Paul Hodkinson

3 weeks ago | law.com | Paul Hodkinson

On a busy New York street recently, I found myself chatting with a protester outside the offices of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. The demonstrator, a former Big Law professional, expressed profound disappointment in what they saw as the firm's capitulation to President Donald Trump, a man whose administration has been targeting legal institutions that have advised his opponents.

3 weeks ago | law.com | Paul Hodkinson

On a busy New York street recently, I found myself chatting with a protester outside the offices of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. The demonstrator, a former Big Law professional, expressed profound disappointment in what they saw as the firm's capitulation to President Donald Trump, a man whose administration has been targeting legal institutions that have advised his opponents.

1 month ago | law.com | Paul Hodkinson

Is Big Law soaring or on the brink of collapse? Just as the world’s biggest law firms, Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins report spectacular results, the industry has come under unprecedented attack from the U.S. President. The timing might not be coincidental. As one partner described, the top-tier legal industry has quietly amassed “stealth wealth” over the past few decades, with profits per partner exceeding $20 million at the high end. And few outside the industry have noticed—until now.

1 month ago | law.com | Paul Hodkinson

Susanna McGibbon is the treasury solicitor and permanent secretary of the U.K. Government Legal Department. She is the government’s most senior legal official and oversees a wide range of legal services to government departments and other public bodies. Her role, expressed in its simplest terms, is to help the government govern well, within the rule of law.

1 month ago | law.com | Paul Hodkinson

U.S. good; rest of the world bad. That’s the simplified narrative of the global legal industry over the last 20 years. The numbers are hard to dispute. Thanks to a large, robust domestic economy and the strong dollar, U.S.-headquartered law firms have consistently outpaced their foreign counterparts in revenue growth, profits per equity partner and overall business strength. Today, U.S.-based firms currently make up 80% of the Global 100 by revenue and 45 of the top 50 most profitable firms.