Paul Weiss names new chair
PAUL, WEISS, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrisson LLP (Paul Weiss) has elected Brad S. Karp to succeed Alfred D. Youngwood as the chair of the firm.

DLA Piper hires fifth Heller Ehrman corporate partner
INTERNATIONAL LAW firm DLA Piper has hired the fifth partner to join its corporate and finance group from Heller Ehrman LLP in two months.

K&L Gates moots Carolinas merger
KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART Preston Gates Ellis LLP (K&L Gates) is holding talks with Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman LLP (Kennedy Covington) about a possible merger.

Law firms lacking disaster preparation
ALMOST HALF of lawyers are insufficiently prepared for their firm experiencing a disaster scenario, according to new research.

Lawyer alliance launches carbon comparison tool
A NUMBER of law firms and other organisations in the sector are developing a spreadsheet-based measurement tool to help firms calculate their carbon footprints and compare performance.

WFW moves into Milan
INTERNATIONAL LAW firm Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has opened an office in the fashion capital of Milan.

Allen & Overy wins ‘best website’ award
MAGIC-CIRCLE law firm Allen & Overy (A&O) has the most effective website among UK law firms, according to Intendance Research.

HBJ Gateley Wareing in maritime merger move
HBJ GATELEY Wareing (HBJGW) has announced plans to merge with the London shipping and transport law firm Holmes Hardingham.

Survey: Lawyer traits show practice leaning
LAWYERS COULD be more likely to excel in some practice groups than others depending on their psychological make-up, according to a new survey.

Freshfields and Hammonds move to LLP
MAGIC-CIRCLE law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and international firm Hammonds are the latest to adopt the limited liability partnership (LLP) structure.

Slaughters completes management shake-up
INTERNATIONAL LAW firm Slaughter and May has announced the election of eight practice stream heads, following the election of Chris Saul as senior partner earlier in 2008.

Counsel call for alternative billing
ALTERNATIVE BILLING methods is the best initiative law firms could implement to improve relationships with their clients’ legal departments, according to a new survey.

Dewey & LeBoeuf shuts up three shops
INTERNATIONAL LAW firm Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP is set to haveclosed three of its offices in the US by this time next year.

Campaigners slam ‘sexism’ in the City
VISITS TO strip clubs with clients and business colleagues are becoming an “increasingly normal” aspect of life at firms in the City of London, according to a new report.

Law Society and LSC reach civil legal aid agreement
THE LAW Society has agreed to drop judicial review proceedings against the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) over an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal in relation to the civil legal aid contract.

K&L Gates secures second China base
KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART Preston Gates Ellis LLP (K&L Gates) has opened an office in the Chinese city of Shanghai – its fourth in Asia and second in China.

Bird & Bird launches legal glossary
INTERNATIONAL LAW firm Bird & Bird has unveiled a new online glossary to allow its lawyers to share knowledge of the latest legal terminology and trends.

Skadden unveils diversity drive
SKADDEN, ARPS, Slate, Meagher & Flom has unveiled plans to commit some $9.6m to a new scheme to encourage a greater diversity of entrants into the legal profession in the US.

Herbert Smith names managing partner
HERBERT SMITH has appointed corporate partner David Willis to the newly-created role of managing partner following a firm-wide management review.

EAPD announces new managing partner
US LAW firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge (EAPD) has elected corporate lawyer Walter G. D. Reed as the firm’s new managing partner.

Shepherd & Wedderburn lures Linklaters corporate partner
SHEPHERD & WEDDERBURN has successfully hired senior Linklaters London corporate partner Steven Turnbull.