Career corner
The Legal 500 Hall of Famer and Dechert partner Andrew L. Oringer reflects on the ever-changing nature of ERISA and how young lawyers can take advantage of the practice’s ongoing evolution.
I’ve been asked to write about issues facing US lawyers in the area of ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act 1974) and executive compensation (for convenience, I’ll consider the executive compensation practice to be a part of the ERISA practice, in references below). I think the keyword here is ‘change’ – it’s clear to …
Continue reading “The one constant is that there is no constant”
Interview with: Rafael Briz
Mayora & Mayora’s senior partner extolls the virtues of flexible working and work-life balance for associates.
How would you define Mayora & Mayora’s culture? I would define our firm’s culture externally as one that is centred on personalised service to the client. The partners and associates in charge of handling cases know every detail of the case and this allows us to provide an excellent service to the client. Internally, the …
Continue reading “Morning person or late riser?
It doesn’t matter”
Career corner
You don’t have to become an associate straight out of law school to be successful in ‘Big Law’, argues Elizabeth Ross Hadley of Greenberg Traurig.
Many lawyers begin their careers as law firm associates straight out of law school and eventually make partner around eight years later. Law schools sometimes make you feel as if that’s the only path. I, on the other hand, became a shareholder (partner equivalent) at Greenberg Traurig 18 years after finishing law school and after …
Continue reading “A non-traditional path to a Texas-sized legal career”
Interview with: Roger Meltzer
DLA Piper’s global co-chair talks about the challenges of
expansion, a commitment to innovation, and building an
organisation that reflects society.
DLA Piper is well known for the size and scope of its network. What are the specific challenges of leading a firm of this size and scope? Excepting the nightmarish logistics associated with time zones and travel, which do unquestionably make leadership positions in global firms more cumbersome, I also generally believe the challenges are …
Continue reading “Law firms must drive social change or lose the talent war”
Diversity and inclusion
Asia Pacific deputy editor Andrea de Palatis speaks to leading partners on mentoring, flexible working, unconscious bias, and how to break Big Law’s glass ceiling
For many women lawyers, a long-term career at the top level of Big Law seems just out of reach. Even in 2019, the centenary year of women being allowed entry to the profession in the UK, it is still widely believed that women cannot ‘have it all’ and must eventually choose between having a family …
Continue reading “The battle for diversity is far from won”
Marketing
Look beyond the new colour palette and revamped website if you want a successful rebrand, writes Paul Bellamy, director of strategy and business development at SANDS.
Branding processes happen more often than we think. Six companies I have worked in rebranded during my tenure with them; two others immediately after I left them. My experience in the legal profession is limited to commercial law, as CEO of three of Norway’s largest firms, but I have also been fortunate to be involved …
Continue reading “When it comes to law firm branding, be bold”
Editors' views
China editor Bei Zhao reports on what has been keeping PRC and international firms busy and which practices have excelled in the latest rankings.
2019 marks the arrival of the Year of Pig, which is said to bring luck and prosperity to those born into it. Looking at The Legal 500’s latest China rankings, the previous 12 months have certain been good to many firms – 130, in fact – that made it into our expanded 2019 guide. The …
Continue reading “2019: A year of fortune and luck for China firms?”
Politics vs practice
Luca Failla, managing partner of LABLAW Studio Legale, provides an update on the latest labour and employment law issues facing corporates in Italy.
The Italian government’s recent declaration of support for the cause ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vest) protesters in France, even going so far as to proclaim ‘don’t give up’, has reinforced their support of the sovereignty of the people of the Republic of France – and at the same time those of the Republic of Italy. Not …
Continue reading “New government
means new rules of
business in Italy”
Editors' views
Remember that everyone who works with you is a
human being deserving of professional courtesy and respect, writes publishing director David Burgess.
Recently, I have been helping out with the recruitment of staff for the International Arbitration Centre. Making sure that the front of house staff meet up to the highest expectations of client service and discretion are very much the principles on which the interviews were based. So we looked at a range of candidates, from …
Continue reading “Law firms and sets: your front of house teams
deserve better”
Practice area spotlight: Fintech
To be a good fintech lawyer you need not only comprehensive legal skills, but also an understanding on what fintech – and the particular business – is all about, writes Hanna-Mari Manninen of Dittmar & Indrenius
Please give us an overview of the current legal market in Finland and how any recent developments have impacted your practice? Legal services are offered in Finland by variety of different type of actors, mostly by attorneys-at-law offices but also by other law firms and by consulting and accounting firms. The competition has been increasing, …
Continue reading “Collaboration and curiosity are key”
