The Washington Post has noted that being a Lawyer is the most stressful occupation in the US. The LSWU found that 71% of legal workers agreed that their work had a negative impact on their mental health.

The legal industry is known for its intensity and high demand, and often, those in the workforce are under a lot of strain. The lack of a work/life balance accounts for the majority of reasons for lawyers or legal professionals battling stress, as this impacts their mental well-being.

Factors inducing stress

1. The workload given to legal professionals reaches a staggering volume, which is more than enough to overwhelm anyone. The workload does not only include the number of cases a lawyer receives but also collecting evidence, writing up reports, organising files and much more. The pressure to complete all tasks within a short period of time is intense for all levels within law.
2. Strict deadlines intensify the workload enormously and add a time limit on getting them done. With strict deadlines comes working overtime to get things done on time to avoid any consequences from clients or colleagues.
3. Dealing with difficult clients can make a busy day even more tiresome. Anyone working with customers will know how the public can make the work day even more challenging. Within the law industry, these clients usually pay a high bill and have high expectations, which doesn't allow for much flexibility. Legal professionals have to adapt to clients in a proficient way whilst adhering to their job role.
4. Working overtime as a legal professional is often presumed to be a part of the job role for law firms. Legatics, found in a survey that most lawyers spend between 1-10 hours of overtime per week. This leaves people feeling tied to their desks with little to no time to decompress or unwind.
5. The billable hours expected to be completed can account for all the overtime. A high percentage of law firms will have targets of 6 hours a day of recorded work for each lawyer. This only accounts for billable hours and not for extra work outside of this that is also mandatory. This also leaves no room for any annual leave or sick days to be taken, adding on to the pressure to always be at work. Larger firms have even higher targets of 12 hours a day becoming the average; it is no wonder that the legal profession has such a high rate of burnout and stress.

There is a staggering number of lawyers who feel their job negatively impacts their mental and physical health leading them to consider their future in the industry. Many feel a lack of support from their firm being unable to seek support. With no one to support them in times of stress and no way to alleviate any anxieties this often leads to burnout with over 9 in 10 lawyers experiencing this during their career.

The Great Resignation

Pinsent Masons report that as many as 37% of lawyers in the UK are considering leaving their professions due to the impact it has on their mental health.

Specifically, since the pandemic hit, work life has changed drastically for many, and a shift in people's priorities has occurred. Many people realised the importance of their personal lives and how working from home gives them more time with their family. The great resignation refers to the mass of employees leaving a job where they were requested to return to the office. This has seeped into the legal industry as reducing their stress levels and increasing job flexibility is tempting more and more people. The Singapore Law Society conducted a study including international lawyers where 54% of them stated they were likely to leave their workplace by 2027, with over half of them likely to leave the profession altogether.

Many young lawyers are still hungry for success, allowing for new talent to be recruited; however, the problem occurs in keeping these people in the firm. Many learn that the job was not what they expected, highlighting the importance of managing staff expectations. BCL legal reports that newly recruited lawyers join a company or firm and often leave within their first 6 months.

The choice between a successful career and their family/social lives is leaving the legal profession on the losing end. The University of Liverpool found in their study that young fathers felt the need to fabricate meetings in order to perform their childcare duties. There is a fear within young parents in the legal industry, that If they have involvement in the day-to-day childcare, they could be seen as less committed to their work. The battle to balance home life and the high demands of the job are leading to many professionals leaving the industry.

There is an international crisis for the legal industry, and the stress caused by the job is unsustainable for many in the long run. The options can feel limited as the choice between their career progression or mental well-being can only mean a ticking timebomb on how much one can handle.

Austrian based firm, Haka Küchen's acquisition of the Mondsee location from Villeroy & Boch, overseen by Olaf Haelke, Senior Director of the Non-Ceramics division, and an in-house lawyer Hoffmann, was a calculated move towards growth and production expansion. For legal counsel, Villeroy & Boch turned to the expertise of the Salzburg-based law firm Pressl Endl Heinrich Bamberger (PEHB). Within the firm, the transaction was managed by the cooperation partner Haslauer, who was brought on board through a personal recommendation.

