firm Archives - LEGAL S.O.S

11Apr 2023 by Charles E. Price

US legal jobs decline for the first time in six months

(Reuters) - The US legal services sector lost 600 jobs in March, new Labor Department figures showed on Friday, marking the first monthly employment decline for the industry since September.Legal sector jobs totaled 1,180,900 last month, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The count includes lawyers, paralegals and other legal professionals.Across US industries, the economy continued to add jobs in March, pushing the unemployment rate down to 3.5%. The continued tightness of the labor market could lead to the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates again next month.Legal employment has declined by 7,000 jobs since reaching an historic high in July, Labor Department statistics show. US law firms bulked up in 2021 and 2022 to take advantage of an unusually high client demand…

03Mar 2023 by Charles E. Price

Boss of legal aid giant to face SDT on false document charges | News

LEGAL

The former director of one of the country's biggest legal aid firms will appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal later this month. A decision to prosecute John Blavo, who headed the national firm Blavo & Co Solicitors Ltd, was published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority today. Blavo is alleged to have provided or facilitated the provision of falsified documents to the Legal Aid Agency relating to client files, medical reports and tribunal decisions. It is further alleged that in 2015 he was involved in producing false documents. The SRA also alleges that Blavo encouraged or gave instructions for the falsification of documents on two client files between 2013 and 2015. The allegations are subject to a hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and are as yet unproven. Blavo's hearing is…

28Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price

Jason Kenney lands senior advisor role at Bennett Jones

LAW

A second key player of Alberta's last government revealed their landing spot on Wednesday: former premier Jason Kenney is joining Bennett Jones' Calgary office. The 25-year-politician and one-term premier will work with the Canadian law firm's public policy group as a senior advisor. "I'm thrilled to be joining this iconic firm, which has both deep Alberta roots and a major national presence," Kenney was quoted as saying in an announcement on the company's website. "Bennett Jones' Public Policy group has the greatest policy depth of any Canadian law firm, and I look forward to working with several former colleagues from both senior elected and public service roles." The firm's chairman and CEO Hugh MacKinnon added, "We are delighted that Jason has joined Bennett Jones. He brings…

21Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price

Listed law firm fires chief exec over ‘cultural concerns’

LAW

Nicola Foulston took Rosenblatt public in 2018Nicola FoulstonRBG Holdings, the listed group that owns the law firms Rosenblatt and Memery Crystal, has terminated the contract of its chief executive with immediate effect.In an announcements to the London Stock Exchange, the group said its board had “lost confidence” in Nicola Foulston “as a result of cultural concerns and the execution of the group's strategy”.The board of directors will be restructured and two executive directors will be appointed. They are Tania MacLeod, head of disputes at Rosenblatt, and Nick Davis, senior partner of Memery Crystal, the mid-market firm acquired by RBG in 2021.The 2023 Legal Cheek Firms Most ListJon Divers, the group's current chief operating officer, will be appointed as acting CEO. Suzanne Drakeford-Lewis will continue as its finance director.Foulston joined Rosenblatt…

19Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price

Top law firms King & Wood Mallesons and Herbert Smith Freehills look to improve relationships with employees

LAW

She agreed it was a “two-way street, and that employers also needed clarity: “Absolutely. A big focus for us has been the people value experience and making sure we are very clear about that...”Ms Lattey said KWM had been “very supportive over the past little while in making sure we are doing everything for our people”.“In some of the conversations I have had, they are interested in getting more clarity around what it means to be at KWM.“There has been a period of trusting people and I think that that is still an incredibly important part of this. But I do think that they're looking to us: 'OK, tell me what you're all about. Tell me what I can expect from you, and be really clear on that.'”Lawyers could be…

07Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price

Law firms Womble and BDB Pitman’s call off merger talks

LAW

Womble Bond Dickinson and UK firm BDB Pitmans had entered early merger discussions last year(Reuters) - Global law firm Womble Bond Dickinson and smaller UK firm BDB Pitmans have abandoned merger talks after "extensive discussions," the firms said in a joint statement Wednesday."Both firms have decided that the best path forward is to remain independent of each other," the statement said. The law firms said in October that they were in early talks to merge.The firms said through a spokesperson they would not provide additional comments.It is not uncommon for firms to start discussions that do not result in a deal, with client conflicts and market mismatches among issues that frequently derail talks.Womble Bond Dickinson, a much larger firm with 1,000 attorneys, is the product of a 2017 transatlantic merger…

05Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price

Detroit’s Clark Hill expands in Philly with the latest law firm merger

LAW

Feb 1 (Reuters) - US law firm Clark Hill said Wednesday it has combined with Philadelphia-based litigation firm Conrad O'Brien, marking the latest tie-up in an already-busy year for law firm mergers.The move will add 18 litigators to Clark Hill's Philadelphia office. It is the second Philadelphia merger so far this year for Detroit-founded Clark Hill, which last month absorbed Larsson & Scheuritzel, a small real estate law firm.Clark Hill said it has doubled the size of its Philadelphia office since the start of 2023.In a joint interview, Nicholas Centrella, the former managing partner of Conrad O'Brien, and Clark Hill CEO John Hensien both said their firms needed to grow in order to compete better."We've been in the Philadelphia market for quite a while now," Hensien said. "It is a…

04Jul 2022 by Charles E. Price

Deloitte Legal Partnership Adds One, Loses One In London

LEGAL

Big Four firm Deloitte Legal has hired a financial services partner in London, but has lost technology partner Tania Williams to UK firm RPC, as shifts between the Big Four and private practice continue to feature in the legal hiring market. Clare Jenkinson. Courtesy photo Clare Jenkinson is joining Deloitte from HSBC, a Deloitte statement said on Monday. She most recently headed up markets & securities services compliance and was EMEA co-head of regulatory advisory at HSBC, according to LinkedIn. She will focus on financial services regulation and regulatory technology at Deloitte, the statement added. Meanwhile, Deloitte technology partner Williams has left to join RPC's London office, according to a firm statement on Monday. She leaves Deloitte after over six years as partner, according to her LinkedIn profile. Prior to…

Tag: firm