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• FFW in merger negotiations with LG

  May 21 2012 Field Fisher Waterhouse is in the early stages of merger negotiations with LG. No deal has yet been put to partners, and FFW says that the merger is just one of... more

• O’Melveny & Myers appoints new head for Hong Kong practice

  May 18 2012 O’Melveny & Myers’ capital markets specialist David Johnson has been appointed as the head of the firm’s Hong Kong practice. Johnson will relocate from California... more

• Bristol law firm TLT to merge with Scottish litigation house Anderson Fyfe

  May 15 2012 Bristol law firm TLT is set to merge with Scottish litigation house Anderson Fyfe, gaining offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as eight partners and 45 employees.... more

• Salans closes Hong Kong office to focus on Shanghai

  May 10 2012 Salans has closed its Hong Kong office weeks after pulling out of Beijing as it shifts the focus of its China practice onto Shanghai. Salans has closed its Hong... more

• UK firm Weightmans posts 33% revenue increase

  May 10 2012 UK law firm Weightmans has posted revenues of £77.1 million in the 2011-12 financial year, an increase of nearly 33% that may see the firm enter the top 50 UK law... more

• Law firms lose reputation as low credit risk

  May 03 2012 The turmoil over at New York firm Dewey & LeBoeuf, a large and prestigious name in the business - has forced many industry observers to take stock and pose some... more

• Norton Rose sets sights on US and China

  May 02 2012 Norton Rose Group is looking for mergers in the US and China, according to Chief Executive Officer Peter Martyr. Norton Rose now has a headcount of 2,900 lawyers,... more

• Speculation on spring bonuses after S&C's 'anaemic' award

  May 01 2012 Speculation about the timing and amount of spring bonuses continues, after Sullivan & Cromwell’s announced relatively small bonus awards of between $1000 and $5000, or... more

• Law firm mergers signal growing confidence, says report

  May 01 2012 Fourteen law firm mergers were announced in the US in the first three months of this year, according to a new report from legal consulting firm Altman Weil. “Firms... more

• Clyde & Co pursues growth strategy in Asia

  May 01 2012 Clyde & Co is pursuing a strategy of growth in Asia, despite the departure of seven partners from its Hong Kong office in April, said the firm’s CEO Peter Hasson in... more

• Indian firm Amarchand expands with Ahmedabad launch

  Apr 26 2012 Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff is set to launch a new office in Ahmedabad as part of a regional expansion strategy that would see the firm reach 1000... more

• Linklaters forms alliance with Australian firm AAR

  Apr 25 2012 UK Magic Circle firm Linklaters has formed an exclusive alliance with Australian firm Allens Arthur Robinson. The alliance is not a merger, but will take the form of a... more

• Dewey & LeBoeuf loses senior London partner to KPMG

  Apr 25 2012 Dewey & LeBoeuf has lost one of the firm’s most senior London partners, Fred Gander. Gander, a taxation specialist who has been with Dewey since 1991, will join KPMG... more

• When large law firms fail, we need to re-examine the business model

  Apr 24 2012 Here is a very good article that addresses the question of why large law firms fail. The article points out that a dozen firms that have folded over the past ten... more

• Canadian law firms gathering client feedback, but falling down on putting it to use

  Apr 24 2012 A new survey of Canadian law firms shows that 65% of respondents ran a client feedback program. This is a significantly higher percentage than the global average - a... more

• BLP hires high profile M&A lawyer from Allens

  Apr 24 2012 Berwin Leighton Paisner has hired high-profile mergers and acquisitions lawyer Alan Paul from Allen & Overy. Paul spent 27 years as a partner at A&O, before announcing... more

• Dewey & LeBoeuf to restructure Middle East practice after further departures

  Apr 23 2012 Dewey & LeBoeuf has initated a restructuring of its middle east operations, which could result in the closure of the firm’s Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha offices. The... more

• Irwin Mitchell elevates six to partnership; offers equity to non-lawyer

  Apr 18 2012 Irwin Mitchell has elevated six to the partnership in its annual promotions round, with four joining the salaried partnership two joining the equity partnership in its... more

• Perkins Coie launches national healthcare group in Seattle after Bennett Bigelow hires

  Mar 29 2012 Perkins Coie has launched a national Healthcare Industry Group in Seattle after the hire of partners Renee Howard, Anne Redman and David Robbins, Of Counsel Brian... more