PricewaterhouseCoopers provided their proficiency in handling the tax aspects of the deal, ensuring a smooth financial transition. Additionally, Dr. Roland Schlager from 2i-International, with a presence in both Munich and Salzburg, contributed as the M&A advisor, bringing valuable merger and acquisition insights to the table. This collaborative effort contributed to the strategic expansion of Haka Küchen as it strengthens its position in the Austrian market.

Capgemini, a frontrunner in consulting, technology services, and digital transformation, has recently announced the acquisition of HDL Design House, a premier provider of silicon design and verification services in Europe. This strategic move strengthens Capgemini's global silicon engineering capabilities, underscoring its role as a key driver in the intelligent industry revolution. HDL Design House was founded in 2001 and with its headquarters in Belgrade, Serbia, HDL Design House is celebrated for its deep expertise in crafting advanced custom chip designs that cater to various industrial sectors. HDL Design House retains strong bonds and cooperates with HDL Design Greece P.C., established in 2015 by the same shareholders in Salonica, Greece. The transaction involved the acquisition of both Serbian and Greek entities by Capgemini Consulting.

The legal expertise and advisory provided by Moussas & Partners Law Firm were crucial in facilitating this acquisition for Capgemini, ensuring compliance, due diligence, and a seamless transition ahead, during and after the transaction.

Can you describe Moussas & Partners' role in the acquisition of HDL Design House by Capgemini Consulting and the key contributions your firm made to this transaction?

Moussas & Partners Law Firm advised Capgemini Consulting from start to finish of this exciting deal. Our Firm, specialized in complex M&A transactions and in its capacity as the exclusive legal counsel of Capgemini in Greece, conducted a full legal due diligence review of the Greek target with an emphasis on corporate information and documentation, material contracts, employment issues, IP rights and GDPR compliance. We provided legal advice – throughout the transaction – on detailed employment, compliance and regulatory matters and further assisted on the preparation and drafting of transaction documents supporting Capgemini up to completion. We continue to advise Capgemini on various issues in the context of our post-acquisition integration support. Our M&A team has been led by our Partners, Maria Malikouti and Charalampos Kondis, while our Senior Associate, Eirini Kontrafouri and our Associate, Konstantina Margariti played a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth completion of this demanding project. Our team advised Capgemini together with Karanovic & Partners, who advised on aspects of Serbian law in relation to this project.

What were the most challenging legal aspects of this acquisition, and how did Moussas & Partners navigate these complexities to facilitate a successful agreement between the parties involved?

We were involved in a complex management of a multi-faceted transaction and documentation process, pertaining to the highly evolving sector of silicon design and verification services. Aspects of utmost importance for this transaction included GDPR, regulatory compliance, employment law and IP rights. Any and all complexities have been addressed and accommodated successfully to ultimately meet our client’s best needs, through the hands-on involvement of our team; it has definitely been a true team effort, including our colleagues from Karanovic & Partners, with whom we had the honor and privilege to cooperate on this engagement.

In transactions such as the Capgemini Consulting and HDL Design House deal, how does Moussas & Partners ensure that due diligence is thorough and that all potential risks are mitigated?

Building on our previous and distinguished M&A experience, we keep allocating our resources on the basis of our people’s expertise. In this manner, we are better positioned to identify any risks arising out of the due diligence process, classify these on the basis of their importance and at the same time suggest proper solutions for their mitigation, through the preparation/drafting of transactional documents.

Could you discuss the significance of this acquisition in the context of the Greek technology sector and the role Moussas & Partners plays in shaping the industry's legal landscape?

Through this acquisition, Capgemini’s global silicon engineering capabilities, which were already among the world’s largest, shall further extend. HDL Design House comprises numerous highly skilled engineers, with a substantial experience to deliver advanced custom chip designs for multiple industries. HDL’s clients include major players in the semiconductor industry, as well as leading Original Equipment Manufacturers, who are harnessing the full potential of chips to create intelligent and connected products. This transaction allows Capgemini to significantly reinforce its semiconductor presence in Europe, being a key destination for this strategic industry. We are proud to have contributed to the re-shape of European and Greek technology sector, an experience which has further equipped our Firm with deep knowledge of this highly evolving sector.

