Hello and welcome to the Fides Weekly Update. Take a look at this week’s key trends, moves and developments in the UK legal sector.
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This week:
1). BCLP launches new legal services arm to fulfil high volume legal work
In a week marked by the Supreme Court’s decision on the illegal proroguing of parliament, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner launched its legal services arm BCLP Cubed.
Jody Jansen, former head of architecture and innovation at Gowling WLG, will serve as the chief technology officer for the enterprise, which focuses on high volume legal work.
BCLP Cubed brings together 150 people on the firm’s volume delivery teams in Manchester and St. Louis, with the goal of handling clients’ business-as-usual needs.
“BCLP Cubed gives clients the option of a one-stop shop for their high-volume work in a way that integrates complex advice and legal operations support, all within the framework of a major law firm” said Neville Eisenberg, senior partner at the firm and CEO of the initiative.
The service is initially focused on four discrete areas of work: supporting real estate asset management, delivering commercial contract services, streamlining loan agreement generation and management, and fielding European data access requests.
This is the latest venture for the firm, which last year sold its remaining stake in Lawyers on Demand to private equity firm Bowmark Capital.
2). Movers & Shakers
Panel Watch
Lloyds Refreshes Bank Panel, Drops CMS From Main Roster
Appointments
Baker McKenzie Elects Hong Kong Head as Global Chair
Airbnb appoints Rich Baer to Serve as Chief Legal Officer
Norton Rose Lawyer Bags GC Role at Boutique Private Equity Firm Deutsche Finance International
Moves
BCLP Launches High-Volume Legal Services Arm, Adds CTO for Venture
Jody Jansen, former head of architecture and innovation at Gowling WLG, joins BCLP to help build out the technology for its new enterprise, BCLP Cubed
Reed Smith Recruits Disputes Duo in Hong Kong and London
Peter Glover and Nick Austin join from Norton Rose Fulbright in Hong Kong and Clyde & Co in London, respectively
Dentons takes second swipe at Simmons’ banking practice
Simmons & Simmons has lost another partner to Dentons, with banking and finance lawyer Richard Pallot-Cook rejoining the firm after six years
Mergers & Alliances
Clyde & Co Cuts Loose Aberdeen Estate Agency Practice Four Years On From Merger
Weil Gotshal’s Warsaw office in talks to join Bakers
Eversheds Sutherland is latest firm to sign litigation funder deal