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• Survey reveals instability in Indian legal services market

  May 17 2012 A new survey looking at the attitudes of lawyers in India has revealed significant instability in the legal services market, with just 15 per cent of lawyers saying... more

• Long term thinking could save biglaw

  May 16 2012 Here is an interesting article by Mark Harris, the chief executive of Axiom Law, a 900-person new-model legal services firm. Harris attempts to diagnose some of the... more

• US legal services market becomes more segmented

  May 07 2012 The most expensive US lawyers are becoming even more costly, while the cheapest are barely keeping up with inflation, according to this story published in the Wall... more

• UK College of Law sold to private equity firm

  May 01 2012 The College of Law in the UK has been sold to Montagu Private Equity for £200 million, with the proceeds to be paid into a newly-founded Legal Education Foundation,... more

• US Law firms stealing limelight from UK rivals in Hong Kong

  Apr 13 2012 Over the past two years, numerous US law firms have entered the market in Hong Kong and recruited top talent from their UK rivals, and now they are starting to see... more

• Freddy R Daruwala joins Nasikwala Law Office

  Mar 28 2012 Former Juris Corp partner Freddy R Daruwala, a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) and a practicing lawyer, who resigned effective 15th February 2012, will join... more

• UK firms just outside the top 25 see biggest income growth in 3rd quarter

  Mar 14 2012 Fee income is growing in the UK, with the firms ranked 26-50 seeing the biggest income growth, at around 10 per cent. The figures come from a quarterly survey by... more

• 'NO SALE' on NY suit for non-lawyer ownership of firms

  Mar 13 2012 A federal judge in New York has dismissed the suit brought by plaintiff firm Jacoby & Meyers which challenged a state rule prohibiting nonlawyer investment in law... more

• Two lawyers go after Westlaw and LexisNexis for copyright infringment

  Feb 27 2012 Two US lawyers are suing Westlaw and LexisNexis, with the audacious claim that the legal database providers have breached copyright by copying publicly filed briefs,... more

• Law firms flock to launch in Washington DC

  Feb 15 2012 Law firms are establishing Washington DC offices at a cracking pace, drawn by the promise of booming regulatory and international work. In the past 10 months, at... more

• Law firms boost insurance in the face of increasing malpractice suits

  Feb 08 2012 Law firms are bulking up on insurance to protect themselves from litigation by former clients. Insurance and legal experts say that the recent increase in the number... more

• Four law firms make Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list

  Jan 20 2012 Four law firms have made it on to the list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, compiled by Fortune. The firms to make the cut were the same four law firms on the list... more

• One in three firms and corporate counsel plan to add staff in first quarter of 2012

  Dec 31 2011 Around one third of law firms and corporate counsel in the US plan to add legal staff in the first quarter of 2012, according to the quarterly Robert Half Legal Hiring... more

• Law schools encouraged to teach practical skills

  Nov 24 2011 In the current economic climate, law graduates face a tough job market and an increasing number of corporate clients that would really rather not pay for their... more

• Five leading UK firms post double-digit growth

  Nov 11 2011 Many of the largest UK law firms have seen growth in revenues in the first half of 2011-1, with at least five of the top 30 firms set to reveal double-digit increases... more

• China's legal profession grows to 200,000 lawyers

  Nov 07 2011 Interesting short article here about the legal profession in China. According to this report in China Daily, the number of licensed lawyers in China has reached... more

• Gender imbalance increases at top US firms

  Nov 07 2011 Newly released figures on diversity in US law firms shows a slight improvement in ethnic diversity at major firms. The percentage of minority lawyers at top US rose... more

• An anatomy of the Indian legal profession by Kian Ganz

  Oct 31 2011 Kian Ganz, the publishing editor of www.LegallyIndia.com, here gives a brief anatomy of the legal services industry in India. The scale of the industry in India is... more

• Where do the graduates go? Indian survey shows recruitment pattern

  Oct 12 2011 Bar & Bench has conducted a survey to determine the recruitment patter for 371 law school graduates from leading law schools in India; NLSIU, Bangalore; NALSAR,... more

• Consolidation in the legal market - mergers on the up

  Oct 04 2011 Law firm mergers are on the increase in the US, with 14 acquisitions in the third quarter of this year – up 79 per cent compared to the third quarter of 2010. The... more