Looking beyond the completion of the transaction, what kind of post-acquisition integration support does Moussas & Partners provide, and how critical is this for the success of such international deals?

We are advising Capgemini Consulting on post – completion matters, on issues mainly relating to corporate, tax and social security law arising out of the integration of the HDL Design Greece P.C. within the Capgemini Group and the manner in which the Greek entity shall operate in the future. As a Firm we do not exhaust the provision of our services up to the completion of a project. We rather emphasize and are eager to maintain our advisory role on a post-acquisition integration support level, since this is the ultimate purpose of a cross-border transaction and international deal, serving fully and best the needs and interests of our clients.

HW Fisher Transactions Services provided financial and tax due diligence services to Coniston Capital, supporting them in securing the significant capital investment into MWA Financial. Services included a review of historic financial information, VAT, PAYE and Tax and a review of financial forecasts and covenant compliance. HW Fisher, Chartered Accountants, also offer accountancy and financial advisory support to entrepreneurial SMEs, large corporates, and high net-worth individuals, enabling them to advise Coniston Capital in this investment.

The transaction was led by Carolyn Hazard, Transactions Services Partner, assisted by Nishil Shah, Transactions Services Manager. Having previously advised on the ThinCats facility raised in March 23, HW Fisher’s knowledge of MWA provided a good basis for their engagement with Coniston.

Coniston Capital places their priority in investing into SMEs, companies which require a partner to enable a change of ownership and accelerate their growth plans.

Coniston Capital is a private equity firm, and their funding will increase MWA’s acquisition power with three deals anticipated in the next 12 months. This investment will support the target to grow MWA Financial into a major wealth management practice in the UK.

MWA was founded in 2016 by Cam Banks to provide their clients with independent financial advice. Having more than 25 years of experience developing financial advice platforms in Australia for major organisations, Banks used MWA to recreate this holistic advice model within the UK.

With Coniston Capital’s investment, MWA will be able to achieve their target of expanding their coverage across the UK. MWA target firms with strong relationships with their clients and equally, experience of delivering great outcomes.

MWA Financial were also advised by the corporate team at South East Firm, Brachers.

BBH, the distinguished Czech law firm, has represented the Czech investment group Kaprain in its strategic acquisition of a 5.3 ha brownfield site in Libeň, a district in Prague 9, from Howden ČKD Compressors. The significant site, which is positioned near the O2 arena—a key sports and events hub and the home ground of the Sparta Praha ice-hockey team—presents a prime location for Kaprain's visionary development plans.

Kaprain's ambitious project aims to transform the area into a vibrant new district, a focal point of Prague 9, incorporating a mix of civic, public, commercial, and residential spaces. The development is set to infuse the locale with dynamic growth and enhanced urban offerings.

In structuring the deal and drafting of the transaction documentation, careful consideration and advice were given on the related issues of financing of the transaction, insurance, as well as the future development of the site.

Throughout the property sale, Colliers and PRK offered their expertise to Howden.

Lysander Law has been successfully sold out of administration to RHL Solicitors of Bristol, securing the company's future after a challenging period. The law firm encountered difficulties following the 2021 whiplash reforms (Civil Liability Act 2018) that introduced a fixed tariff for injuries and clamped down on legal fees. These challenges were exacerbated by the massive backlog of court proceedings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sale was managed by Robert Insall of BTG Advisory (Exeter office) and Katrina Orum and Huw Powell (as Joint Administrators) of Begbies Traynor (Cardiff office), ensuring the preservation of the business's core operations, protecting client interests and saving tens of jobs.

Throughout this transitional phase, Paul Caldicott and Thomas Jenkins of Blake Morgan LLP provided advisory services to the company, while Tim O'Callaghan of Judge Sykes Frixou offered counsel to the counterparties at RHL.