The European Lawyer

An evolving relationship

Corporate Counsel

After years of living in the shadow of private practice law firms, corporate counsel are finally beginning to flex their buying power m

Vindicated but nowhere to go

Public/Regulatory

It is heartening that even the most world-weary European governments are not immune to the magic of President Obama. It is difficult to

Legal catenaccio

Italy

Italian firms may be hoping that they can preserve profits through the current economic downturn by shifting their work across contenti

Cap in hand, but still hopeful

Ukraine

The Ukraine was on the financial and economic brink back in November 2008 when it became the first country last year to be bailed out b

When the well runs dry

Projects and Infrastructure

There are plenty of things people shouldn’t do in this complicated life, but for one Portuguese lawyer here is spot of specific a

The working life

Employment

Many people claim with passionate fervour that they ‘do not live to work, but work to live’. Often this crie de cour seems

Clearing the clouds of secrecy

Switzerland
Banking/Finance

Switzerland has been at the epicentre of the global financial crisis, which has not been such a bad thing for its legal community. The

An alphabet soup of potential regulation

Banking/Finance

The grand gestures of unanimity and co-operation pronounced by world leaders in London’s Canary Wharf earlier this month continue

Corporate counsel demand more

Corporate Counsel

Corporate counsel in the emerging economies of Eastern and Central Europe cite poor service as the reason for sacking external law firm

US merger mania

USA

US law firms continued their rush down the marriage aisle in the first quarter of this year, reflecting further the credit crunch&rsquo

Germany insider dealing warning

Germany

Board members of listed companies in Germany have been advised to keep any resignation intentions to themselves or face prosecution for

Around Europe

Benelux Antonios Nezeritis has been made a partner in US firm Dechert’s financial services group. He focuses on investment f

Deals in Europe

France: Paris-based international law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel acted for La Banque Postale – a subsidiary of the French postal se

Moving out of the Soviet shadow

Russia

A global lack of market liquidity and a dearth of opportunities in the financial sector are forcing Europe’s traders to contempla

European corporate lawyer

Flexibility battleUS general counsel are locked in disagreement with private practice over which side should bear responsibility for ad

MEPs back anti-bias laws

Public/Regulatory

Europe’s parliamentarians voted at the beginning of the month to legislate for a ban on discrimination across the EU on the groun

Police accused over human rights

Public/Regulatory

Police authorities in two European countries were harshly criticised this month by London-based human rights organisation Amnesty Inter

DLA Piper bags e-law research

IP/Technology/Media

The European Commission has appointed the Brussels office of Anglo-US global law firm DLA Piper to compile a study of the EU’s le

Competition double act

Belgium
Competition

The prospect of a joint initiative between the European Commissioners for consumer affairs –  Bulgarian Meglena Kuneva &ndas

Getting on a bit

United Kingdom
Employment

The treatment of workers reaching retirement age in the UK has been hanging in the balance for many years. Historically, it had become

Rastignac

Corporate/Commercial

In the lobbyLobbying has for years been a task gleefully embraced by law firms in the US, where lawyers prowl the corridors of Capitol

Playing it safeguard

France
Banking/Finance

In the wake of the constraints experienced by market participants in the restructuring of Eurotunnel, the French bankruptcy reform &nda