• Perkins Coie launches national healthcare group in Seattle after Bennett Bigelow hires

  Mar 29 2012 Perkins Coie has launched a national Healthcare Industry Group in Seattle after the hire of partners Renee Howard, Anne Redman and David Robbins, Of Counsel Brian... more

• Berrymans Lace Mawer elects new senior partner

  Mar 26 2012 Berrymans Lace Mawer has elected Mike Brown to the role of senior partner, taking over from Terry Renouf, who will return to fee-earning in the London insurance... more

• Bird & Bird starts toward ambitious goals in Asia with four new partners

  Mar 26 2012 Bird & Bird has boosted capacity across its Asia network with the addition of four partners. Lorraine Tay leaves a role as the head of Baker & McKenzie’s Singapore... more

• Jones Day hires 3 private equity lawyers from Foley & Lardner

  Mar 20 2012 Jones Day has boosted its private equity practice with the hire of three specialists from Foley & Lardner. The firm’s San Diego office will welcome rainmaker Kenneth... more

• Covington & Burling to launch in South Korea

  Mar 16 2012 Covington & Burling announced this week that it plans to launch a new base in Seoul, South Korea. Other international firms that have announced their intention to... more

• US firms grow London partnerships by nearly 10%

  Mar 16 2012 US law firms grew their partner count in London by nearly 10% during 2011, evidence that they are gaining a larger slice of the European legal services market.... more

• US firm Quinn Emmanuel set to follow ambitious expansion strategy

  Mar 09 2012 US litigation firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has released the details of an ambitious new expansion strategy. The firm wishes to add to its existing German... more

• Law firm pension plans - a drain on profits?

  Mar 07 2012 Interesting article here about the pension plans offered by major law firms. The most generous plan in the survey is at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, which promises... more

• Berwin Leighton Paisner hires former global corporate head of Linklaters

  Feb 29 2012 Berwin Leighton Paisner has scored a coup with the hire of Linklaters’ former global corporate head David Barnes for its London corporate team. Barnes left Linklaters... more

• Indian firm Amarchand plans to double headcount to 1000 lawyers in 5 years

  Feb 22 2012 India’s largest law firm Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co is pursuing a rapid expansion strategy, with plans to double in size over the next five years to... more

• European law firm Loyens & Loeff launches in Hong Kong

  Feb 21 2012 European law firm Loyens & Loeff has announced the launch of a new office in Hong Kong, which will be the firm’s 18th base globally. The Hong Kong office will be led... more

• Australian firm Slater & Gordon shifts strategy away from acquisitions

  Feb 21 2012 Australian law firm Slater & Gordon is changing tack, leaving behind its decade-long acquisitive strategy in favour of a more organic growth strategy focusing upon... more

• Howard Kennedy takes shears to partnership

  Feb 16 2012 Howard Kennedy has taken the shears to its partnership, removing six partners along with one senior associate from its real estate team. The move reduces the real... more

• Zhong Lun launches in London after hiring team from rival firm

  Feb 16 2012 Major Chinese law firm Zhong Lun has launched a new office in London after hiring the entire London team from breakaway firm Zhonglun W&D. Partners Xue Haibin, Li Lin... more

• DLA Piper launches in Mexico

  Feb 15 2012 DLA Piper has launched a new office in Mexico City. The new base will be staffed with a team of 16 lawyers from the Texas law firm Thompson & Knight, and will focus on... more

• Freshfields plans to relaunch in Singapore after five years' absence

  Feb 15 2012 Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is planning to relaunch its Singapore office, nearly five years after shutting down its former office in the region.... more

• King & Spalding posts 12% increase in PEP

  Feb 15 2012 King & Spalding has reported a 9 per cent increase in revenue in 2011, from $718 million to $781 million. In the same period the firm posted a 12 per cent increase in... more

• Skadden set to launch German capital markets practice after double hire

  Feb 08 2012 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is set to launch a capital markets practice in Germany after the hire a two-partner team from Shearman & Sterling. Shearman's... more

• UK frm Taylor Wessing to sell document review business

  Feb 07 2012 UK firm Taylor Wessing has announced plans to sell off its document review business. The division, New Street Solutions, was formed in May 2011, and is expected to... more

• Litigation support services in high demand

  Feb 07 2012 A new survey put together by New York-based headhunter and consultancy The Cowen Group has attempted to evaluate the ratio of salaries to revenue within law firms,... more

