NEWS >>
海尔任命新法务部主管
著
名白色家电企业海尔集团法务部近日任命 新部门经理。入职以来始终在海尔集团法 律部工作的苏效玺将不再担任法务部主管,而调 任集团的全球运营部,负责间接采购和行政管理 工作。资深海尔公司法律顾问李明接替苏效玺, 成为新任法务部主管。 苏效1988年进入海尔,帮助海尔法务部由从只 有一名知识产权律师发展成为拥有近50位律师的 部门,见证海尔日益壮大的发展过程,跻身全球 最大的白色家电制造商之一。海尔法务部现分为 三个业务团队,分别为法律事务团队、内部控制 团队和知识产权团队,在全球范围内为集团经营 提供强大的法律和合规支持。 苏效玺表示,他长期在法务部工作,很少直接 接触集团的业务部门。他表示:“转赴一线业务 部门工作将为我提供良好机遇,可提高我对实际 业务过程的了解和控制能力,以便在将来更好发 挥法律专长。这是我自己的决定,我将迈入职业 生涯的新阶段。”苏效玺将继续在海尔集团青岛 总部工作。
观韬涉足香港市场
uk report Linklaters sheds London staff In a bid to boost productivity and profit in the current financial climate, Linklaters recently decided to slash between 100 and 120 of its City lawyers and 130 to 150 members of its business services staff. The restructure by the Magic Circle firm, titled the ‘New World’ strategy, will see 4.8% of the firm’s total workforce slashed and a reduction of 4.2% in lawyer headcount. Whether the cuts will continue through the firm’s international network remains to be seen. Clifford Chance slashes staff count Clifford Chance recently initiated a redundancy consultation involving 880 staff members in their London offices. The Magic Circle firm reportedly appointed 13 employee representatives to assist in the process, and will have two representatives allocated for each of the firm’s six main practice areas, with an additional representative for paralegals. The final cuts are expected to be confirmed by the end of February/early March. The firm stated changes in both the quality and quantity of work coming into the office in many areas as reason for the layoffs. Cadwalader loses London partners to Paul Hastings Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has lost seven of its London partners to rival firm Paul Hastings. The walkout has left the firm with only four partners in London, and is accompanied by the news that the firm has also suffered a 30% profit plunge, with profit per equity partner (PEP) dropping to US$1.88m from US$2.72m.
CMS looking to merge CMS Cameron McKenna is on the prowl for a merger partner. The firm has reportedly set up a taskforce specifically geared to find a suitable firm to merge with it in the UK. Combining with a similarly sized rival in a merger is just one of the viable options being considered by the firm. According to recent reports, other strategies such as being swallowed up by a larger firm or taking on a small specialist practice have also been discussed. Denton joins in the cutting Denton Wilde Sapte has joined the growing number of UK firms making redundancies in 2009. The firm recently launched a redundancy consultation and says 80 members of staff are at risk of losing their jobs. While the marketing, accounts, facilities and compliance sectors will not be affected, all fee-earning departments except competition, tax and TMT, across London and Milton Keynes, will be under review. The firm’s international offices will not be included in this specific consultation, and the reconstruction & insolvency team may also escape the cuts due to recent increases in work. Fewer partners for Addleshaw Addleshaw Goddard has cut 19 partners from its team, after deciding that there were too many and not enough demand in business. Turnover for the first six months of the 2008/09 financial year was 4% below budget for the firm, which had 177 partners.
北
京观韬律师事务所牛年发展势头强劲,其 首个国际办事处近日在香港正式开业。新 香港办公室是观韬的第八个分支机构,合伙人闫 芃芃已由北京调任香港,担任新办公室主管。 满足客户需求是所有律所规模扩张的主要原 因,除此之外,闫芃芃还透露了香港办公室成立 背后的战略动机。“香港办公室将成为一个合作 平台,巩固观韬与 Ashurst 及胡家骠律师事务所 之间的联盟关系。该办公室使三方紧密合作成为 可能,我们将依托这个平台相互共享资源,共同 为客户提供优质服务。” 香港办公室成立前,观韬已经与香港本地的 胡家骠律师事务所建立联盟。去年11月,英国 Ashurst 律师事务所在香港成立办事处,并与胡 家骠律师事务所联营。观韬由此而成为 Ashurst 在内地的联盟律所。 观韬客户正越来越多的参与海外资本市场, 参与外国市场的投资,该联盟可为观韬及其国 内客户提供更多进入国际市场的机会,尤其是 欧洲市场。
www.legalbusinessonline.com
ROUNDUP • Hammonds recently slashed 77 jobs across the UK offices • Blake Lapthorn has announced a second redundancy consultation, with up to 30 fee earners and support staff in London and the south east facing layoff • Clifford Chance Amsterdam managing partner Jan ter Haar recently replaced Spain managing partner Ignacio Ojanguren on the firm’s management committee and will take responsibility for offices in Western Europe • Berwin Leighton Paisner officially opened its Moscow office in January with the addition of a 70-lawyer team from local firm Pepeliaev Goltsblat & Partners • Simmons & Simmons has closed its Rotterdam office following a two-month consultation and will move the Dutch lawyers, 27 partners and 78 fee earners, to Amsterdam
17