15 March 2010
The Lawyer
A great year for restructurings leads to heightened expectations for Weil
US firm happy to report increased PEP in both London and New York. By Matt Byrne
Ayesha Vardag Solicitors
Family law boutique Ayesha Vardag Solicitors specialises in high-value, big-impact cases. And they do not come much bigger-impact than last year’s battle between German heiress Katrin Radmacher and her investment banker husband Nicolas Granatino.
Bakers ally seals $200m Egyptian PPP deal
Baker & McKenzie alliance firm Helmy Hamza and Partners secured the lead role acting for the sponsor on the first Egyptian public private partnership (PPP) to reach financial close.
Bakers partner in social mobility move
Baker & McKenzie head of administration and public law Tom Cassels has been appointed a trustee of the Social Mobility Foundation.
Blackstone Chambers hunts for juniors to stabilise gearing
?Blackstone Chambers is looking for junior barristers to balance the shape of its commercial practice.
CC advises on electoral commission inquiry
The Conservative Party instructed Clifford Chance to advise it on the Electoral Commission’s investigation into party donations made by a company owned by Lord Ashcroft, deputy chairman of the party.
CC and DLA Piper check in for £650m hotel group debt swap
Clifford Chance and DLA Piper have landed leading roles in a deal that has been hailed as one of the biggest debt-for-equity swaps in UK corporate history.
Coming back to haunt you
“I woke up and heard the news on the radio on Friday morning,” says a magic circle partner, “and thought, ’Christ, I hope that law firm they’re talking about isn’t us’.”
Egorov equity partners trouser £5m profit shares
Equity partners at Moscow-based Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners pocketed profit shares of on average e5.64m (£5.12m) in the 2009 financial year.
Emerald trial
International banks view England’s courts as their best bet for a favourable decision, often giving rise to a legal battle over jurisdiction. By Steven Friel
Eversheds instructed on North of England small business initiative
Eversheds has advised on the creation of £400m worth of funds to support small and medium enterprises in the north of England.
Focus: 4 New square, Bar Wars
Despite 4 New Square defeating accusations of racist behaviour in the Employment Tribunal, the case has not done the image of the set - or indeed the bar as a whole - any favours
Freshfields keeps it in the family and signs deal with Saudi sponsor’s father
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has changed the sponsorship arrangements governing its Saudi practice, swapping its local associate for his father.
Hitting the right note
Recession has inevitably altered the relationship between banks and law firms. And as Jane Galvin says, this is no bad thing
Investec pitches external investment to top 50 UK law firms as ABS debate gathers momentum
Banking group and FTSE100 newcomer Investec is preparing to kick off a new wave of interest in external investment in UK firms with a high-level private summit in London this summer.
Labaton Sucharow comes to UK to get snowed under
?Labaton Sucharow might not be a name particularly familiar in the UK market, but that might be about to change.
Linklaters ‘could face litigation’ over explosive Lehman report
All bets are off as Lehman administrators PwC examine implications of Valukas findings
Lockstep on last legs as Lovells switches to merit
Lovells’ decision to alter the remuneration system for its 114 junior partners will not only see its pay system better aligned with merger partner Hogan & Hartson’s, but will also see it join a growing movement away from lockstep and the chargeable hour as a basis for determining non-equity remuneration.
Lovells extends pro bono to corporate lawyers
Lovells has formed a social enterprise unit that offers pro bono advice across its international offices to the not-for-profit and fair trade sectors.
Magic circle firms line up to woo Deutsche Bank from White & Case
Firms champ at the bit at the prospect of the Deutsche Bank prize. By Gavriel Hollander
Marathon man: Christopher Aujard
Christopher Aujard is no stranger to hard work, but in his role as legal director at insurer Royal London Group he is also a great believer in putting people first. By Gavriel Hollander
No more 'One' at One Temple Gardens
London set One Temple Gardens has rebranded as Temple Gardens Chambers after expanding into new offices.
Norton Rose boosts Asia-Pacific tally
Norton Rose has continued its Asia-Pacific push with four new partners joining the firm in Australia, along with one in Singapore.
Olswang set to shift work to the regions
Olswang is planning to ramp up the use of its Reading office for selected legal work in a bid to offer clients a lower-cost option and allow its transactional lawyers room to focus on higher-margin deals.
Opinion: The future of the Falklands: could it be compromise?
The potential exploitation of valuable natural resources in the region surrounding the Falkland Islands recently brought a long-running territorial dispute back into the public spotlight.
Osborne reinforces restructuring team
Osborne Clarke has bolstered its City restructuring and insolvency practice with Kennedys senior associate Andrew Mace joining the team as a partner.
People moves
Davenport Lyons has taken on Paul Hicks as a partner in its real estate practice.
Pole position
In 2009 Poland weathered the recession better than any other EU country, but how did the legal market fare? By James Swift
Property elite converge on Cannes for Mipim 2010
?What do you get if you bring together 30,000 deal-hungry members of the property industry, gallons of champagne and a fleet of Ferraris?
Sheffield Uni to create first legal first panel
The University of Sheffield is to form its first-ever legal panel, with firms invited to submit applications across three different areas.
Shoosmiths starts hiring trainees again
Shoosmiths has reopened its trainee recruitment programme after last year emerging as the only major firm to withdraw training contract offers from future joiners.
Speechly grows pensions with Wedlake hire
Speechly Bircham has grown its pensions practice with the hire of Wedlake Bell partner Jane Wolstenholme - the firm’s sixth lateral partner appointment in the past six months.
SRA chair in hot seat at Lawyer event as City firms scrutinise regulatory shift
The new chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) board will today (15 March) set out the objectives of the new-look regulatory body in a speech at The Lawyer’s sixth annual Strategic Risk Management Conference.
Stephenson Harwood chef shows that the way to lawyers’ hearts is through their stomachs
Stephenson Harwood has been attracting more than its fair share of lateral hires in recent times.
Stephensons’ PQE pay model ditched
Stephenson Harwood has become the latest firm to move away from the system of remunerating associates based purely on PQE.
Tulkinghorn: Chocolate lolly
There’s plenty of talk about alternative fee models these days, so kudos to the good folk over at Kraft.
Work Life Quiz: Edward Wanambwa, CM Murray
What do you do at weekends? Walk the dog, see a film, go to a jazz gig, plan the next holiday – nothing too exciting.
