Your top 10 reads this week: law firm job cuts, jail time for inside traders and more…

JOB cuts at one of the world’s largest law firms, an insider trading scandal and a transformational deal for investment bank Altium we your top reads of the last week.

Global law firm DLA Piper is cutting 200 business service jobs across the UK – 33 jobs will be axed in the North West – and offshoring to Warsaw.

The managing partner for the firm’s Leeds office told our sister site in Yorkshire that the business needed to review its back office functions because of the way it had grown through mergers over the past 20 years and that it now needs to streamline those support services. Read the interview here.

That news even trumped a tale of true scandal, with two high-flying finance professionals from Lancaster and Rochdale being found guilty of insider trading.

One of the pair – a former Deutsche Bank managing director – was sentenced to four and a half years, the longest ever handed down for insider dealing in a case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

But the story doesn’t end there – the FCA has said it also plans to pursue confiscation proceedings against both defendants, so watch this space.

The last of our top three sees a Manchester-headquartered investment bank at the centre of its latest big deal.

Altium announced a £250m-plus merger with listed Japanese investment bank GCA on Monday. The combined businesses generated revenues of more than £120m in 2015 and have completed upwards of 315 deals between them in the last three years.

You can read our post announcement one-to-one interview with Altium boss Phil Adams here:

The news broke the very morning of our own Rainmaker Awards shortlisting day, so there was plenty for a room of 30 or so corporate financiers to talk about… the deal may even be an early contender for next year’s awards shortlist.

Look out for the full 2016 Rainmaker Awards shortlist announcement next week. Until then, enjoy reading these and our other top stories of the week and have a great weekend.

This week’s top 10:

1. DLA Piper to cut 200 jobs

2. Eight years for insider trading duo

3. Altium in £250m merger with global investment bank

4. 60 firefighters battle blaze at plastics manufacturer

5. Foodies and drinkers loving going underground

6. Could Rooneys be your neighbours?

7. £2bn Spinningfields a ‘jewel in Manchester’s crown’

8. Celebrated chef offloads restaurant for £250,000

9. Living Ventures gives open invitation to Tim Bacon memorial

10. Carole Nash revs growth with acquisition

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