet... more

• US firm McDermott Will & Emery to launch in Paris

  May 02 2011 US firm McDermott Will & Emery is set to launch in Paris after five key hires. Leading the new office is partner Jacques Buhart, who was previously head of Herbert... more

• Herbert Smith promotes 13 lawyers to partnership

  Apr 28 2011 Herbert Smith has promoted 13 lawyers to the partnership in its annual promotions round – down from 18 last year. The firm has made up six lawyers in London, two... more

• Top 20 London firms show poor record on female partnership

  Apr 26 2011 RollOnFriday has conducted a survey on the top 20 London firms, asking, how many women entered the partnership in the last three years – taking into account both... more

• Top 20 London firms show poor record on female partnership

  Apr 26 2011 RollOnFriday has conducted a survey on the top 20 London firms, asking, how many women entered the partnership in the last three years – taking into account both... more

• Maternity leave survey: Weil Gotshal takes top spot

  Apr 15 2011 RollOnFriday has reported the results of its maternity leave survey, with Weil Gotshal & Manges taking the top spot for best policy – 26 weeks at full pay followed by... more

• Berwin Leighton Paisner hires private client partner from Herbies in London

  Feb 07 2011 Berwin Leighton Paisner has hired private client partner Rupert Ticehurst from Herbert Smith. Ticehurst was Herbert Smith’s only dedicated private client partner, and... more

• Allen & Overy to receive £2.5m of public funding for Belfast support services centre

  Feb 06 2011 Allen & Overy is set to receive £2.5m of public funding in return for creating 300 new jobs in Belfast. The funds come from Invest Northern Ireland as a subsidy for... more

• Simmons & Simmons recognised as top UK firm for lesbians gays and bisexuals

  Jan 17 2011 Simmons & Simmons has been recognised as the UK's top law firm for lesbians, gays and bisexuals, and 19th place overall, in Stonewall's 2011 ranking of top employers.... more

• Herbies to pay lawyers £10 in Belfast

  Jan 14 2011 Industry rumour has it that Herbert Smith's new Belfast outpost will pay its lawyers as little as £10 per hour, with paralegals earning a mere £7 an hour. The new... more

• Heavy-handed Herbert Smith withdraws training contract

  Dec 23 2010 A would-be trainee has received harsh treatment at the hands of Herbert Smith, with the firm withdrawing the student’s training contract because he failed a ten-minute... more

• Herbert Smith to open Belfast base to handle disputes documents

  Nov 24 2010 Herbert Smith is set to launch a new office in Belfast to handle large volumes of documents from major litigations, arbitrations and regulatory investigations. The... more

• Leading London firms agree to pay above minimum wage

  Nov 22 2010 The Evening Standard has launched a new initiative called the London Living Wage Scheme, which encourages firms and companies to guarantee staff a minimum rate of pay... more

• Indonesia is where the action is

  Nov 12 2010 Indonesia’s consumer and resources boom is fueling an investor frenzy in the market, with Bloomberg reporting that investors have bought $23.3 billion of debt this... more

• Herbert Smith and HBT lead $400m sale of Indonesian mining interest

  Sep 14 2010 Herbert Smith and its associated Indonesian law firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung are advising Banpu - Thailand’s biggest coalminer - on the second largest block trade... more

• Herbert Smith posts modest rise in revenues and PEP

  Jun 29 2010 Herbert Smith has posted figures from the 2009-10 financial year, which show that the firm’s fortunes have stabilized. After 2008-09 saw profit per equity partner drop... more

• Herbert Smith introduces merit-pay for senior associates

  Jun 07 2010 Herbert Smith has made a review of salaries, and has announced significant changes to the remuneration of its fee earners from June next year. There are firm-wide... more

• High Spirits in the liquor market; Cobra Beer acquires 76% in Iceberg; AZB, ALMT and Herbert Smith advise

  May 31 2010 The Karan Billimoria-promoted Cobra Beer acquired a controlling stake in Iceberg Industries, a leading brewery based out of Bihar which manufactures Fosters beer. more

• Herbert Smith and Latham & Watkins lead sale of Harrods

  May 11 2010 Herbert Smith and Latham & Watkins have taken lead roles on Al Fayed’s sale of the iconic department store Harrods to the investment arm of the Qatari Investment... more

• Herbert Smith promotes 18 lawyers to partnership

  Apr 23 2010 Herbert Smith has promoted 18 lawyers to the partnership, bringing their worldwide partner numbers to 272. Senior partner David Gold said: “I congratulate our new... more