• Top US firms see growth in revenue, net income and profits in first half of 2011

  Sep 20 2011 The first half of 2011 saw revenue, net income, and profits per partner rise marginally in top US firms, according to a new survey by Wells Fargo Wealth Management's... more

• Law firms add value to junior associates

  Aug 23 2011 Law firms are responding to Junior lawyers have long been a profit center for large law firms, charged out to clients at hundreds of dollars an hour. But with clients... more

• Profits at top US firms called into question

  Aug 22 2011 The Wall Street Journal has reported that over half of the top US law firms may have overstated their average profits per equity partner, and around 22 per cent of the... more

• Nigerian scam takes US law firms in for $32 million

  Aug 19 2011 A Nigerian man has been extradited to the US on allegations of defrauding a number of law firms with an international "collection" scam. It is alleged that... more

• US law schools seek the edge by pushing firms to recruit earlier

  Aug 12 2011 Law schools have been putting pressure on US law firms to begin recruitment in August, months ahead of the regular schedule, in order to give the edge to their... more

• US Prof ranks law schools according to how many partners they produce

  Aug 10 2011 Professor Ted Seto of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles has surveyed the largest 250 law firms in the US to ascertain which law schools produce the most partners. The... more

• LPM Momentum: The Dechert Experience

  Aug 03 2011 In 2009, Dechert established itself as a committed first-adopter in the burgeoning Legal Project Management (LPM) trend by offering LPM training to every partner in... more

• Compulsory diversity reporting for UK law firms

  Aug 03 2011 Law firms in the UK will be required to publish diversity and social mobility statistics online under a plan recently approved by the Legal Services Board. The... more

• Leading Russian firms merge to create market leader

  Jul 21 2011 Two leading Russian firms have announced a merger, in a move that will create the largest law firm in the region, with over 300 lawyers. Moscow-based Egorov Puginsky... more

• Lawyer Burnout Syndrome: It Blows Your Mind

  Jul 12 2011 You may have seen – and recoiled – at the recent news item about the 32 year old Skadden associate who died of a heart attack. Those who knew her put it differently:... more

• Jacoby & Meyers challenges partnership model in US courts

  May 20 2011 Jacoby & Meyers is making a challenge to state laws that prevent non-lawyers from owning stakes in law firms. According to the firm, the restrictions have restricted... more

• UK top 50 firms expected to report flat revenues and profits

  Apr 14 2011 The top 50 firms in the UK are predicted to report flat revenues and profits in the 2010/11 financial year, according to Jomati consultant Tony Williams and... more

• Alternative billing is part of the new reality, say top in-house counsel

  Apr 13 2011 Alternative billing has become a reality for lawyers, though many law firms are resistant to the idea or slow to catch on, according to four top in-house lawyers.... more

• Leading UK firms aim for more diversity in recruitment

  Mar 17 2011 A number of leading UK law firms have announced the intention to increase the number of universities they visit during recruitment rounds, in a bid to increase... more

• Clarke Thomas & Winters loses half its headcount

  Mar 16 2011 About half the lawyers from Texas firm Clark, Thomas & Winters have announced that they are leaving to start a new law firm law firm under the name Duggins Wren Mann &... more

• UK Legal Services Board proposes social mobility survey

  Feb 22 2011 Law firms may soon be surveying lawyers about whether their parents went to university along with questions about race, age, sexuality, religion and disability, as... more

• Deutsche Bank pushes advisors to use LPOs

  Feb 18 2011 Deutsche Bank wants its legal advisors to step up their use of legal process outsourcing to reduce costs. The bank is nearing the conclusion of the first formal... more

• Firms and chambers must publish diversity stats, says UK LSB

  Feb 15 2011 UK law firms and barristers’ chambers may be forced to publish data about the diversity of their workforce, if new proposals put forward by the Legal Services Board... more

• Connecticut introduces Bill to prevent off-shoring of legal process work

  Feb 07 2011 The State of Connecticut has introduced a Bill, prohibiting the outsourcing of the drafting, review or analysis of legal documents. The Bill proposes that the practice... more

• India: "Foreign law firms" case next on March 8

  Jan 25 2011 Chief Justice M. Yusuf Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam heard the foreign law firms’ case today at the Madras High Court. The matter has now been listed for March 8,... more

