As 2013 looms, it's time to take a look back at the year that was in the legal world and a chance to win some truly astonishing prizes with the RollOnFriday Christmas Quiz (just click here). We've a bumper selection of the top European stories and top Asia Pacific stories of 2012.
So, how will 2012 be remembered? Sadly the year is ending on a low for plenty of law firm staff, who face the prospect of unemployment in the New Year. Slaughters axed swathes of secretaries, Pinsents managed two redundancy rounds, Dundas & Wilson confirmed 28 redundancies (but decided not to shoot staff) and DLA Piper announced 251 jobs are to go.
Meanwhile, other firms tried to cut costs in a different way. Eversheds implemented a draconian stationery policy, Ashfords offered paralegals just £12,500 a year whilst commercial set 4 King's Bench Walk went even further, advertising a six-month full-time unpaid internship. Cheeky.
Lawyers also revealed their creative sides. A departing Linklaters lawyer penned some marvellously purple prose, there was the disgruntled SNR Denton staffer who sent a firmwide email calling her boss "putrid", and it's surely a crime that this training contract applicant didn't scoop a job with his finely-tuned legal rap.
As ever, there were plenty of lawyers behaving badly. A US attorney was jailed for allegedly smashing up his office and painting penises on the walls, it was fun in the sun for a Veale Wasbrough associate who enjoyed some hot tub frolics with a boxer (then told the Sun about it) and there were many new additions to RollOnFriday Dodgy Solicitor Top Trumps. Shearmans' lawyers in particular found themselves in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: brandishing guns and sending spit-roast themed emails.
But there were good news stories too. A former homeless Freshfields staffer (and top class athlete) was chosen as an Olympic torch bearer and a Clifford Chance paralegal appealing for funds for a life-improving operation for his daughter was bowled over by the generosity of Roffers.
If you've been paying attention to this year's top stories then give the RollOnFriday Christmas Quiz a try. The winner will be plucked from an electronic top hat in the new year and whisked off for luncheon at a top restaurant. Or, should a trip to London prove impractical, or the thought of meeting the inhabitants of RoF Towers unpalatable, you can have £100 of booze vouchers. Or a Kindle. Enter here.
Good luck, and have a happy Christmas. We'll see you in 2013 for more stories, unless the Mayans were right, in which case see you on the other side of the apocalypse.
Tip Off ROF
So, how will 2012 be remembered? Sadly the year is ending on a low for plenty of law firm staff, who face the prospect of unemployment in the New Year. Slaughters axed swathes of secretaries, Pinsents managed two redundancy rounds, Dundas & Wilson confirmed 28 redundancies (but decided not to shoot staff) and DLA Piper announced 251 jobs are to go.
Meanwhile, other firms tried to cut costs in a different way. Eversheds implemented a draconian stationery policy, Ashfords offered paralegals just £12,500 a year whilst commercial set 4 King's Bench Walk went even further, advertising a six-month full-time unpaid internship. Cheeky.
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2012 in a picture |
Lawyers also revealed their creative sides. A departing Linklaters lawyer penned some marvellously purple prose, there was the disgruntled SNR Denton staffer who sent a firmwide email calling her boss "putrid", and it's surely a crime that this training contract applicant didn't scoop a job with his finely-tuned legal rap.
As ever, there were plenty of lawyers behaving badly. A US attorney was jailed for allegedly smashing up his office and painting penises on the walls, it was fun in the sun for a Veale Wasbrough associate who enjoyed some hot tub frolics with a boxer (then told the Sun about it) and there were many new additions to RollOnFriday Dodgy Solicitor Top Trumps. Shearmans' lawyers in particular found themselves in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: brandishing guns and sending spit-roast themed emails.
But there were good news stories too. A former homeless Freshfields staffer (and top class athlete) was chosen as an Olympic torch bearer and a Clifford Chance paralegal appealing for funds for a life-improving operation for his daughter was bowled over by the generosity of Roffers.
If you've been paying attention to this year's top stories then give the RollOnFriday Christmas Quiz a try. The winner will be plucked from an electronic top hat in the new year and whisked off for luncheon at a top restaurant. Or, should a trip to London prove impractical, or the thought of meeting the inhabitants of RoF Towers unpalatable, you can have £100 of booze vouchers. Or a Kindle. Enter here.
Good luck, and have a happy Christmas. We'll see you in 2013 for more stories, unless the Mayans were right, in which case see you on the other side of the apocalypse.
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