• Freshfiields and Herbert Smith lead £1.59bn Deutsche Bahn - Arriva deal

  Apr 22 2010 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Herbert Smith have scored key roles advising on the £1.59bn acquisition by Deutsche Bahn of European public transport services... more

• South Korea opens legal services market to European firms

  Apr 12 2010 The European Union and South Korea have signed a trade deal under which Korea has agreed to open key commercial sectors to European business. The legal services sector... more

• Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Herbert Smith land lead roles in $60 billion energy deal

  Mar 29 2010 Mallesons Stephen Jaques is advising BG Group on the $60 billion sale of liquefied natural gas from its Queensland Curtis Project to the state-owned China National... more

• Herbert Smith boosts UK energy and project finance team with two hires from Linklaters

  Mar 25 2010 Herbert Smith has raided two lawyers from Linklaters in a move that will bolster its energy and project finance team. Martin Kavanagh and Matthew Job were both counsel... more

• UK firms increase borrowing, rather than asking partners to pitch in

  Mar 16 2010 Top UK law firms have increased borrowing by 40 per cent in response to the financial crisis, according to an article published in Times Online today. The legal... more

• Herbert Smith lures Steve Thierbach to London practice

  Mar 11 2010 Herbert Smith has hired former Linklaters US securities partner Steve Thierbach for their London-based global capital markets practice. Thierbach was instrumental... more

• Carbon Footprint Report Card for UK Law Firms.

  Mar 09 2010 A new report compiled by the Legal Sector Alliance shows an overall reduction in carbon emissions of 4% among member firms since the first public report in December... more

• Herbert Smith hires Freshfields pensions partner Schaffer

  Feb 28 2010 Herbert Smith has made a rare hire from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London. Freshfields high-profile pensions partner Dan Schaffer will join the firm next... more

• Herbert Smith, Linklaters join India's AZB on Bharti Airtel bid

  Feb 19 2010 Herbert Smith and Linklaters have won roles alongside India’s AZB & Partners on Indian company Bharti Airtel’s $10.7bn (£6.8bn) bid for the African business of Kuwaiti... more

• New wave of trainee deferrals at Hebert Smith

  Feb 17 2010 The top 10 City law Herbert Smith has become the second major UK law firm, after Hammonds, to confirm that it has launched a further round of trainee solicitor... more

• Herbert Smith advises Canon on $1.1bn bid for Euro rival

  Nov 18 2009 Herbert Smith has taken a lead role for Canon on the Japanese camera giant's $1.1bn (£650m) bid for Oce, Europe's biggest printer manufacturer, reports The Am Law... more

• Trio of partners prepare to battle for Herbies senior partner role

  Nov 14 2009 Herbert Smith’s CIS head has joined the race to become the firm’s next senior partner, meaning three candidates will now fight it out for the role. Allen Hanen, who... more

• Proskauer bolsters City partnership with Herbert Smith hire

  Nov 09 2009 Proskauer Rose has added its second partner in the City in less than two months with the hire of a former Herbert Smith associate. Daniel Ornstein joins Proskauer... more

• Lovells and Herbert Smith join Slaughters on new Treasury panel

  Oct 31 2009 Lovells and Herbert Smith have won sought-after roles to advise HM Treasury on the stability of the financial markets. The Treasury's new three-firm panel, which... more

• UK trio win out in Standard Life Investments panel review

  Oct 27 2009 Dundas & Wilson, Herbert Smith and Addleshaw Goddard have all been reappointed to Standard Life Investments' real estate funds panel. The firms successfully... more

• Herbert Smith builds fraud practice with hire of high-profile A&O partner

  Oct 16 2009 Herbert Smith has hired highly-regarded Allen & Overy (A&O) partner Robert Hunter to boost its specialist fraud practice in the City. Hunter, who currently heads... more

• Ashurst and Herbies advise on JJB rights issue

  Oct 15 2009 Ashurst and Herbert Smith have secured the top advisory roles in the proposed £100m rights issue by retail chain JJB Sports. JJB called on regular adviser Herbert... more

• Herbert Smith trains staff to recognise stress symptoms

  Oct 01 2009 Herbert Smith is launching a training scheme to help its staff spot the symptoms of stress and deal with mental illness. more

• Herbies, Linklaters, Slaughters advise on Friends Provident takeover

  Aug 12 2009 Herbert Smith, Linklaters, Slaughter and May have won key advisory roles as buyout firm Resolution completes its £1.86 billion ($3.1 billion) takeover of British... more