• AZB & Clifford Chance no longer "best friends"

  Jan 25 2011 AZB & Partners and Clifford Chance have decided to end their two-year-old best-friend relationship. Sources at AZB confirmed this development and said “we didn’t... more

• Best and worst NQ retention rates for UK firms

  Jan 24 2011 When firms miscalculate their staffing needs or wish to cut costs, it is often the newly qualified lawyers – those at the end of their trainee program – that suffer... more

• In Conversation with Rajiv K. Luthra, of Indian firm Luthra & Luthra Law Offices

  Jan 18 2011 I founded Luthra & Luthra Law Offices in 1990, with the idea of providing legal services to MNCs and foreign investors looking to do business in India. Without any... more

• Leading UK firms reassess retirement policy

  Jan 14 2011 Leading UK firms are reassessing their retirement policies ahead of legislative changes that will abolish the default retirement age of 65 for UK employees. Firm... more

• Compensation survey of law firm partners shows majority is 'somewhat satisfied'

  Jan 11 2011 Recruiting firm Major, Lindsey & Africa has conducted a compensation satisfaction survey of law firm partners. Of the 1,873 partners that responded to the survey,... more

• Mergers point to shift in legal services industry

  Jan 02 2011 Two recent mergers have highlighted changing currents in the legal services industry. Thomson Reuters' purchase of legal-process outsourcing firm Pangea3 and Axiom... more

• Lateral market undermines 'partnership'

  Dec 13 2010 This article traces the development of the lateral hiring market. In the 1970’s a lawyer leaving a position at a law firm would not be hired by a firm in the same... more

• UK Solicitors' Regulation Authority paves the way for Tesco Law

  Dec 02 2010 The UK Solicitors' Regulation Authority has released updated guidelines for law firms that wish to take up alternative business structures when the regulatory changes... more

• Skadden matches Cravath's bonus scale

  Nov 24 2010 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has announced the rate of bonuses to be received by associates, matching the figures announced a day earlier by Cravath, Swaine &... 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

• Recruitment strategy - looking beyond grades and status

  Nov 15 2010 Indiana law professor Bill Henderson has predicted changes to the way that law firms go about their hiring. He says that the traditional approach of hiring graduates... more

• Top Canadian firms McMillan and Lang Michener to merge

  Nov 10 2010 Top Canadian law firms McMillan and Lang Michener have agreed to merge under the name McMillan. The combined firm will launch on 1 January 2011, and have close to... more

• UK firms have begun hiring non-executive directors

  Nov 02 2010 UK Law firms have started hiring non-executive directors to bring in outside expertise ahead of legislative changes that will impose tougher standards of corporate... more

• UK training contracts in decline

  Oct 29 2010 The total number of training contracts offered at the top 30 UK law firms has shrunk by 11 per cent in the last three years, according to survey results published by... more

• US study links firm profits to the appearance of managing partners

  Oct 27 2010 Law firms looking to bolster their profits might want to consider electing a managing partner with powerful looks. An new study published in Social Psychological... more

• GCs keep work in-house to save on costs

  Oct 25 2010 Legal consultants Altman Weil released their Chief Legal Officer Survey last week, reporting that 63 per cent of respondents increased their internal budgets from 2009... more

• Clients crave predictable legal costs

  Oct 22 2010 Under difficult economic conditions an old conflict between traditional law firms and corporations has intensified, as demonstrated by a survey conducted by BTI... more

• UK firms consider ways to mitigate increased income tax

  Oct 14 2010 A number of UK law firms are considering setting up subsidiary service companies or introducing new ownership structures in order to avoid the maximum 50 per cent... more

• 2010 sees leaner US summer associate programs

  Oct 07 2010 2010 was another tough year for summer associates, with many firms reducing the size of their summer intake, cutting the length of their summer programs, or doing away... more

• Revenue leaders in 2009: Baker & McKenzie

  Oct 04 2010 American Lawyer has published its “Global 100”, ranking the largest law firms by revenue. And this year, Baker & McKenzie have taken out the number 1 spot. Baker &... more

• Britain's top 100 firms see revenues rise by 5%

  Sep 23 2010 According to latest figures, Britain’s 100 biggest law firms saw revenue increase by an average of 5 per cent for the last quarter, despite continued uncertainty in... more

• European GCs say the party is over

  Sep 20 2010 At a roundtable discussion at London's College of Law yesterday, general counsel from major corporations including Royal Dutch Shell, Nokia Corporation, and British... more

• Taiwanese law firms to be permitted on mainland China

  Sep 16 2010 Taiwanese law firms will soon be allowed to establish offices in mainland China, providing legal services to Taiwanese enterprises doing business across the Strait.... more

• How does U.S. News make money from its annual rankings?

