Archive for August, 2010

Legal Jobs in Liverpool

Liverpool is one of the most famous cities in the UK for a number of reasons. It was selected as the European Capital of Culture in 2008 and is home to the UK’s most successful football club in Liverpool FC. Liverpool also produced arguably the biggest band the world has ever seen in The Beatles

4 of the top 100 biggest law firms in the UK are based here, consequently, there are several large firms offering legal jobs in Liverpool from high end solicitors and lawyers to legal secretaries and paralegals.

Legal Jobs in Liverpool

A big provider of legal jobs in Liverpool is DWF LLP. Their head office provides many legal jobs in Liverpool. DWF LLP are currently placed at number 52 in the top 100 law firms in the UK and had a turnover of £60m in 2009. Specialities for DWF LLP include Corporate Law, Family Law and Private Client, People, Real Estate, Finance & Restructuring, Insurance and Litigation.

The biggest law firm in the city of Liverpool is Hill Dickinson LLP and, combined with their offices in London and Greece, have over 1100 employees. Because of their size, Hill Dickinson LLP provides a lot of legal jobs in Liverpool. They specialise largely in legal matters regarding corporate and commercial finance, especially marine and maritime issues. Notable clients for Hill Dickinson LLP include Steven Gerrard and Cunard Ships. Hill Dickinson are almost 200 years old as a law firm and currently stand at 27 on the list of the top 100 UK law firms, with a 2009 turnover of £82m.

There are other providers of legal jobs in Liverpool and you can search for legal jobs in Liverpool online on websites such as City Law Jobs. Salaries vary depending on an individual’s role within the legal industry. A Paralegal could expect to earn between £18k and £25k per year whilst a solicitor or lawyer could make £60k+ a year depending on experience.

View City Law Jobs latest Legal Jobs in Liverpool.

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 admin
No Comments Categories: City Guides, Liverpool

Midlands duo seal merger to create £30m firm

Birmingham law firm Shakespeare Putsman and 17-partner Nottingham law firm Berryman are set to merge, creating a £30m Midlands practice.

The tie-up, which will take place on 1 November, will create a new law firm employing 440 staff across the East and West Midlands, including almost 60 partners.

The deal follows Shakespeare Putsman’s merger with Stratford-based firm Needham & James this July, which formed a firm with combined revenues of £24m.

Despite the merger deals, both Berryman and Needham & James will continue to operate under their own names.

Shakespeare Putsman chief executive Paul Wilson commented: “The economic climate and the Legal Services Act have made the legal market place increasingly complex and competitive. By merging, the two firms cement their position in the Midlands legal marketplace. The merger also creates the platform for major investment in our people, infrastructure and branding.”

He added: “Berryman has an excellent reputation in Nottingham and the East Midlands. It has long held a very strong position as a pioneering, dynamic and ambitious law firm in the region. These like-minded characteristics make this merger an ideal fit. As a combined firm we will aim to retain and hire the best Midlands talent.”

Shakespeare Putsman was formed in April 2007 with the merger of Shakespeare and Putsman.

View Legal Jobs in the Midlands

Source: Legal Week

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 admin
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HBJ opts against former Halliwells office for new Manchester base

HBJ Gateley Wareing has signed up for new office space in Manchester following the acquisition of 200 staff and lawyers from the now-defunct Halliwells.

HBJ Gateley is set to move from its current location at 3 Hardman Square – where it has operated since its Manchester launch at the end of July – to Ship Canal House on King Street.

The  law firm will take 31,000 sq ft of space over four floors from next month (25 September), after deciding against keeping on the former Halliwells base at Spinningfields, which is understood to have too high a rental price.

As part of the break-up and sale of Halliwells, HBJ Gateley paid the Royal Bank of Scotland £2.55m to acquire 200 staff and lawyers, including 38 partners.

The staff joining from Halliwells include lawyers in banking and finance, corporate, real estate, litigation, corporate recovery, intellectual property, employment, family, pensions and construction.

HBJ Gateley Manchester head Rod Waldie said: “We are delighted to announce that we will be moving to new premises in Manchester, which is one of the city’s very best business locations.

He added: “The building has recently been completely refurbished and HBJ Gateley will become the largest occupier. The space includes at third floor level the listed boardrooms which were originally used by The Ship Canal Company and which will now form a very impressive reception area and seminar room for the firm.”

HBJ Gateley now has seven UK offices, in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, London, Manchester and Nottingham as well as a base in Dubai.

Search for Legal Jobs in Manchester

Source : Legal Week

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 admin
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Legal Jobs in Wales

Legal jobs in Wales are mainly found in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. If looking for law jobs Wales offers a variety of positions ranging from smaller legal houses to big city law firms. For a guide to legal jobs in Wales, see the following information.

Law Jobs Wales
Thriving industries in Wales include media, biotech companies and high profile energy initiatives. All of these growing sectors require proper legal representation and expertise. The stability of the Welsh public sector has meant that legal jobs in Wales have not been as threatened as they could have been during the recession.

