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The article discusses an interview with Attorney Mark Amsden, general counsel of Morrisons Supermarkets PLC in Great Britain. It relates how he established the legal team of Morrisons. Amsden asked the help of former Addleshaws commercial director Chris Howe to run the first formal legal panel review of the supermarket.

The article reports that the law firm Linklaters LLP is to vote on November 25, 2014 on sweeping changes to its international board (IB) which could result in a reduction of seats or change in function. The firm has ruled out a merger of the two senior boards. It mentions that the governance review will be debated at the firm's first bi-annual partnership conference in over five years.

The article reports that the latest panel review has been launched by JP Morgan Chase and Co. with a warning that firms have to cut rates by at least 2% to qualify. It is mentioned that handing Freshfields litigation surrounding alleged rate manipulation, the bank has turned to Linklaters LLP and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP for British litigation mandates.

The article reports that Lucy Vernall, first-ever general counsel of British payday loan company Wonga.com Ltd. has left the company for Internet lender Funding Circle. It mentions that Vernall left the company few months after Wonga paid out compensation for sending debt collection letters from fake firms. It mentions the legal responsibilities she handled in Wonga.

The article reports that London, England-based commercial law firm Nabarro LLP's position is under threat as it might be thrown off from brewer Molson Coors Brewing Co.'s advisory panel. The brewer is searching for a replacement debt and competition adviser since July 2014. It states that reason why the Nabarro's position is in danger, as it was one of the brewer's first formal advisers.

The article reports on the transition of law firm Trowers & Hamlins LLP under the direction of senior partner Jennie Gubbins. Gibbins has commissioned two consultancies regarding the law firm's estate work and to enforce changes in its support staff service offerings. Gubbins has formed a new document production hub in Birmingham, England to service all its offices in the country.

The article emphasizes the need for law firms to work in collaboration with each other to be on panels of banks. It notes that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has suggested its legal advisors to find out new ways of working to keep costs down. Barclays PLC has also asked its law firms to take to the collaborative work to a new level. Banks are reported to be looking for a compromise, and have told their legal service providers to be friend with their smaller counterparts.

The article reports that the law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP's (BLP) legal contractor Lawyers on Demand (LoD) has launched a legal service in Manchester, England, in 2014. LoD's on-site contract lawyer service will be based in BLP's hub in Manchester. The two services, LoD On Site and LoD On Call, offer contract lawyers to in-house teams. BLP is the principal shareholder, and has an 80 percent stake in this business.

The article reports on the international business expansion of international law firm Taylor Wessing in the U.S. It mentions the relocation of corporate technology partners of Taylor Wessing from European offices in the U.S. which includes London, England-based corporate technology partner, Mark Barron to Palo Alto, California, Singapore-based corporate technology lawyer, Dennis Tan to the Palo Alt and corporate technology partner Mike Turner to the New York

The article offers information on the annual General Counsel Strategy Summit organized by the "Lawyer," journal in association with the firm Thomson Reuters in Portugal in May 2014. Topics discussed include modernising legal services, use of data to add value, and strengthening relationships between external firms and internal management. Private practice lawyers, in-house career planning and succession were also discussed.

The article reports on the move of Lloyds Banking Group PLC to finalize its formal roster of customer-pay panel for legal services. Lloyds had split its panel into 12 spots and appointed spots to firms including Osborne Clarke, Hogan Lovells International LLP, and CMS Cameron McKenna LLP. The final roster confirmed the speculations of merging sub-panels such as corporate lending, trade finance, and real estate finance under in-house lawyer Jon Alexander.

The article reports on the expansion of intellectual property (IP) practice of the law firm Irwin Mitchell LLP wherein it hire IP lawyer Katrina Burchell for the IP market in Great Britain. It states that the firm has won at the Law Society for it competitive tender on employment, commercial contracts and property matters. It also notes that the firm has launched an internal initiative to improve it IP team.

The article announces the resignation of John Hayes, head of Irwin Mitchell London, following the retirement of chief executive John Pickering who was succeeded by personal legal services head Andrew Tucker.

The article reports that the organization Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has appointed several law firms to its Assessment Period Legal panel (APLP). The companies include Burges Salmon LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright and Osborne Clarke. It mentions that the company reduced its core panel in October 2013 as it had to pay compensation to its defined-benefit pension schemes members. It highlights that the panel will look after equalisation, benefit specification and admissible rules.