  Sep 16 2010 The U.S. News rankings of law firms have been released and are causing the storm in the blogosphere. But since the magazine is a for-profit enterprise it is worth... more

• High profile Australian lawyer attacks profession for overcharging

  Sep 16 2010 Brian Bartley, the Chairman of the Queensland Law Society's ethics committee, has accused Australian law firms of overcharging clients by using secretaries as... more

• U.S. News & World Report law firm rankings released

  Sep 15 2010 U.S. News & World Report law firm rankings have been released. The magazine opted not to give firms a simple ranking – as it does with law schools, in favour of an... more

• Lawyer Pay: the $75k happiness plateau

  Sep 14 2010 Lawyers pursuing high pay should take note of a recent study showing that after household income reaches $75,000, more money does not mean greater happiness. Of... more

• Robust growth for fees in the heart of the recession: US Report

  Sep 09 2010 Among all the talk of increased competition and clients demanding more value from legal practitioners, a new report from CT TyMetrix and the Corporate Executive Board... more

• US firms sweeten the deal for start-ups

  Sep 09 2010 Faced with a fiercely competitive market for legal services, a number of large firms dealing with start-up clients are finding ways to make their services more... more

• Law firms block access to 'Firm Spy' gossip site

  Sep 01 2010 Two leading Australian law firms - Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Clayton Utz - have banned a website that publishes law firm gossip. ‘Firm Spy’ seeks to publish... more

• The billable hour isn't going anywhere soon

  Aug 30 2010 The billable hour is seen as rewarding inefficiency, putting intense and unhealthy pressure on associates and undermining the culture of law firms and the profession.... more

• Krishnamurthy launches in Delhi, shifts up a gear in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai

  Aug 27 2010 Krishnamurthy and Co has opened up a new Delhi office and moved into a larger Mumbai office, as well as setting up an expansion path in Chennai and commencing... more

• Law firms battle over 9/11 fees

  Aug 25 2010 Two law firms are in dispute over fees charged by a firm that represents workers who suffered respiratory diseases and other injuries in the rescue and debris-removal... more

• Online reputation management - the way of the future?

  Aug 25 2010 A group of panelists at the ABA’s 2010 Annual Meeting in San Francisco have predicted that websites that allow clients and peers to rate legal services will become... more

• Leaping Tiger: the rise and rise of India's legal market

  Aug 22 2010 Law firms with serious international intentions must truly understand the complexities of the burgeoning Indian legal marketplace, writes Juhi Garg The ascent of... more

• Job offer deferral leads to court action

  Aug 20 2010 Sarah Martinez is suing San Francisco-based Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk & Rabkin after the firm offered her a job only to defer her start date and then... more

• Survey: global companies prefer British legal services over US firms

  Aug 13 2010 A new survey suggests that global companies prefer to be advised by British firms rather than seeking advice from US counsel. The survey, conducted by UK research... more

• Aussie firms form alliance to promote sustainability

  Aug 05 2010 Eight of Australia’s top law firms have formed an alliance that seeks to promote sustainable practices across the legal sector. Clayton Utz, DLA Phillips Fox,... more

• Pinsent Masons ties with local firm in Singapore

  Jul 09 2010 Pinsent Masons has formalised its association with Singapore ally Mpillay after working together successfully for three years. The combined firm will be called Pinsent... more

• Best and worst of biglaw websites

  Jun 25 2010 The First Annual Big Law Webbies gave awards for the best and worst in Big Law websites. No prizes were given, but winners have the satisfaction of knowing that their... more

• Cloud technology - US firms are slow on the uptake

  Jun 25 2010 Cloud computing technology is being heralded as the next revolution in the way that we all do business, but a new study from CompTIA has found that only 14 per cent of... more