In all Welsh legal firms there are usually Welsh speakers who work there. Many of the smaller agricultural firms need lawyers who speak Welsh as their first language due to Welsh speaking clients.

Legal Jobs in Cardiff
Whereas before, many organisations would traverse the waters to Bristol for legal representation, it is now increasingly common for clients to use local legal services in Cardiff. In addition to this there is a large number of businesses that are moving from other parts of the country to Cardiff. This can only heighten the demand for legal jobs in Cardiff.

Top Legal 500 Firms in Cardiff Include:
•    Eversheds LLP – a well known Welsh firm that attracts a great deal of international world. This firm is renowned for its efficiency and business.

•    Geldards LLP – with offices in the Midlands and Cardiff this firm has more than 300 staff.

•    Hugh James – this firm concentrates on commercial and corporate finance.

•    Morgan Cole – this strong Welsh firm has grown in the public sector practice and focuses on healthcare. In fact, their healthcare team is one of the best in Britain.

There are many legal jobs in Cardiff for large firms similar to those mentioned above. However, legal jobs in Wales also include all the smaller firms in rural areas. These suit more traditional legal work with local clients.

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 admin
No Comments Categories: City Guides, Wales

Upto 100 jobs set to go at Eversheds

Eversheds has begun its fifth round of redundancies in two years, with up to 100 roles under review as the firm prepares to outsource back office functions to Accenture.

A consultation process has already begun which could affect 100 jobs in finance and human resources across Eversheds’ Birmingham, Cardiff and Leeds offices.

Over the next 12 months, Accenture is likely to assume responsibility for Eversheds’ HR support services and administration, general accounting functions, billing and collections, and business processes involved from procurement to payment.

The firm stated that the preferred outcome will see a “gradual and controlled movement of HR and finance functions” to offshore offices.

The news comes after the UK top 10 firm brought in the consultancy at the beginning of the year to review its systems and processes in a bid to streamline and improve back office systems.

Eversheds managing partner Lee Ranson led the project alongside finance director Kathryn Fleming and head of HR Angus MacGregor.

Ranson commented: “It is important that any major law firm continues to adapt in line with changes in both our sector and the wider marketplace.”

He added: “We have worked over the last eight months to look at how best to deliver some of our HR and finance functions. This proposal would enable us to put in place a cost-efficient, innovative and robust solution, which safeguards quality and enhances client service.

“It is always regrettable when potential redundancies are a part of such a process and we will of course be consulting with all those members of staff who may be affected by this announcement.

“The proposals are to retain impacted staff for a minimum of six months to assist with transition. Those affected will be offered enhanced redundancy terms and comprehensive outplacement support.”

This is the fifth round of redundancies the firm has conducted since September 2008, with the last round of cuts coming in September last year, when 117 roles were reviewed including 22 fee earners in the firm’s real estate practice.

Source : Legal Week

Thursday, August 12th, 2010 admin
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Howes Percival welcomes two to partnership

Howes Percival has made up two partners in its annual promotions round, with both based in the firm’s East Midlands employment practice.

 Becky Hodgkins and Alex Payton joined the firm as associate solicitors in 2008. 

 Payton joined from Leicester-based Rich & Carr, while Hodgkins arrived from Eversheds’ Nottingham office.

They work with clients in the public and private sectors and high net worth individuals, focusing on areas such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistle blowing and equal pay.

Paula Bailey, head of the 12-strong Leicester-based employment team, said: “Both Becky and Alex are high calibre lawyers. They both came with excellent reputations, which they have only enhanced during their time at Howes Percival.”

Source : The Lawyer 

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 admin
No Comments Categories: On the Move

Wragges hit hardest as Midlands firms suffer

There has been little ­revenue growth among Midlands law firms over the past financial year, with four out of the five major Birmingham law firms reporting a fall in income.

The region’s biggest outfit, Wragge & Co, reported a fall in turnover of 7 per cent, from £103.4m to £96.2m. This was despite the ­addition of 45 lawyers, including 10 partners, from Lefèvre Pelletier & Associés in Paris at the beginning of this calendar year.

“No income came from Paris at all but [we had] millions of cost,” explained Wragges senior partner Quentin Poole, pointing to the fact that the French lawyers arrived late in the financial year.

He puts the overall drop in turnover down to a reliance on ­property, which accounts for 28 per cent of firmwide turnover, and on large ­corporates, many of which have sought to ­tighten their legal spend by bringing work in-house.

Still, he is forecasting that the Paris acquisition will boost the top line in the ­current ­financial year.

“Most firms are talking about flat budget for 2010-11, but we’re budgeting 20 per cent up,” he said.

As well as the Paris ­acquisition, Wragges absorbed the cost of ­making 32 redundancies. Average profit per equity partner (PEP) at the all-equity ­partnership dropped by six per cent over the period.

In contrast, the most ­dramatic increase in PEP was at Shoosmiths, where only 40 per cent of partners are part of the equity. ­The firm expanded net profit by 83 per cent and PEP by 70 per cent, while turnover fell by 10 per cent.

