Junior talent war heats up among law firms

This is an online version of Financial News’s weekly legal newsletter, FN Law. To subscribe, click

A group of UK and international law firms have 

increased base pay for their junior talent

 in London during the summer while Magic Circle and elite US firms have held steady.

Zoe Hu

Business

Investing

Glencore offers boost to London stock market as it shelves US listing plan

UK investors pull more than £300m from US equity funds amid Trump’s tariff turmoil

Rokos to join Middle East rush with new Abu Dhabi office

Milbank hires private equity M&A rising star in Germany

https://images.fnlondon.com/im-43406752?size=1.5

Coutts hires ex-JPMorgan banker James Todd as next private client boss

https://images.fnlondon.com/im-95923804?size=1.42

Todd replaces Camilla Stowell who left the NatWest-owned wealth in January

Senior GIC private equity lawyer joins Dechert in London

https://images.fnlondon.com/im-14432569?size=1.5

US law firm hires private equity specialist from key client

The private-equity firm’s profit rose amid what its executives called the best environment for selling assets in years.

Exits Lift Carlyle in Second Quarter as Firm Sees Better Market Conditions

The bank’s quarterly net result declined but revenue rose 13% compared with a year ago, and it reaffirmed its capital returns plans.

Commerzbank Raises Guidance, Plans $1.2 Billion Buyback After Earnings Beat

A weekly call turned into a celebration of heroes as staffers comfort one another through lingering trauma.

Blackstone Begins ‘Climb Back to Normalcy,’ Returns to Office After Shooting

The president recounted his experiences when asked about an executive order the White House is preparing.

Trump Says Banks Discriminate Against Conservatives—Including Him

Gold prices are climbing as the threat of a U.S. economic slowdown becomes increasingly real.

Gold Higher as U.S. Economy is Seen Stalling

The president is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week that targets what is called debanking of businesses including crypto companies.

White House Preps Order to Punish Banks That Discriminate Against Conservatives

Some fear a decline in the world-leading economic statistics underpinning U.S. markets.

By Alexander Saeedy, Jack Pitcher and Peter Rudegeair

Trump’s BLS Firing Tests Wall Street’s Reliance on Government Data

Big stock awards have grown much bigger for the chief executives of Palantir and Broadcom, driven by dramatic market gains and, in some cases, complex multipliers.

For a Few CEOs, Pay Keeps Growing—by the Billions

The U.K. Supreme Court said a commission from a bank to a car dealer isn’t considered a bribe and dealers don’t violate rules by not disclosing this commission to customers.

U.K. Bank Shares Rise After Car-Loan Ruling Softens Industry Blow

Gold futures rose as the speculation around an interest rate cut in September intensifies. Gold settled 0.8% higher, up for a second consecutive session.

Demand is up for private aviation, the luxury that separates the 1% from the 0.1%.

How Flying on a Private Jet Became the No. 1 Marker of Real Wealth

The hedge-fund founder’s move ends a tumultuous transition at the firm. Also, Brunei’s sovereign-wealth fund now owns almost 20% of the hedge fund.

Ray Dalio Sells Last Stake in Bridgewater, the Hedge Fund That Made Him a Billionaire

The largest U.S. crypto exchange’s revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Coinbase’s Profit Jumps on Crypto Investment Gains

The appointment rewards the executive who led the bank back from a scandal involving the creation of millions of fake customer accounts.

Wells Fargo to Name CEO Charlie Scharf Chairman

Microsoft joined Nvidia in the $4 trillion market-cap club, while Meta is closing in on the $2 trillion mark.

By Rolfe Winkler, Nate Rattner and Sebastian Herrera

Big Tech’s $400 Billion AI Spending Spree Just Got Wall Street’s Blessing

The New York investment firm posted a profit of $472.4 million, compared with $667.9 million a year earlier.

KKR Posts Higher Revenue, Increases Assets Under Management

America’s most powerful banker and the president have met twice in the past two months to talk about the economy, interest rates and trade.

By Alexander Saeedy and AnnaMaria Andriotis

Trump and Dimon Are Talking Again After Yearslong Rift

The London-based bank said it is well on its way to achieving the target of returning at least $8 billion to shareholders over the three years ending in 2026.