• Linklaters hires litigation star Christa Band from Herbert Smith

  Aug 04 2009 Linklaters has announced its first lateral hire in the City since 2007. Herbert Smith's litigation partner Christa Band who led the Herbet Smith's litigation team... more

• Linklaters hit by partner exodus to Herbert Smith in Madrid

  Jul 27 2009 Linklaters Spanish tax head Nicolas Martin is joining Herbert Smith along with two associates, becoming the fifth Linklaters partner in just three months to leave the... more

• New group: Foreign law firms in India

  Jul 18 2009 After a Bombay High Court ruling in 1995, foreign law firms were barred from practicing in India. Under the newly enacted Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008,... more

• Foreign law firms challenge locals in Singapore

  Jun 23 2009 Six foreign law firms granted licences to practise Singapore law - Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, White & Case, Herbert Smith, Norton Rose and Latham & Watkins - have... more

• Herbert Smith sees profits plunge by 22 per cent

  Jun 10 2009 Partner profits at London-based law firm Herbert Smith fell below £1 million in 2008 as the financial crisis caught up with the City law firms. Profits fell by 22... more

• Herbert Smith lays off 84 as consultation closes

  May 26 2009 Herbert Smith has completed its redundancy consultation with 84 members of staff laid off in London. The consultation, which concluded at the end of last week,... more

• Linklaters and Herbert Smith advise on £2.3bn British Energy deal

  May 12 2009 Linklaters and Herbert Smith have advised on a £2.3bn deal that saw British Gas owner Centrica buy a 20 per cent stake in UK energy group British Energy. more

• Herbert Smith promotes 13 to partnership

  May 07 2009 Herbert Smith's London headquarter received the bulk of the promotions, with seven new partners, while Moscow, Hong Kong, Paris, Jakarta, Shanghai and Dubai each... more

• Herbert Smith enters Spain with Linklaters raid

  May 05 2009 Herbert Smith is opening an office in Madrid with three Spanish Linklaters partners who will be joined by London-based Herbert Smith finance partner David Wyles. more

• Laid-off Herbert Smith associates may receive better compensation than expected

  May 03 2009 Reports have surfaced that the compensation paid to associates at Herbert Smith who have been made redundant in the most recent round of layoffs will be better than... more

• Herbert Smith joins ranks of firms cutting salaries and staff

  Apr 20 2009 Herbert Smith has stated that it will freeze associate salaries at last year's levels, and may be eliminating up to 84 staff from its office in London. The firm's... more

• Herbert Smith top fee earner took home £1.4m in 2007-08

  Jan 26 2009 Herbert Smith’s accounts for 2007-08 have revealed that the highest-paid fee earner took home almost £1.4m last year, the firm's topping 2006-07’s highest earnings of... more

• Herbert Smith successful in Rusal arbitration proceedings

  Jan 15 2009 Herbert Smith has successfully defended itself against arbitration proceedings brought against the firm by Russian aluminium giant Rusal. more

• Herbert Smith changes Asia management and construction group chief

  Jan 09 2009 Herbert Smith has established two new regional management roles in Asia. Hong Kong corporate partner Andrew Tortoishell will become Greater China Managing Partner,... more

• Singapore issues foreign law firm licences

  Dec 05 2008 Under a new scheme to allow foreign law practices to practise in Singapore, the government will be issuing Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licences to six... more

• Gloomy profit outlook at Herbert Smith

  Dec 01 2008 Herbert Smith has ditched plans to overhaul its financial reporting system after a gloomy profit outlook made it likely that partners would be left out of pocket. more

• UK firms eye Singapore entry

  Oct 30 2008 At least six City firms have applied for new liberalised licences to practise local law in Singapore, including DLA Piper, Ashurst, Herbert Smith and Norton Rose.... more

• Herbert Smith taps Allen & Overy for Moscow finance hire

  Oct 29 2008 Herbert Smith has hired a senior associate from Allen & Overy's Moscow office in a bid to shore up its local finance capacity... more

• Freshfields bags lead role for BAA's Gatwick sale

  Oct 10 2008 The magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer will provide corporate advice on the sale of the UK’s second-largest airport Gatwick. more

• Slaughter and May, Linklaters, Freshfields top UK law firm rankings

  Sep 09 2008 Slaughter and May took the top spot in the UK for the third consecutive year. The top-ten UK law firms for prestige, as ranked in the 2009 Vault Guide to the Top 50... more