Bob Charlton is joining Addleshaws after leaving BLP, now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) following its US merger in February, where he was the legacy firm’s head of Asia since 2014. Charlton previously held a similar role for DLA Piper in the region.

Charlton will be based in Hong Kong and lead Addleshaws’ Asia Pacific practice, which operates in Hong Kong and Singapore and has slowly grown from one partner in 2012 to four now. The firm also has a formal alliance in Japan with Hashidate Law Office.

Managing partner John Joyce said Charlton’s leadership pedigree in the region was required as the firm looks to grow its presence in Asia. Disputes partner Nigel Francis, head of Asia for the previous four years, is returning to full-time work on his contentious practice, while Charlton will be a full-time leader in the role.

He told Legal Business: ‘We’ve got a presence in Asia: we’d like to grow it materially from where it is. So far we’ve been trying to do that through people doing their day jobs, and we just felt it needed a leadership role to give it the proper time and attention. It’s something that to do properly and to do well, you need to spend time at.’

Joyce said material growth in the region meant growing partner numbers to 12 or more. The focus will remain on Hong Kong and Singapore, however: ‘[We’d like to] get those to the right size and shape before we start looking elsewhere but if the right opportunity comes along elsewhere then absolutely we’d look at that.’

A BCLP spokesperson confirmed Charlton’s departure last week: ‘Having accomplished much for our Asia business and having successfully implemented our “One Asia” strategy, Bob Charlton has decided that now is a good point for him to seek a new challenge elsewhere, and has left the firm.’

Elsewhere, Addleshaw has recruited former Pilsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman Middle East practice co-leader Ahmad Anani as its Qatar office head. Anani is a corporate and capital markets specialist, and Addleshaws has now made nearly 20 lateral hires in 2018.

Joyce commented: ‘A lot of those people are starting to come around having been in discussions with us for 12, some of them even 18, months. We’re still seeing a huge amount of lateral activity… there’s a few more to land this year.’

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The firm’s global Tech Academy will make available to employees and fee earners a variety of online resources and face-to-face workshops which focus on technology concepts and developments such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Coding, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy. The day-long training workshops – which take place around the world – will be run by Australian education and innovation consultancy Collective Campus.

The launch of the Tech Academy no doubt comes in response to the growing spread and significance of technology across businesses of varying kinds. Paul Landless, Finance partner based in Singapore and one of the leaders of the firm’s Tech Group explains: “Our clients’ market environment is undergoing a paradigm shift with technology pervasive across all sectors and deeply affecting our clients’ businesses. As a firm we want to develop our people fully with a balanced set of both technical and business skills for today and the future, focussed on what our clients need and with a strong grasp of business trends in our clients’ industries.”

Anand Saha, Capital Markets partner based in New York and another of Clifford Chance’s Tech Group leaders, adds: “It is critical that our people are fluent in the key technological trends that our clients are facing”, and so with the Tech Academy, the firm hopes employees will be encouraged to develop a better understanding of the latest innovations in tech.

At this event:

• you will discover the role of the company secretary and how it can get you into the boardroom at an early stage in your career
• meet company secretaries and learn about what drew them into the role, how they qualified, what a typical day looks like and why they love what they do
• talk to a specialist company secretarial recruitment consultant about ways into the profession, career paths and salary potential
• network with other students and graduates.

There will be a photographer present offering complimentary professional headshots.

Register now to discover more about routes into governance with ICSA.

Book your free place here.

The new firm officially launched on 3 April and boasts approximately 1600 lawyers split across 32 offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The merger has positioned the firm as the first global law firm to be led by two women, and also among the Top 50 largest firms in the world, with a combined gross revenue of around $900 million.

“Our combination is rooted in a shared determination to do something fresh and different for clients,” commented Lisa Mayhew, Managing Partner of BLP. “Clients will benefit from our combined legal expertise; our shared values and culture and our approach to innovation in their interests. Different to most other international firms, ours will be fully financially integrated from day one. This will enable us to work in teams whose only focus will be to provide a first class service to clients”.

Bryan Cave Chair Therese Pritchard added, “This merger will result in an expanded presence and set of service offerings in key markets around the world and accelerate our utilization of technology and innovation to redefine efficiency and value in the practice of law”.

The two firms merged following an overwhelming vote by partners in favour of coming together. “Both firms have long traditions of building strong relationships – both with clients and within our firms. This legacy is reflected in shared values, including a core belief that our greatest asset is our people and our greatest responsibility is to our clients” explained Pritchard.