• Lateral hiring is the growth strategy of choice at US law firms

  Feb 03 2012 The lateral market is heating up, as law firms reduce their graduate recruitment and seek to expand by hiring partners with established client lists from other law... more

• Chinese firm Yingke continues aggressive expansion with new offices in Poland and Turkey

  Jan 31 2012 Yingke, China’s second largest firm by lawyer headcount has announced a further expansion abroad, launching an office in Poland and another in Turkey. The move comes... more

• Swedish firm Vinge appoints a new managing partner

  Jan 30 2012 Swedish independent law firm Vinge has appointed finance partner Maria-Pia Hope as its new managing partner after being chosen for the role by the firm’s five-partner... more

• Australia now 5th largest inbound target for M&A deals

  Jan 29 2012 A new report by Allen & Overy has found that Australia is now the fifth largest inbound target market for M&A deals, with Chinese firms remaining interested in... more

• Integreon launches first LPO facility onshore in the UK

  Jan 28 2012 Legal services outsourcing firm Intergreon has launched its first centre in the UK, offering temp paralegal services to clients from its new base in Bristol. The... more

• Dacheng Law Offices switches joint law venture partners in Singapore

  Jan 28 2012 Chinese law firm Dacheng Law Offices, has ended its alliance with Singapore firm Central Chambers, and formed a new joint law venture with Wong Alliance. The new... more

• Mergers provide firms with the chance to weed out underperformers

  Jan 27 2012 Merger agreements are providing law firms with a convenient way to get rid of underperforming partners, says Legal recruiter Larry Watanabe of Watanabe & Nason.... 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

• London firm Wiggin adds non-lawyer CEO to partnership

  Jan 26 2012 London media boutique Wiggin has announced the addition of a non-lawyer CEO to its partnership, a move that is now permitted under the Legal Services Act. The firm’s... more

• Freshfields launches global financial investment practice group

  Jan 25 2012 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has launched a global financial investors group to handle private equity, infrastructure funds, sovereign wealth funds and alternative... more

• McGrigors and Pinsent Masons in merger talks

  Jan 21 2012 Scotland’s largest law firm by turnover, McGrigors, has confirmed that it is in merger talks with the London-based Pinsent Masons, with a deal to be put to the firms’... more

• US firms McKenna Long and Luce Forward announce merger

  Jan 20 2012 McKenna Long & Aldridge and Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps have announced a merger, forming a combined firm under the McKenna banner, with a headcount of over 600... more

• Washington Promotions show focus in Litigation and International Law

  Jan 18 2012 The latest round of law firm promotions in Washington reveal that the region’s largest firms are focusing on litigation — particularly intellectual property — and... more

• Squire Sanders & Demspey rebrands

  Jan 16 2012 The law firm formerly known as Squire Sanders & Dempsey has lost the third name from its letterhead. After 111 years under the same banner, the firm has decided to... more

• Reports indicate more departures from BLP's banking and capital markets group

  Jan 16 2012 Rumour has it that seven associates have resigned from Berwin Leighton Paisner's Banking and Capital Markets group in the last week. According to Roll On Friday a... more

• A&O re-elects its senior and managing partners

  Jan 15 2012 Allen & Overy has reappointed its senior and managing partners for another term after uncontested elections. Senior partner David Morley and managing partner Wim... more

• HaoLiWen Partners launches a new office in Beijing

  Jan 02 2012 Shanghai-based HaoLiWen Partners has expanded with the launch of a new office in Beijing. The Beijing office will be led by three partners - Zhao Deming, Shao Tiemin... more

• King & Spalding hires international arbitration expert in Frankfurt

  Jan 02 2012 King & Spalding has boosted its international arbitration practice in the Frankfurt office with the hire of Jan K. Schaefer of Allen & Overy. Schaefer’s practice... more

• International firm Bryan Cave acquires Denver firm Holme Roberts

  Dec 07 2011 The 113-year-old Denver firm Holme Roberts & Owen is set to merge with St. Louis-based Bryan Cave. Holme Roberts will bring its 150 lawyers under the banner of... more

• Kilpatrick Townsend forms alliance with Saudi firm Hani Qurashi

  Dec 07 2011 International law firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton and Saudi Arabian firm Hani Qurashi Law Firm have announced the formation of an exclusive Cooperation Agreement.... more