Chief executive Claire Rowe put this down to cost-­cutting measures including 107 redundancies, a 3.5 per cent pay-cut for staff ­earning more than £25,000 and a part-time working scheme.

PEP growth was also ­substantial at HBJ Gateley Wareing, where equity ­partners will pocket an ­average of £302,000, around 50 per cent more than in the previous year.

What is particularly notable is a 76 per cent increase in the remuneration of the ­person at the top of equity. This increased from £456,000 in 2008-09 to £802,000 in 2009-10 and represents the package of a remaining partner. The ­bottom of equity grew much less significantly from £120,000 to £126,000.

The addition of a further 200 fee-earners from failed firm Halliwells after the end of the 2009-10 financial year is expected to bring turnover to £65m, but it remains to be seen how this will affect profitability.

Another firm that could perform differently next year as a result of a recent acquisition is Shakespeare Putsman. Its turnover fell nine per cent from £18.3m in 2008-09 to £16.6m in 2009-10.

However, Shakespeare Putsman recently merged with ­smaller Midlands firm Needham & James, which is predicted to create a £24m firm.
Turnover fell by three per cent at Martineau over the past year from £21.2m to £20.5m. Senior partner Andrew Whitehead puts this down to a ­reduction in work in M&A and banking.

However, ­education (where Martineau acts for the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick) and energy (where clients include Npower and National Grid) contributed to PEP growth of 54 per cent.

Source : The Lawyer

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 admin
No Comments Categories: News

Clifford Chance come to rescue Halliwells Trainees

Clifford Chance has offered training contracts to the two London-based first-year trainees left jobless after Halliwells went into administration last month.

The firm took on the pair after a ex-Halliwells partner got in touch with a contact at a third firm, who then contacted Clifford Chance head of HR development Tony King. The  legal trainees will start their second-year contracts in the autumn.

The former Halliwells partner said: “If you look at their CVs, these would have been people the magic circle would have looked at taking anyway.”

Before going into administration Halliwells had three trainees working in its London office. Only one of these was among the 12 lawyers taken on by HBJ Gateley Wareing in the capital, leaving two more looking for a new home.

“The whole process [of administration] has been disastrous for the trainees,” said the former partner. “It’s part of our job to look after the people we bring in.”

The news comes after Bristol firm Burges Salmon launched a dedicated site for students due to start training contracts at Halliwells to match them with firms.

So far 16 firms have registered for the scheme, with a further 14 saying they are planning on registering before the 13 August deadline for the first wave of applications. The list includes magic circle, national and regional firms.

Burges Salmon senior partner Stephen McNulty, the architect behind the initiative, said: “Ironically it looks like they [the trainees] might have a bit of choice.”

Of the 17 trainees due to start contracts at Halliwells in September, 14 have registered. A further 34 students were offered contracts for the 2011 intakes.

Source : The Lawyer

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 admin
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DLA Piper expands management team

DLA Piper has expanded its US management team with the appointment of two new chairmen – global corporate and finance head Roger Meltzer and practice co-head Jay Rains.

They will work alongside global chairman Frank Burch, CEO Lee Miller and managing partner Terry O’Malley.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “DLA Piper is like many of the clients we represent: we’re a large, multinational enterprise.

“As such, it’s prudent for us to have a cadre of leaders in place who are schooled in the management of this complex organisation.  The addition of Roger and Jay expands the pool of firm leadership that’s experienced in managing the intricacies of our global law firm.”

New York-based Meltzer arrived at the firm in 2007 from Cahill Gordon & Reindel, where he was a member of the firm’s executive committee (8 October 2007). since joining DLA Piper he has been responsible for the rapid expansion of the firm’s corporate practice.

San Diego-based Jay Rains joined DLA Piper as part of its merger with Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich in 2005. His clients include CareFusion Corporation and Life Technologies Corporation.  

Burch, Miller and O’Malley were appointed to their current roles following the 2005 merger.

Source : The Lawyer

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 admin
No Comments Categories: News, On the Move

Linklaters set to retain 87% of September qualifiers

Linklaters has become the latest magic circle firm to post trainee retention rates with the City giant keeping on 87% of September qualifiers.

In total, 69 legal trainees are due to qualify with Linklaters in September, out of which 68 applied for a position. The firm offered jobs to 63 legal trainees and 60 have accepted.

The retention rate is an improvement on the rate posted by the firm in September 2009 when it kept on 76% of the intake.

Elsewhere in the UK’s magic circle, Clifford Chance (CC) previously announced that it will retain 79% of total number of qualifiers in September and Allen & Overy (A&O) will keep on 81%. Slaughter and May posted the highest rate in the magic circle with a 93% retention rate.

The news comes as September 2010 retention rates among the UK top 30 law firms have shown improvement across the board. Including Linklaters, the average retention rate currently stands at 82% with only a handful of firms yet to post figures.

Other top performers included Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Macfarlanes which both posted rates of over 90%. Meanwhile, Pinsent Masons have posted the lowest figure with a 55% retention rate.

Source : Legal Week

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 admin
No Comments Categories: News