More details about the firm can be found at https://www.bclplaw.com/

The series – developed by BPP Head of Innovation Technology Adam Curphey – has, so far, explained Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence, and future episodes will detail the workings of Robotic Process Automation and augmented and virtual realities. “BPP University intends to continue upskilling new entrants to the profession and we hope these talks equip students with vital knowledge about current and future legal technology trends and processes” says Curphey.

The concise videos explain complex concepts in an accessible manner, with each video covering the basics: ‘What is it?’, ‘How does it work?’ and ‘What is its legal application?’ Curphey explains that “Historically, legal language was so complex that no lay person could hope to understand it. That is less the case now, and much work has been done to simplify the practice of law and increase access to justice. These videos are performing the same job with technology: taking complex technological concepts and explaining them in a way that – hopefully – anyone can understand.”

The explanatory videos have been well received by those in the legal industry, with Alex Smith, Innovation Manager at Reed Smith saying, “There is a lot of (marketing) led confusion in the market on what technologies do what and how they will impact legal practice. These BPP Two Minute Tech Talks cut through the noise and provide quick and pragmatic views of where certain technologies are at and how they are being used at the coalface. This is important to focus future lawyers on how practice is evolving and the importance of humans in these processes and the value of legal knowledge & expertise.”

BPP’s ‘Tech Talks’ is just one of a number of initiatives set up by the university to address the demand for students and industry professionals to be better equipped with the technical knowledge required to keep pace with the constant advancements in technology. Indeed, the university is also set to offer a new Legal Innovation and Design Module to its students (subject to validation), and recently hosted the Future Lawyers’ Innovation Conference, which attracted over 1,500 viewers to the online stream in addition to those present in person.

The increasing focus by law schools and law firms on technology shows just how seriously they anticipate it changing the provision of legal services and impacting the businesses of their clients.

The US firm has announced today (28 March) the opening of a new Frankfurt branch, which will be led by eight partners, including six from Heymann & Partner and two Covington partners from the firm’s Brussels and New York offices.

The new Frankfurt outpost will open on 3 April and focus on corporate work, including M&A, private equity, finance and restructuring, outsourcing and other technology transactions. M&A and private equity specialist Henning Bloss from Heymann & Partner will lead the new office, accompanied by Thomas Heymann, the founder of the German firm.

The move underlines Covington’s decision to develop its European presence, after last year becoming the second law firm to open an office in Dublin in light of the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Timothy Hester, Covington’s chair, said: ‘Our new German team is of outstanding quality and will provide important synergies with the firm, including our London and Brussels offices and will allow us to serve the needs of our clients who have legal issues in Germany.’

M&A partner Heymann echoed Hester’s sentiments, adding: ‘We are convinced that adding Covington’s strengths and global reach will benefit our clients in an increasingly global market, especially with matters in the US, Asia and the UK.’

Covington enjoyed a fruitful year in 2017, boosting its London top line by 16% from $69.5m to $80.5m after strategic hires in the city. Meanwhile, firmwide revenue increased by 13% to $945.5m after opening new offices in United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

Meanwhile, Dentons has also expanded its international operations in Australia by bringing over 17 partners from local firm DibbsBarker, which will wind down its operations after more than 130 years.

The two firms have reached an agreement that will see Dentons acquire 10 partners in Sydney, two in Melbourne and five in Brisbane across its financial services, real estate and corporate practices from 1 May.

DibbsBarker managing partner Stephen Purcell said Dentons was ‘an excellent firm where our partners will continue to deliver high-quality legal services. Being part of a firm with global reach and an innovative approach to legal solutions will further enable our partners to amplify their offering for clients into the future.’

Dentons combined with 500-lawyer Gadens in 2016, securing a presence in Sydney, Perth and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

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1. Jaguar Land Rover lands £1.2bn deal to supply self-driving cars to Google’s Waymo [via The Telegraph]

2. Google’s tax bill rises to £50m [via BBC News]

3. Facebook privacy settings revamped after scandal [via BBC News]

4. Deposit return scheme: Government set to tax glass and plastic bottles [via The Week]

5. Megabus banned from advertising ‘from £1’ seats [via The Week]

The deal, announced today (27 March), sees London-listed GSK buy the 36.5% stake in the joint venture it didn’t already own from Novartis to assume full control of the business.

The joint venture was forged in 2014 amid an asset swap between the two pharma heavyweights which saw them combine their respective consumer healthcare arms.

Freshfields corporate partner Julian Long led on that transaction for Novartis and is now co-leading on this latest deal with Jennifer Bethlehem. Also in the team are tax partner Paul Davison and antitrust partner Rod Carlton, who also advised on the 2014 asset swap.

Slaughters is advising GSK on the buyout, with a team led by partners David Johnson and Simon Nicholls, both of whom represented client on the formation of the joint venture.

