Morning Briefing: In-house legal salaries on the rise

In-house legal salaries rise in US
American lawyers in corporate legal teams are earning more as competition increases for talent. Recruitment specialists Lawrence Simons says that median base salaries for counsel who graduated from law school four to seven years ago is now US$130,000-170,000. Those with around 10 years’ experience can earn up to US$225,000 and those with more than 15 years could expect in excess of US$400,000. Almost two-thirds of those polled said they had received a bonus and 18 per cent of those received between 10 and 19 per cent of their base salary.
 
International firm elects senior partner
International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner has elected Neville Eisenberg to the role of senior partner for a four-year term beginning 1^st May 2015 succeeding Harold Paisner who has held the role since the firm was formed by a merger in 2001. Eisenberg has been managing partner for 16 years and has guided the firm to its current position as a global firm with 12 offices in 10 countries. He will be succeeded by Lisa Mayhew.
 
Clarkson consulted alternative law firm over Top Gear sacking
Despite being a client of Olswang it’s reported that BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson consulted with litigation boutique Quinn Emanuel Urquhart in the lead up to his dismissal from the broadcaster. It’s believed that he may have done so to avoid a conflict of interest as the BBC has a long-standing relationship with Olswang. Clarkson worked with the firm when he negotiated a rights deal with the BBC for the commercial exploitation of the Top Gear brand. There is speculation about whether the presenter, whose freelance contract with the BBC was not renewed following an altercation with a producer, will seek to claim breach of contract and damages over the matter.
 
Indian court summons lawyers for derogatory comments about women
The Supreme Court in India has called two lawyers for making comments in a TV documentary saying that women had no place in Indian culture. NDTV reports that the lawyers, ML Sharma and AK Singh, are defending a gang accused of raping a student who later died. The court was petitioned by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association which was outraged by the lawyers’ comments and has asked the two men for a response.