London firm SJ Berwin is considering introducing a standard flexible work schedule system. The firm wants to employ a system that would apply to all practice areas as well as non-fee-earning staff. One option would be to let people work less hours in quiet periods in return for working longer when they are working on a deal. Currently, some people work fewer days a week and others sometimes work from home. Other London firms like Simmons & Simmons and White & Case are introducing or already have implemented their own flexible working schemes.
Source: www.legalweek.com

The legal business has been growing over the past few years, and correspondingly, there has been an increase in new partners at large Texas firms. According to the Texas Lawyer’s “The Texas 100” poster, twenty-three of the 25 largest firms in the state report promoting 146 attorneys to partnership in their Texas offices for 2007. That’s 6.5 percent more than the 137 attorneys promoted to partnership by the same firms in 2006. The majority of the new partners recieved their JD between 1994 and 2000, and 40 percent of them are litigators. Women partners comprise 32 percent of the new partners, while minorities make up only 9 percent. This is a change for both groups compared to 2006 when women made up 28.5 percent of new partners and minorities made up 16 percent.
Source: www.law.com

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker has added two new partners to its real esatat practice. Brad Ritter and Gregory Spitzer joined Paul Hastings’ Chicago office last month from Kirkland & Ellis. These additions are just a part of the number of real estate hires the firm has recently made; with 190 lawyers in 18 offices, Paul Hastings’ real estate practice is one of the largest among US firms. The Chicago office now has 20 attorneys and continues to seek more.
Source: www.legalweek.com

Pepper Hamilton has hired Ellen McElroy, a tax lawyer with experience in the IRS Chief Counsel Office, as a partner in the Washington, DC office. Formerly of Ernst & Young, McElroy specializes in accounting methods and inventories, in particular capitalization issues. She has also worked for the IRS, where she served as a legislation counsel and as a senior attorney with the Income Tax and Accounting division. Pepper Hamilton’s tax practice helps clients with proactive tax planning and is involved in the structure and formation of partnerships. The tax attorneys also have experience in private equity funds, hedge funds, corporate spin-offs, accounting method changes and IRS controversy matters.
Source: www.lawfuel.com

C. Christopher Muth has been named as member-in-charge of Greenbaum, Doll & McDonald’s Cincinnati and Covington, OH offices. This appointment comes after former member-in-charge, Bill Robinson, left for Frost Brown Todd earlier this month. Muth is a part of the firm’s corporate and commercial practice group, and he is also the co-chairman of the M&A team. Specifically, he has experience in representing clients in mergers, asset acquisitions, stock purchase transactions and corporate finance.
Source: www.cincinnati.bizjournals.com

Reid Stuntz, formerly chief counsel and staff director to House member John Dingell, has joined Hogan & Hartson. Stuntz worked for Dingell for 18 years; Dingell is the longest serving House member in office and the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Along with Ty Cobb, Stuntz will co-chair Hogan & Hartson’s new investigations and oversights practice group. Working for Dingell, Stuntz served as the O&I chief counsel and staff director for four years, and estimates that he ran about 80 investigations.
Source: www.legaltimes.typepad.com