Financing partners Guy O’Keefe and Oliver Storey also worked on this latest deal, as well as tax partner Dominic Robertson and competition partners Bertrand Louveaux and Jordan Ellison.

GSK’s internal legal team was led by Chip Cale and Antony Braithwaite.

GSK is planning to launch a strategic review of its Horlicks drink brand and other consumer nutrition products with a view to raise cash for the acquisition, the company said in a statement. The review will also include GSK’s Indian subsidiary, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Addleshaw Goddard is advising UK high street sports shoe retailer JD Sports Fashion on its $558m acquisition of US counterpart The Finish Line.

Addleshaw’s Manchester-based team was led by partner Roger Hart and included partner Martin O’Shea.

Indianapolis-headquartered Finish Line is listed on Nasdaq with a market capitalisation of roughly $425m. Hughes Hubbard & Reed and Taft Stettinius & Hollister advised JD Sports on US law, while Faegre Baker Daniels advised Finish Line’s board of directors.

Elsewhere Travers Smith has leveraged the recent trend for investment in payment services businesses to advise longstanding private equity client Equistone Partners Europe on its acquisition of UK-headquartered Small World Financial Services for a reported £80m.

The Travers Smith team was led by private equity partner James Renahan and included tax partner Jessica Kemp and regulatory partner Stephanie Biggs.

Sellers FPE Capital, MMC Ventures and the existing Small World management team were advised by Charles Russell Speechlys. Equistone made the investment via its sixth fund, Equistone Partners Europe Fund VI. Cross-border payment service provider Small World employs around 680 people across 16 countries and generates revenues in excess of £110m.

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In a statement made on 27 March 2018, the LSB said: “this approval provides the framework upon which the SRA Board can seek to introduce new requirements for anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor”. It goes on to state: “this approval was reached after a thorough consideration of the application and the numerous submissions received in response to it including that of the Justice Select Committee”.

This does not mean that the SQE will be introduced immediately, however. At this stage, this simply means that the SRA can now start the process of replacing the current routes to qualification with the SQE. Any further changes to the rules, which will contain detail on the SRA’S proposals for implementing the SQE, will need to be separately assessed and approved. The SRA expects to apply for the further changes in 2019.

LSB Chief Executive, Neil Buckley said:

“We have today agreed the first stage of the SRA’s reforms to its qualification processes. The changes that the SRA wishes to make are significant and stakeholders have identified a range of associated risks. We assessed the current approved application thoroughly with these risks in mind and concluded that there are no grounds for refusing this application.

The approval of this application on its own is not sufficient to allow the SQE to be implemented. The SRA will need to make and we will need to approve further rules changes to give effect to the requirement to pass a centralised exam. When considering these further rules and deciding whether to agree with them, the LSB will expect to see more detail from the SRA – particularly on how the SQE will operate, what it will cost and the likely diversity impacts.”

The Magic Circle firm argues that while the likes of Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) and Pinsent Masons have included partners in their overall pay gap, their decisions to break partner earnings down by salary and bonus means the overall picture is obscured. For the avoidance of doubt, CC has asserted its figures would be lower than both NRF and Pinsents if it reported them in the same way.

CC has instead decided to include the total earnings, including any bonuses or profit share entitlements, of its London partnership. As a result, the firm’s overall pay gap stands at 66% on a mean basis and 44% on a median basis.

The gap in pay between partners is 27% on a mean basis and 46% on a median basis. The firm’s statutory report, which does not include the London partnership, indicates a mean 20% hourly pay gap, while the gap is 37% on a median basis. The firm’s statutory bonus gap is 53% on a mean basis and 50% on a median basis.

Michael Bates, CC’s UK managing partner, commented: ‘For us, it’s about doing the right thing. While including our partnership in adjusted results shows a larger gender pay gap than the data from the statutory reporting requirements, our decision to publish these figures demonstrates our commitment to closing the gap and accelerating the pace of change of our gender demographic at every level.

‘We hope the government will provide greater clarity going forward on the inclusion of partner data, and that other professional services firms will demonstrate their commitment to addressing gender issues by adopting an equally transparent approach.’

Yesterday (26 March), Pinsents disclosed that its male partners are paid over a fifth more on average and 38% more on a median basis. Its bonus pay gap, however, sees female partners receive 11% more on average while the bonus pay gap is 0% on a median basis.

CC was the last Magic Circle firm to reveal its gender pay stats. Last week, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer posted comparatively impressive figures to its peers, with male staff earning on average 14% more than female fee earners, a gap which closes to 13.3% when the median figure is taken into account.

Linklaters did not fare so well, revealing it paid male staff members nearly 60% more in bonuses than women.

Firms have until 4 April to disclose their figures.

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