Hong Kong Police is offering financial rewards amounting to $127,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of eight elusive pro-democracy activists. The activists, accused of violating Hong Kong’s national security law, have purportedly fled to the West. The charges against them include suspected foreign collusion, inciting secession, and subversion. Among the…
In continuing trends of global law firm expansions, Baker & McKenzie and Baker Botts are building their presence in the Middle East. Law.com reports that Legal Advisors Abdulaziz Alajlan & Partners, associated with Baker & McKenzie, have hired a Riyadh-based regulatory partner, Sahal Khalawi. Khalawi’s field of expertise includes strategic corporate and government advisory, in…
London-based governmental body Transport for London (TfL) and wealth management conglomerate Lombard International have chosen to extend their current legal panel contracts. TfL, the entity governing the majority of London’s transport network, has reportedly decided to extend its panel for two more years. This decision comes with the panel framework last reviewed in 2019 and…
As noted by Law.com, several law firms have chosen to increase salaries for their newly qualified (NQ) lawyers, though the chances of reigniting a wider talent pay war this year appear slim. A studied instance is Baker McKenzie, who announced a boost in its NQ salaries in London from £110,000 to £118,000, a growth of…
In a recent discussion with Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer senior international policy advisor and former Ambassador to Brazil, Thomas A. Shannon Jr., the growing concern among US corporations about the national security implications concerning China potentially opening a spying base in Cuba became evident. Shannon shared that companies are just starting to look into…
Law firm mergers appear to be evolving in complexity and scope. In recent years, not only has the total number of mergers dropped below average, but the nature of these mergers is also undergoing change. Larger and larger firms are navigating increasingly complicated combinations, analysts believe. Notably, there has been a decrease in the number…
Weil, Gotshal & Manges and DLA Piper have assisted Japan’s global advertising and marketing firm, Dentsu Group, in finalising its purchase of UK-based global content production group, Tag Worldwide Holdings Ltd. (Tag) from global private equity firm, Advent International. Though the specifics of the transaction remain undisclosed, it is valued at approximately $678 million according…
United Kingdom’s legal giants Slaughter and May along with Linklaters have witnessed a significant drop down in their UK legal adviser M&A rankings during the first half of the year, amidst a rocky transactional market. Linklaters, which had placed first in the year 2022, fell to the seventh position; they reported completion of 22 deals…
International law firm Bird & Bird continues its expansion endeavours in Australia with its latest partner hire in Sydney. This marks the third lateral partner hire in the country within the span of just one month. More details here. The new addition to the team is Chris Clarke, a former member of Australian firm Watson…
During the first half of 2023, worldwide mergers and acquisitions (M&A) encountered a downturn, recording a three-year low with $1.3 trillion in deals. This figure is a 37% drop compared to the previous year. The total number of finalized deals was approximately 27,300, marking a 9% decrease year-over-year. You may view the complete data here….
Co-chair of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Lisa Mayhew, is set to leave her position by the end of the year. The firm made the confirmation during an announcement on Friday morning. Mayhew, instrumental in the 2018 merger between Berwin Leighton Paisner and Bryan Cave, is concluding her second leadership term at the close of the…
Richard Youle, the international-private equity co-head at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, has been promoted to lead the firm’s London office. He took over the position effective July 1, replacing Pranav Trivedi, who spent a significant decade as the London head. In addition to his London role, Youle will maintain his substantial international responsibilities…
Law firm Taylor Wessing has decided against providing a salary-based 5% profit share to non-partners for this year, following a period of subdued revenue growth. This benefit has been extended to all employees —excluding partners— for the past two fiscal years. According to an interview with the UK managing partner for Law.com International, such bonuses…
In the complex gamut of the global legal marketplace, a peculiar sense of apprehension exists unlike any other sector. This can be attributed to stringent conflict rules and direct ownership structures that keep this sector highly fragmented. Unlike areas such as accountancy, where just a few dominant forces have essentially taken control, the legal industry…
Eversheds Sutherland has recently bolstered its leveraged finance team with the appointment of a new partner. Ben Davis has joined the team after making the move from U.S.-based law firm Proskauer Rose’s London office. Davis has previously worked in Proskauer’s corporate and multi-tranche finance groups for the past seven years. His previous experience also includes…
Continuing to strengthen their global M&A practice, White & Case has made a significant move in its Madrid office. The firm has recently welcomed former practice heads from Herbert Smith Freehills, Ignacio Paz and Pablo García-Nieto, to join their team as partners. Both Paz and García-Nieto bring with them a wealth of experience. They had…
The legal landscape in Australia is gradually showing signs of gender balance as the representation of women in partner or principal roles experiences an incremental increase. However, the persistent issue of pay inequality remains a source of concern. As the recent 2022 Annual Profile of Solicitors NSW published by the Law Society of New South…
In an unprecedented move, one of Canada’s provincial courts has issued a directive concerning the usage of artificial intelligence in court submissions. As the first of this nature in the country, it symbolizes a growing recognition of the role technology is playing and will continue to play in the legal sector. Dominique Hussey, President of…
Borden Ladner Gervais, a Global 200 firm and the largest in Canada, has recently seen some changes in leadership with the appointment of two new Office Managing Partners in its Toronto and Montreal regional offices. Cindy Clarke, with a long-standing reputation as a litigator in the health care sector, now leads the company’s regional office…
Gilbert + Tobin, an independent corporate law firm, has emerged as a leading player on the Australian legal landscape. The firm was born out of a partnership between Danny Gilbert and Tony Tobin in 1988. Over the past three and half decades, it has rapidly risen through the ranks to sit alongside longtime, well-established law…
Tokyo’s Yamazaki Marunouchi Law Office has lodged a claim against Credit Suisse Securities Japan Ltd in the Tokyo District Court. Acting on behalf of an undisclosed Japanese company and its founder, the law firm is seeking close to $49 million in damages over bonds linked to a now insolvent Greensill Capital-run fund, according to details…
In a recent development, Luxembourg has passed significant legislation that permits English- and Welsh-qualified lawyers to register with the Luxembourg bar and practise U.K. and public international law. As reported by Law.com, this move marks the culmination of productive dialogues between the Law Society of England and Wales and representatives in Luxembourg. This adjustment to…
Goodwin Procter has continued its expansion into London’s private equity market, making a notable lateral hire from rival firm McDermott Will & Emery. Arvin Abraham, who joins Goodwin Procter, held important positions within McDermott. He spent nearly three years as a partner there, serving as the co-chair of the fintech and blockchain practice, and being…
In a significant move, Perez-Llorca announced the hiring of a new legal professional from top-tier firm, Clifford Chance, based in Madrid. This strategic appointment is part of Pérez-Llorca’s initiative, aptly named ‘Women in Corporate’. The ambitious program aims to bolster the number of female partners within its corporate law practice. While further details about the…
Adrian Tan, the president of the Law Society of Singapore, has tragically passed away at the age of 57 following a year-long battle with cancer. In addition to his role with the Law Society, Tan was a partner at TSMP Law Corporation, a firm in Singapore, where he specialized in court disputes involving areas such…