Morning Briefing: Aussie firm to hold off acquisitions

Slater & Gordon has seen rapid expansion in the UK market through a series of acquisitions over the past three years but the Aussie firm now believes it’s big enough in that market…for now. Group managing director Andrew Grech told the firm’s AGM that the focus will be on enhancing the “operational performance” of the existing business rather than growing any bigger. However he didn’t rule out further expansion in the longer term. Slaters financial performance has been slow in the UK market in the current financial year and was hit by the ongoing accounting investigation in Australia.
 
New Clyde partner in Melbourne
Marcus O’Brien is joining international law firm Clyde & Co as a partner in the insurance practice in Melbourne. He will become the firm’s 14^th partner in Australia and joins from Norton Rose Fulbright.
 
Chinese firm announces London partnership
One of China’s largest law firms has announced a strategic partnership with an international firm. Yingke’s Memorandum of Understanding with London-based Memery Crystal will be of reciprocal benefit to both firms with clients on both sides often seeking advice on transactions in the other’s jurisdiction.
 
Mayer Brown announces 27 new partners
US-based international firm Mayer Brown has announced its latest round of partnership promotions. The new partners are mainly in the US but there are also two new members of the partnership in Asia-Pac; Bill Amos and Venna Y.W. Cheng, both of the litigation & dispute resolution practice in Hong Kong.
 
Baker & McKenzie announces expansion in SA
Baker & McKenzie has expanded its South African capabilities with the appointment of John Bell as a partner in Johannesburg. Bell joins following 5 years as legal counsel at agribusiness GWK and the move reunites him with Baker’s joint managing director in the office, Gerhard Rudolph, and partners Darryl Bernstein and Kate Daniels; the four worked together at Rudolph, Bernstein and Associates.