The talks broke off July 24 with management at both firms claiming the split was reached by mutual agreement, despite earlier reports that a merger deal could have been finalised by the end of July. Commenting on the split, one senior Orricks partner said “There are always people and egos and politics in these things, […]

At present lawyers in the UK are forbidden from entering partnerships or incorporating other than fellow lawyers. The government also supports the ending of restrictions under which lawyers employed by companies are allowed to offer legal advice only to that company and not to its customers. The deregulation would open the door to mergers and

Plans are afoot in Victoria, Australia to ban the title solicitor because it confuses lawyers with prostitutes, beggars and hawkers. The Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, said the word “evokes thoughts of panhandlers, door-to-door salesmen and streetwalkers”. “In fact, in the US there are signs around the place saying, ‘Do not give money to solicitors’.” To clearly

During the Watergate scandal, with six simple words — “No man is above the law” — he helped hasten a president out of office. He was a plainspoken country lawyer named Chesterfield Smith, and he died Wednesday night in Coral Gables. He was 85. “He was the most influential lawyer, I think, to ever come

Clifford Chance’s management is set to publish this week its long-awaited partner compensation review, which will reaffirm its commitment to lockstep – despite pressure from some US partners to retain or expand a superpoints system The review’s conclusions signal a victory for London partners, who have traditionally taken a strong pro-lockstep line, although they are

One major firm, Allen & Overy (A&O), has controversially emerged as an adviser to more than one party in three separate instructions this year: the insolvency of TXU, advertising giant WPPs bid for Cordiant and the on-going battle to control UK supermarket group Safeway. A&O has strongly denied any wrong-doing, but a growing number of

Barlows has handled more reported negligence claims against law firms and solicitors in the past 12 months than any other firm. It acts for four London City firms and regularly receives instructions from three out of the five main legal insurers (The St Paul, Zurich and QBE), as well as the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF)

The Judge ruled that Lady Archer, 58 was entitled to a wide-ranging injunction against Jane Williams, her employee for 13 years until November 2001, and damages of £2,500. He said Lady Archer was not “a public figure” whose activities could be scrutinised in the public interest. Lady Archer alleged that Ms Williams, 49, was the

Lawyer-turned-property investor Peter Cooper vanished from New Zealand nearly 15 years ago with hardly a trace. The sharemarket crash had ruined his businesses and opportunities, so he picked up where he left off as a schoolboy. At 38, he decided to try his luck again in the United States, but this time with wife Sue

A landmark legal battle is looming over the use of the word “spam” by companies offering junk email blocking services. Hormel Foods, the makers of the luncheon meat made famous by a Monty Python sketch, is challenging a Seattle-based technology firm that wants to trademark “Spam Arrest” – the name of its software for email