• Lathams gains commercial litigation capacity in Milan with merger

  Dec 06 2011 US firm Latham & Watkins is now able to offer commercial litigation expertise in Italy, after acquiring Italian litigation boutique Degli Occhi e Associati. Cesare... more

• Kodak switches advisors in struggle to avoid bankruptcy

  Dec 06 2011 Photography company Kodak has switched legal advisors in the middle of its struggle to avoid bankruptcy, trading in Jones Day’s restructuring practice in favour... more

• New Chair at O'Melveny & Myers says things are looking up

  Dec 05 2011 O'Melveny & Myers is set to gain new leadership with the appointment of Bradley Butwin as chairman. Butwin is looking on the bright side, portraying the departure of... more

• Pan Southeast Asian firm DFDL Mekong launches in Indonesia

  Dec 05 2011 Southeast Asian firm DFDL Mekong has launched a presence in Indonesia via an alliance with local firm MX Law. The Indonesian practice will be led by William D.... more

• CMS Cameron McKenna reports $106m in revenue for first half of financial year

  Dec 04 2011 CMS Cameron McKenna took £106m in revenue in the first half of this financial year, up 5 per cent on the same period last year. In a statement managing partner... more

• More work to be done to reach gender equality in Australian law firms

  Dec 02 2011 Progress toward gender equality is proceeding at a faster clip in the Australian public sector than in private practice, according to a new report released by the NSW... more

• Bryan Cave in merger talks with Holme Roberts & Owen

  Dec 01 2011 Bryan Cave and Denver-based Holme Roberts & Owen are investigating a potential tie-up, according to reports. Holme Roberts managing partner Randall Miller said:... more

• King & Wood Mallesons - would it work?

  Dec 01 2011 Interesting article here on the proposed merger between Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Chinese firm King & Wood. The article tries to assess whether the... 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

• Mallesons and King & Wood put merger to partners

  Nov 23 2011 Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Chinese firm King & Wood are set to put their merger proposal to partners this week. If it goes ahead, the merged firm... more

• Beijing-based firm Global Law Office launches in Shenzhen

  Nov 15 2011 Beijing firm Global Law Office has launched a new office in Shenzhen, which will focus primarily upon foreign investment and Hong Kong-PRC transactions. The... more

• Allen & Overy reports 11% revenue growth

  Nov 10 2011 Allen & Overy has posted an 11% increase in revenue in the first half of the year, after investing in key international markets. The firm saw revenues of £582m between... more

• UK firm Watson Burton loses another four partners

  Nov 08 2011 Watson Burton has lost four partners this week, continuing a steady run of departures over the past two years. RollOnFriday reports that the firm had 29 partners last... more

• Allen & Overy in negotiations with Links' Singapore partner

  Nov 08 2011 Allen & Overy is in negotiations with Linklaters' Singapore partner Allen & Gledhill, discussing a potential tie up. Such an alliance would be a significant boost to... more

• Why Quinn Emanuel steers clear of Hong Kong

  Nov 04 2011 Here is an interesting article in the Asian Lawyer about why Los Angeles-based litigation firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has opted not to open an office in... more

• Eversheds boosts Hong Kong office with Minter Ellison hire

  Nov 01 2011 Eversheds has hired Winnie Ng, a former consultant with Minter Ellison, and appointed her as head of employment law in its Hong Kong office. “Winnie’s expertise and... more

• Indian firm Amarchand Mangaldas promotes 5 to equity partnership

  Oct 17 2011 Amarchand Mangaldas has promoted five lawyers into the lockstep equity partnership and has appointed 11 practice heads. The firm aims to have a headcount of 1000... more

• Should law firms stay on home turf?

