Linklaters

Question 1

What is the future strategy of the firm?

Answer 1

• Be the most sought after international firm in UK, Europe and Asia
• Achieve transformational growth
• Be one of the five most profitable global law firms

Question 2

What is the US strategy?

Answer 2

• Both mergers and organic growth have been considered
• The plan is somewhere in-between (ie bring specific partners and teams across)
• Eg M&A team from Shearman Sterling has been part of the aggressive bolting on

Question 3

Partnership

Answer 3

• Fully integrated so very different from eat what you kill
• 500 global partners

Question 4

How many offices and jurisdictions?

Answer 4

• 31 Offices across 21 countries
• Examples: NY, London, Beijing, Berlin

Question 5

What are the three core practice (they aren’t split like this in practice)?

Answer 5

Transactional, contentious and regulatory/advisory

Question 6

Client examples

Answer 6

Britvic, Meta, Visa, PwC etc
- Over 5,000 clients
- Third most FTSE clients

Question 7

What keeps people at the firm?

Answer 7

• Learn new things every day, improve constantly and likes the team

Question 8

Where are there alliance firms?

Answer 8

• South Africa (Webber Wentzel)
• Australia (Allens)

Question 9

Trainee retention rate

Answer 9

September 2024 = 78%

Question 10

Managing Partner

Answer 10

Paul Lewis

Question 11

How are practice areas sorted?

Answer 11

• Lawyers specialise in industry sectors as well as practice areas for maximum effectiveness e.g. sports, banks, technology

Question 12

How is AI used?

Answer 12

-Long history with emerging technologies about the risks and benefits
-Adoption of co-pilot in 2023
-Launched its own chatbot called Laila (confidential)
-CreateiQ: only law firm to have their own propriety contracting platform (brave enough to build technology when they don’t have something to suit the clients needs)

Question 13

Carlsberg acquisition of Britvic

Answer 13

-Danish brewer Carlsberg is acquiring Britvic PLC (UK soft drinks maker) in a cash deal
- Share acquisition
- £3.3 billion deal
- Britvic’s shares will be delisted from the London Stock Exchange

Question 14

Carlsberg acquisition of Britvic: motivations

Answer 14

• Strategic move to diversify Carlsberg’s portfolio

Question 15

Carlsberg acquisition of Britvic: what challenges were there?

Answer 15

• Approval from EU and UK competition authorities (granted)
• Strategic partnerships and stakeholder negotiations (PepsiCo agreed to maintain its bottling contract with Britvic was significant + it shows how important third party agreements)

Question 16

Vodafone and three merger overview:

Answer 16

• Vodafone (51% stakeholder) Three Merger (Linklaters advised CK Hutchinson and Three Group PLC (£15BN)
• Approved 5th December (reducing the number of UK mobile operators from 4 to 3 EE, BT)

Question 17

Vodafone and three merger: motivations

Answer 17

• Why: economies of scale, cost efficiencies, being more competitive, quicker expansion of 5G networks

Question 18

Vodafone and three merger: challenges

Answer 18

-Faced major concerns from the CMA (fears it would drive up the price for consumers)

Question 19

Vodafone and three merger: how were challenges overcome

Answer 19

-Pledged to invest £11 BN over the next decade (help boost mobile broadband coverage + improve connectivity in school and hospitals) which would strengthen long term competition
-Commitments: freeze certain mobile tariffs for at least three years + ensure competitive deals for MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators which are companies that offer mobile services but don’t own the wireless infrastructure e.g. GiffGaff