Standard Chartered Quarterly Profit Jumps, Announces $1.3 Billion Buyback

Britain’s Lottie Woad became one of the top players in the world by demolishing professionals while she was still an amateur. Now, she’s ready to start winning majors.

She Just Turned Pro—and She’s Already Taking Over Golf

Individual investors are trading with abandon, driving up prices of everything from stocks to crypto—and turbocharging the brokerage business.

In This Frothy Market, It’s Boom Times for Brokers Like Robinhood

The retail trading platform posted a profit of $386 million for the quarter.

Robinhood Second-Quarter Revenue Rose on Transaction Sales Growth

Work-to-party founder Adam Neumann liked to say he ran a tech company. WeWork’s new, postbankruptcy marketing chief is tasked with positioning the brand as an old-fashioned office space provider.

WeWork Wants You to Know It’s a Grown-Up Real-Estate Firm Now

Companies have long leaned on entry-level workers to do grunt work that doubles as on-the-job training. Now ChatGPT and other bots can do many of those chores.

By Lindsay Ellis and Katherine Bindley | Graphics by Rosie Ettenheim

AI Is Wrecking an Already Fragile Job Market for College Graduates

The shooter who killed four including Blackstone executive and NYPD officer left suicide note indicating he believed he had CTE from brain trauma, Adams says

By Jack Morphet, Miriam Gottfried and James Fanelli

Gunman Was Targeting NFL in Midtown Office Shooting Spree

U.S. stock futures and European indexes gained, while the dollar strengthened against the euro, after President Trump announced the trade agreement Sunday.

Global Markets Rise After U.S. and EU Reach Deal

Homegrown names such as Laopu, Mao Geping and Songmont are winning over customers who are losing their taste for high-end Western brands.

Forget Cartier: Made-in-China Luxury Captivates Chinese Consumers

The pact imposes a baseline tariff of 15% on the U.S.’s biggest trading partner.

Trump and EU Reach Tariff Deal, Avoiding Trade War

Bosses aren’t just unapologetic about staff cuts. Many are touting shrinking head counts as accomplishments in the AI era.

CEOs Trumpet Smaller Workforces as a Sign of Corporate Health 

CEOs Are Shrinking Their Workforces—and They Couldn’t Be Prouder

Many in the Gen Z generation missed out on critical experiences during the pandemic. Bosses should be filling in those gaps.

Stop Complaining About Gen Z Workers—and Start Helping Them  

The lender forecast total income excluding notable items to exceed $21.61 billion as loan growth and structural hedges continue to mitigate the impact of interest-rate cuts.

NatWest Raises Outlook, Launches Buyback After Strong Quarter

The president turned a rare visit to the U.S. central bank into political theater that included hard hats and a back slap.

Trump Says He Won’t Fire Powell Despite Bout of Bickering Over Renovation Costs

Company points out early progress on robotaxis and bots, as revenue from electric vehicles plummets.

Elon Musk Tells Tesla Investors to Focus on a Future Filled With Robots

The leaders of America’s chip giants cheered the president’s artificial intelligence orders, which could help boost the domestic semiconductor industry.

Nvidia, AMD CEOs Rally Behind President Trump’s AI ‘Action Plan’

The Davos founder rejected preliminary findings of misconduct, including improper travel expenses and gifts.

By Jenny Strasburg and Shalini Ramachandran

Probe of Davos Founder Finds Unauthorized Spending, Inappropriate Behavior

CME Group’s second-quarter earnings and revenue rose sharply as the derivatives-exchange operator benefited from a surge in trading activity due to market volatility.

CME Earnings Surge on Volatility, Increased Trading

The Italian bank lifted earnings and shareholder-distributions guidance after reporting better-than-expected profit, looking to turn the page on its aborted takeover bid for its smaller peer.

UniCredit Upgrades Guidance After Dropping Banco BPM Deal

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

Exits Lift Carlyle in Second Quarter as Firm Sees Better Market Conditions

Commerzbank Raises Guidance, Plans $1.2 Billion Buyback After Earnings Beat

Blackstone Begins ‘Climb Back to Normalcy,’ Returns to Office After Shooting

Trump Says Banks Discriminate Against Conservatives—Including Him

Comex Gold, Silver Settle Higher