  Oct 17 2011 Interesting article here about the effect of international expansion on law firm balance sheets. The article points out that of the five elite London firms belonging... more

• Investment bank Moelis hires Senior Partner from Linklaters

  Oct 05 2011 Global investment bank Moelis & Co has boosted its mergers and acquisitions capacity with the hire of high profile lawyer David Cheyne. Cheyne joins Moelis in the new... more

• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati set to launch in Brussels

  Sep 28 2011 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has announced the launch of a new office in Brussels, which is set to open in October. The office will be led by Michael Rosenthal,... more

• Ashurst set to merge with Australian firm Blake Dawson

  Sep 27 2011 British firm Ashurst has announced plans to form an alliance with one of Australia's biggest law firms, Blake Dawson. The firms will merge their Asian practices in... more

• Quinn Emanuel's winning strategy

  Sep 19 2011 Interesting article here on the success of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, who made the strategic decision a few years ago to step back from advising major banks... more

• DLA Piper boosts Sydney corporate practice with AAR hire

  Sep 14 2011 DLA Piper has boosted its Sydney corporate practice with the hire of Warwick Painter of Allens Arthur Robinson. DLA Piper Australia managing partner Tony Holland... more

• Pinsent Masons to close Bristol office

  Sep 12 2011 Pinsent Masons is set to close its Bristol office after a partnership vote today. The 11 lawyers in the Bristol office will be relocated to Birmingham, while four... more

• High merger activity between law firms is set to continue

  Sep 07 2011 Interesting article here in the Wall Street Journal, which anticipates more merger activity for law firms in the near future. According to reports, firms are now... more

• Indianapolis firm Ice Miller takes on 90 lawyers via merger

  Aug 24 2011 Indianapolis-based law firm Ice Miller has merged with Columbus firm Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, bringing 90 lawyers under the Ice Miller Banner from 1 January 2012.... more

• US firm Fox Rothschild acquires another small boutique

  Aug 23 2011 Philadelphia-based law firm Fox Rothschild has boosted its LA office with the acquisition of local boutique the Chan Law Group. The firm’s growth strategy has seen it... more

• Mayer Brown reconfigures German practice around Düsseldorf

  Aug 19 2011 Mayer Brown has announced plans to close its Berlin and Cologne offices, shifting their operations to a new office in Düesseldorf, which is set to open at the start of... more

• Indian firm Trilegal promotes two partners into equity lockstep

  Aug 16 2011 Trilegal has promoted two partners into the equity partnerhip. Mumbai corporate partners Nishant Parikh and Amit Tambe have been initiated into the first rung of the... more

• Clifford Chance bolsters London high yield team with relocation

  Aug 15 2011 Clifford Chance has announced the relocation of high yield specialist partner Tony Lopez from New York to London. Lopez will be the fifth partner with expertise in... more

• Indian firm Luthra & Luthra promotes 3 to partnership

  Aug 11 2011 Indian law firm Luthra & Luthra has promoted three lawyers to partnership in its annual promotions round. Corporate managing associate Nivedita Tiwari and litigation... more

• Proskauer & Rose continues London expansion with triple hire

  Aug 03 2011 Proskauer Rose has continued its strategy of growth in London with the hire of three funds partners: Kate Simpson from Kirkland & Ellis; and Nigel van Zyl and Oliver... more

• LeClairRyan appoints new CEO

  Aug 01 2011 Richond firm LeClairRyan has appointed David Freinberg as the new CEO, replacing firm co-founder Gary LeClair after a transition period of one year. LeClair will... more

• Mallesons and King & Wood discuss Australia-China tie up

  Jul 26 2011 Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques is in negotiations with one of China’s largest commercial law firms, King & Wood, regarding an alliance arrangement.... more

• DLA Piper considers overhauling partnership structure

  Jul 20 2011 DLA Piper is considering an overhaul of its firmwide partnership structure, and has planned to discuss a range of options including a shift to an all-equity... more

• Hunton & Williams downsizes in London after mass departures

  Jul 18 2011 The London office of Hunton & Williams has downsized in response to a torrent of departures. The office has lost 60 per cent of its headcount in less than three... 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

• Ahurst investigates entry into Australian market

  Jun 30 2011 Reports have emerged that UK firm Ashurst is investigating options for a presence in Australia, following in the fresh footprints laid down by Norton Rose, Allen &... more

• Duane Morris enters alliance with Mexico City firm

  Jun 27 2011 Duane Morris is set to establish a presence in Mexico City after concluding an alliance deal with local firm Miranda & Estavillo. The deal will see the firms... more

• Addleshaw Goddard appoints four partners to unitary board

  Jun 23 2011 Addleshaw Goddard has appointed four partners to its new unitary board, which was created recently to streamline the management of the firm by combining the governance... more

• BLP to launch in Hong Kong

  Jun 17 2011 Berwin Leighton Paisner is set to launch a new office in Hong Kong, pending regulatory approval from the Chinese authorities. The firm plans to hire a team of... more