Seafaring Britain’s future prosperity depends on international cooperation April 18, 2016 Having been born in Sweden, with a Norwegian grandmother, and after visiting Finland countless times on business, my current trip to these Nordic nations almost feels like a homecoming. Many of the topics to be discussed during this week-long trip are equally familiar. The growing global maritime industry will be one of them, and, as [...]
The only way is up for Leap 100 companies April 20, 2016 THE Leap 100 is a list of 100 of the most exciting, fast-growing companies in the UK. But it’s more than a list: it is a cohort of founders whose fortunes we will follow and whose ambitions we will support over the next 12 months; founders with the talent to help secure Britain’s place as the best place [...]
City law firm GQ Employment Law acquires smaller rival Camfords December 7, 2015 City law firm GQ Employment Law has snapped up a smaller boutique rival Camfords for an undisclosed sum, the pair announced today. Founded in 2010 by former Clyde & Co lawyer Richard Harvey, Camfords advises domestic and multi-national businesses and high-net worth individuals across a number of industry sectors including insurance, technology and luxury goods [...]
LV= steps into legal market with law firm Lyons Davidson partnership to provide a selection of legal services January 4, 2016 Insurance company LV= today announced it is entering the legal market, working with a law firm to provide a range of legal advice services. By partnering with solicitors firm Lyons Davidson, LV= Legal Services will be able to provide advice on matters including wills, conveyancing and employment law. “Most of us need expert legal help [...]
The Big Bang 30 years on: How the City of London has changed since 1986 October 26, 2016 Nothing stands still in the City. The world's financial services powerhouse has seen it all, from boom and bust to bouncebacks and Brexit. Its skyline has changed almost beyond recognition over the last three decades, as have the markets it serves. As we mark the 30th anniversary of the so-called Big Bang, we cannot help [...]
Woolworths and Ethel Austin staff lose battle for compensation over redundancy April 30, 2015 THOUSANDS of staff made redundant following the collapse of retailers Woolworths and Ethel Austin have lost a fight for back pay, following a ruling yesterday by the European Court of Justice. Woolworths employed more than 27,000 people when it fell into administration in 2008 after struggling with £385m of debts, while retailer Ethel Austin collapsed [...]
The UK legal sector is vital to the City’s international success March 17, 2016 The City of London’s position as a world leader in finance and business is widely acknowledged. I know this only too well from my own work, both as an international commercial barrister and as the current chairman of the Bar of England and Wales. But the City is being challenged by other financial centres in [...]
Brexit would make red tape worse but lawyers are not doing very much in advance to prepare, warns city law firm White & Case February 3, 2016 Legal experts are warning that Britain leaving the EU would not help to cut red tape, although many have opted to adopt a wait and see approach to preparation. According to a report released today by city law firm White & Case, four out of five (84 per cent) in-house lawyers believe that leaving the [...]
Leverage is all the rage: The crucial future task for central banks March 31, 2016 People who believe that banks just move other people’s money around, and those who draw comfort from high savings levels, will tell you that bank lending is not critical to economic growth. And they’ll argue the issue is demand, not supply. This is a very old argument. You’ll find it in the remarkable Report of [...]
No. 4: La Caixa Foundation December 17, 2015 SPAIN – £350m The 110 year old La Caixa Foundation stems directly from the Spanish bank set up in 1904 by Catalan lawyer Francesc Moragas. Moragas had a deep sense of public responsibility and the bank was the first in Spain to provide social insurance. From 1918 La Caixa began to allocate part of its [...]