• Unpaid internships at law firms may be illegal

  Jun 11 2010 The recent trend of firms taking on recent law graduates to work for free may meet with legal challenge, as practitioners advise that such arrangements may be illegal.... more

• In-House Advisors prove their worth

  May 04 2010 The way in which we think about in house is changing as a result of the global financial crisis, according to Peter Turner, the chief executive officer of the... more

• Dewey & LeBoeuf raises $125 million bond

  Apr 20 2010 US law firms generally have conservative borrowing habits, looking to major banks and partners’ contributions to raise capital. But Dewey & LeBoeuf has bucked the... more

• DLA Piper Forms Alliance with Brazilian Firm

  Mar 03 2010 DLA Piper has formed an alliance with Brazilian firm Campos Mello Pontes Vinci & Schiller, and is thereby set to establish a presence in Brazil. The Brazilian... more

• Firms Should Look to the Ranks of Partners for Costs Savings

  Mar 03 2010 2009 was without doubt a bad year for major law firms. And since a robust recovery is unlikely in the current economic environment, these firms need to come to terms... more

• US job market: Law school no longer a safe bet

  Jan 28 2010 While law school may seem like a safe choice, there are not always jobs waiting at the end of the tunnel. In the current economy the law industry is facing lay-offs,... more

• Six Law Firms Make Fortune’s List of Top 100 Places to Work

  Jan 22 2010 Six law firms are on Fortune magazine’s list of the best 100 companies to work for in 2010, up from five last year. New on this year’s list is Baker Donelson, cited... more

• Survey: Indian law firms need to be more tech savvy

  Jan 12 2010 A majority of Indian lawyers feel that law firms in the country are not technologically savvy and should gear up on that front to stay relevant. A majority of them... more

• More than 80% of partners at large US law firms are men

  Jan 08 2010 Only 19 percent of partners at American law firms with more than 100 lawyers are women, despite the fact that women have comprised more than 50 percent of law school... more

• Law firm mergers down 24 percent in 2009

  Jan 07 2010 Law firm mergers in the U.S. fell 24 percent in 2009 from the previous year but may rise in 2010, law firm consultants Altman Weil say in a report. The largest... more

• US law firm revenue drops 5 to 10 percent in 2009

  Dec 14 2009 US law firm revenues are expected to fall 5 to 10 percent this year, according to Citi Private Bank. . Citi Private Bank’s Dan diPietro says, some law firms are now... more

• Survey: Profits down at US law firms in Q3

  Nov 25 2009 According to a surveyby the Wachovia Legal Specialty Group, New York law firms experienced a 9 percent drop in revenue in the third quarter 2009 and nearly a 5 percent... more

• Firms are cautiously optimistic about year ahead survey reveals

  Nov 17 2009 Law firms are growing increasingly confident about the year ahead, but any optimism is still guarded. According to a survey carried out by accountancy firm Smith &... more

• Lawyer headcount at US firms hit by steepest drop for over 30 years

  Nov 10 2009 The US's largest law firms this year suffered the deepest cuts in lawyer numbers for more than three decades, reports The National Law Journal. During the 12 months... more

• Associate Asks Advice: Is It a Good Idea to Review Law Firm Partners?

  Nov 04 2009 A midlevel associate at a BigLaw firm has been asked to participate in a planned "upward review" of partners. But, concerned about a possible downside to evaluating... more

• China law firms still feel recession

  Oct 14 2009 Baker & McKenzie, O'Melveny & Myers, Paul Hastings Janofksy & Walker and other U.S. firms have laid off lawyers in China in recent months. PRC firms like King &... more

• Lovells and Hogan in talks to create new global giant

  Oct 09 2009 Lovells, the City’s sixth-biggest law firm, is in merger talks with leading US firm Hogan & Hartson in what would be the biggest tie-up in the legal sector in nearly... more

• US law firm mergers on the rise?

  Oct 05 2009 Altman Weil's MergerLine reports that 13 law firm mergers were announced in the three months ending Sept. 30, up from only seven in Q2, while Hildebrandt... more

• UK law firms on the road to recovery

  Sep 30 2009 UK law firms are regaining their strength after the economic downturn. The research by PricewaterhouseCoopers firm profits have shot up since the start of the year.... more