The article reports that law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been dropped from rural panel of property company Crown Estate Commissioners of Great Britain. It states that the energy panel firm Bond Dickinson and law firm Burges Salmon have replaced Clarke Willmott. It highlights that Estate has introduced a scheme in partnership with real estate developer Oxford Properties LLC. Nick Page, chairman at Bond Dickinson, will be the client relationship partner.

The article reports on the first formal panel review of Unilever Group in which law firms have been asked to pitch for work. It is noted that the company has relied on a list of trusted advisers which includes Slaughter and May and Mayer Brown LLP and has never put in place a formal panel. It is mentioned that Unilever's first issue of Renminbi denominated notes has been advised by Slaughter in 2014.

The article reports that the law firm Trowers and Hamlins LLP has expanded its national practice groups. Under senior partner Jennie Gubbins, the firm adopted a strategy based around five groups including housing and regulatory, commercial property and employment. The firm also planning to relocate partner Amardeep Gill from London to Birmingham to lead the national group.

The article presents information on the competition between the law firms Clifford Chance LLP and Allen and Overy LLP(A&O) in Great Britain. It states that last year Clifford Chance LLP had left behind its rivals by acquiring more contracts and deals. However this year, A&O has outperformed Clifford Chance LLP with its performance.

The article reports on the need for the organizations like London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) to adapt in the changing environment for legal market in Great Britain in 2014. It mentions about the arbitrators being attracted towards settlement business as LCIA is expected to issue new rules for the law firms.

The article reports on the move of general counsel Marina Zain of Royal Shakespeare Co. (RSC) to create an inaugural panel of legal advisers. The move is part of Zain's strategy to overhaul the company's legal aid services. Zain reveals that the small panel will be registered under charity with percentage of work under pro bono basis.

The article reports that Guy Norman has been elected as the new corporate chief of Great Britain-based multinational law firm Clifford Chance LLP.

The article reports that Gateley has posted a profit of 8 million pounds after fully integrating the Manchester, England, office of failed firm Halliwells in May 2012. Gateley's accounts show how the firm put the 40-strong team into a separate legal entity due to the goal to push the deal through quickly.

The article reports that public services provider Amey PLC has decided against setting up a formal panel of legal advisers following its acquisition of Enterprise in 2013. Amey is in favour of an informal referral system. The merged firm has a turnover of 2.3 billion pounds with about 21,000 employees.

The article reports that the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has lost a bid of bringing a judicial review of the criminal barristers' new rating system. The rating system has been introduced by the Legal Service Board (LSB). According to the claimants, the LSB had exceeded its statutory powers but the court has ruled out the argument.

The article reports that law firm Nabarro LLP has been hit with a professional negligence claim by MCashback, a former client, which disgruntled over the way Nabarro conducted a High Court trial. The dispute started in 2006 when Nabarro defended MCashback against allegations of wrongful diversion of a business opportunity and centres on the shares and IP rights of now defunct software company MCashback.

The article reports that law firms are starting to use the merit-based pay structures. Merit-based systems judge lawyers on performance-related criteria, such as teamwork and client services. Linklaters LLP has confirmed that it was introducing a merit-based element for associates above two years' PQE. RPC scrapped its NQ flat-rate salary entirely in favour of a 100 per cent merit-based system from September 2014.

The article reports on the law firms advising on the regeneration of the Battersea power station at Nine Elms on the South Bank in London, England. Among the firms included in the list are Pinsent Masons LLP, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Wragge & Co. LLP and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. It notes that the scheme includes a linear park across the projects.

The article reports on the financial performance of the law firm Nabarro LLP. It is informed that the firm is getting its revenue mainly from real estate sector. The firm's average profit per equity partner (PEP) increased by 30 percent in 2013. It is reported that Google Inc. is one of the high-profile clients this year.

The article reports on the decision of Great Britain's Legal Service Board (LSB) which dropped law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP (HSF) from representing itself in its defence of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). The move was made following HSF's 400,000-pound cost estimate for a three-day hearing. It notes that HSF was defending itself from a judicial review launched by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) towards its decision for approving the criminal advocates grading.

The article announces that Sarah Cardell has been named general counsel for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in Great Britain.