Vietnam opening
Magic circle firm Allen & Overy is to open offices in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi (pictured). The firm’s Asia Pacific managing partner Thomas Brown said: ‘Vietnam is a key jurisdiction within South East Asia and of increasing interest to international companies and investors.’
More ABS approvals
Two niche firms specialising in will-writing and property respectively have become the latest organisations to be licensed as alternative business structures.
Parchment Group, based in Buckinghamshire, and three-partner firm Plainlaw, based in Oxfordshire, had their applications approved last week by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Law-making low
The number of legislative changes fell last year to its lowest level in almost a decade, according to Sweet & Maxwell. The number of changes to existing legislation caused by new laws fell by 16% to 25,708 amendments in 2011, compared with 30,614 the previous year. The highest number of amendments in the past 10 years was in 2005, when 34,681 changes were made.
Employment chair
City firm Kingsley Napley partner Richard Fox became chair of the Employment Lawyers Association last week. He is a former president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association.
Sentence reduction
The first person to be jailed under the 2010 Bribery Act has had his sentence reduced on appeal. Court clerk Munir Patel, who helped offenders avoid prosecution, will serve four years.
Revenue increase
Top-50 international firm Watson, Farley & Williams reported firm-wide revenues of £99.8m for 2011/12, up 12% on 2010/11. Profit per equity partner is expected to remain at £455,000.
Overseas placements
International firm Hogan Lovells will invite all London trainees to apply for a year-long secondment in its New York office, starting in August. The firm already offers places in Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris and Singapore.
Common sales threat
A proposed common European sales law will hamper cross-border trade by bringing legal uncertainly to transactions and costing companies more, the Law Society said in a response to a UK government consultation.
A common European sales law would be interpreted differently in each EU country, Law Society president John Wotton said.
Channel Islands first
Jersey firm Viberts has become the first law firm in the Channel Islands to secure the Law Society’s law management quality mark, Lexcel.
More than 1,100 legal practices, in England & Wales, Scotland, Poland, Republic of Ireland and the Middle East, have Lexcel accreditation.
