The best of Legal Week's news, analysis and features over the last seven days

Legal Week | Editor's Comment
March 14, 2016

Linklaters' pay, Jones Day's London troubles and US firms' financials uncovered- the best of Legal Week last week
The best of Legal Week's news, analysis and features over the last seven days

There was good news for associates at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters last week.

Freshfields kicked off partner promotions season in a round that saw a hike in Continental European partners to the exclusion of those in Asia. Later in the week the magic circle firm was joined by Berwin Leighton Paisner which unveiled a bumper, London-heavy, promotion round.

Meanwhile, it was a pay boost and an enhanced holiday and flexible benefits package at Linklaters that made news. The new salary rates, announced together with average bonuses rolled in, make the firm the latest in a growing list of firms trying to better align associate pay with individual merit.

Elsewhere, we took a closer look at firms' financial performance with our analysis of the accounts of the biggest international LLPs in the London market, with the help of data provided exclusively to Legal Week by accountants Smith & Williamson. Based on the performance of these firms' London offices alone, many would sit well within our UK Top 50 in their own right.

We also looked into the recent spate of UK partner exits at Jones Day's London office, where a lack of financial transparency, particularly regarding pay, and a lack of communication with the US are being blamed by ex-partners.