Lawyers are bad at business? Think again February 8, 2011 THIS paper recently ran an article warning that for lawyers “doom is nigh” and that they should shape up or ship out. The context was the Legal Services Act and its welcome shake up of the way in which legal services can be delivered. The article had many solid, good messages: in summary, cutting overheads [...]
The City’s top headhunter on why firms still need to recruit the best February 6, 2011 PERHAPS not surprisingly, Odgers Berndtson’s boss was in an upbeat mood when City A.M. visited him recently in his large office overlooking Hanover Square in the West End. Last year’s preliminary revenues had just come in: they are an improvement on the year before, always welcome news in the present environment. Richard Boggis-Rolfe, the privately-held [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS February 3, 2011 Savoy Investment Management The wealth management subsidiary of Syndicate Asset Management has hired James Bowles (pictured). Bowles will be responsible for providing tailored services for the north west of England. He was formerly with Anglo Irish Bank, where he had a similar regional brief, and Levi Solicitors in Yorkshire. The firm specialises in portfolios invested [...]
The budget hotel chain boss who says that bigger is certainly better January 30, 2011 NO wonder Guy Parsons, Travelodge’s boss, was feeling so chipper about life when we met earlier this month. He had just announced that very same day a £300m investment to build a further 35 hotels this year, which will expand his empire to 495 hotels with 35,841 rooms by next Christmas. Also, the key part [...]
Mount Gay, Barbados: a tour round rum’s natural home January 30, 2011 THE heart of the Barbados rum trade is perched at the northernmost tip of this small Caribbean island. High in the mountains in the St Lucy district sits the Mount Gay refinery, surrounded by a nine feet tall sugar cane plantation and gazing out over wild Atlantic waves which crash into the Florida coast 1,600 [...]
DLA Piper to be biggest law company January 27, 2011 DLA Piper is to merge with Australian partner DLA Phillips Fox to create what it says could be the world’s largest law firm. The combined entity will create a 700-strong legal empire in the Asia-Pacific region. DLA Piper already employs around 4,000 lawyers across 30 countries and generates revenues of £1.4bn. It will jump ahead [...]
Lawyers warn employment claims may spike after tribunal reforms January 27, 2011 PROPOSED changes to employment tribunal laws risk encouraging lengthier, more expensive claims that could mean businesses having to pay uncapped compensation fees. The employment tribunal reforms – announced yesterday by the government – aim to reduce unfair dismissal claims by changing the qualification period from one to two years. But the changes could lead unhappy [...]
Banker linked to WikiLeaks goes on trial January 19, 2011 Former Swiss banker Rudolf Elmer has started his trial for breaching bank secrecy, admitting he sent private client data to tax authorities but denying blackmail and a bomb threat against Bank Julius Baer. Elmer, 55, among the first to use WikiLeaks to publish private bank documents, said he took his information to the website after [...]
Firms attack changes to paternity law January 17, 2011 DEPUTY Prime Minister Nick Clegg was accused of risking a bureaucratic nightmare yesterday, after outlining plans to expand impending paternity leave regulations. Clegg wants to “transform” paternity leave so that fathers can take regular chunks of their wives’ or partners’ maternity leave – yet the policy was attacked as unworkable by business groups and employment [...]
Sacked Renault manager vows to fight his dismissal January 16, 2011 ONE of three Renault managers sacked for allegedly leaking electric vehicle secrets, is planning to fight the company’s decision to dismiss him, his lawyer said yesterday. Michel Balthazard, a member of Renault’s management committee and a leader of its electric vehicle programme, received a letter of dismissal on Saturday, which accused him of receiving money [...]