Casino Royale mayhem has grabbed the nation’s attention, and hundreds of thousands of cinema-goers will be rushing out to see the latest James Bond movie this weekend. But news of Davenport Lyons‘ fascinating tax arrangements for the Bond movie (it’s the last time this particular loophole can be used) was of less interest to readers […]
Just one day after disgraced DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff began his prison sentence, Greenberg Traurig’s former head of tax, Jay Gordon, was disbarred for taking over $1.2m (£640,000) in kickbacks between 1999 and 2004. Olswang’s US ally has fired Gordon. Firm president and chief executive, Cesar Alvarez, said in a statement that the incident was […]
Linklaters has claimed Court of Appeal victory for Commerzbank in an acrimonious dispute over the multi-million pound bonuses paid to a trader. This morning (17 November) Lord Justices Mummery, Jacob and Moses dismissed the claim brought by former trader James Keen against the bank. Keen claimed that the bank’s decision to award him bonuses of […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Gleiss Lutz have bagged the lead roles on Europe’s latest multi-billion euro bank merger. Freshfields laid on a four-partner team for client UniCredit on its €12.5bn purchase of Bank Austria Creditanstalt from HypoVereinsbank (HVB), advised by Gleiss Lutz. The mandate comes after Freshfields advised Italian bank UniCredit on its €15bn (£10.11bn) […]
Davenport Lyons has advised on the film financing for Casino Royale, the latest James Bond film. Davenport’s film finance team, led by partner Sam Tatton-Brown, advised Alliance & Leicester Commercial Banking on the multi-million pound deal to support the film. The team advised Alliance & Leicester on the Letter of Credit to support Invicta Capital, […]
An Australian firm has created the position of ‘parenting partner’, understood to be a first, in a bid to bridge the gap between maternity leave and returning to work for lawyering mothers. Australia’s Holding Redlich named new mother Andrea Tsalamandris as its first parenting partner. Her role is that of a liaison, to help other […]
Akin Gump and Sidley Austin secured the key roles among another five firms that have scored instructions on the $26.7bn (£14.03bn) buyout of Clear Channel, America’s largest radio station owner. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Sidley Austin, Ropes & Gray, Dow Lohnes, and Wall Street stalwarts Cahill Gordon & Reindel, Sullivan & Cromwell and […]
To gamble or not to gamble? It was the dilemma of a whole load of delegates at The Lawyer’s Legal Summit in Monte Carlo last weekend – and it is the same dilemma facing Linklaters partners today as their partnership conference kicks off in the same city. It’s the sort of dilemma that City firms […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May have won instructions from longstanding clients 888 and Ladbrokes to advise the companies on preliminary merger talks. Before President Bush effectively made internet gambling illegal in the US in October, Freshfields pledged to stand by 888 and its other online gaming clients while other City firms started to […]
The Technology & Construction Court (TCC) has appointed Mr Justice Ramsey as the second High Court judge to sit regularly in the court, alongside TCC head Mr Justice Jackson. Ramsey J’s appointment comes as the TCC publishes its annual report. The report reveals that the vast majority of cases which are brought to the TCC […]
Allen & Overy Turin breakaway firm Pavesio & Associati has made its first lateral hire, luring corporate finance partner Andrea Cristaudi from Simmons & Simmons. Cristaudi began his career in A&O’s Turin office and was mentored by managing partner Carlo Pavesio. He made partner at the Milan office and then left for Simmons & Simmons […]
Wall Street firm Cravath Swaine & Moore is the latest US firm to announce new partnership promotions for 2007, promoting four of its associates to the partnership. The promotions follow a record year for Cravath. Average profit per equity partner rocketed 20 per cent to $2.7m (£1.5m) according to year-end financials for 2005. The new […]