16 April 2007
The Lawyer
Linklaters' Frieh just wants to be free
It will soon be all change for Linklaters' private equity practice in Paris. Michel Frieh, the lead partner for private equity and M&A in the French capital, is set to leave the magic circle firm to set up his own business.
People
Niche employment firm Archon Solicitors has hired senior associate Jill Scott from the London office of Eversheds.
13KBW votes in new head of chambers
Roger Ellis QC has stepped down as head of chambers at personal injury set 13 King's Bench Walk (13KBW), making way for Julian Baughan QC.
20 Essex Street barristers conclude key breach of contract case in Lords
A trio of barristers from 20 Essex Street has secured a House of Lords ruling that could alter significantly the principles governing the way damages are measured for breach of contract.
A&O Spain hit as co-head takes up GC role with client
Allen & Overy (A&O) has lost one of its most senior lawyers in Spain after co-managing partner Graham Donnell left to become general counsel at client Stemcor.
A&O takes Latham capital markets partner in Moscow
Allen & Overy (A&O) has raided US firm Latham & Watkins' Moscow office for a capital markets partner.
AAR increases global partner count by a dozen
Slaughter and May's best friend in Australia Allens Arthur Robinson (AAR) has announced its largest intake of new partners since 2001.
Addleshaws forces Govt's hand in tussle with The Times
Addleshaw Goddard is celebrating its big win for The Times newspaper in a freedom of information battle with HM Treasury.
Addleshaws’ Theodore Goddard veteran quits firm
Finance and projects division managing partner Nigel West is leaving Addleshaw Goddard, signalling the end of an era for former Theodore Goddard lawyers at the firm.
Age should not be a barrier
Remember Y2K? Remember how we all cowered in terror, expecting that at midnight on 1 January 2000 our toasters would explode, our computers would die and planes would come crashing out of the sky.
Ashurst benefits from Orrick upheaval
Ashurst has bolstered its Paris office with the hire of energy finance partner Sylvie Perrin from Orrick Rambaud Martel.
BAE admits using private eyes against CAAT
BAE Systems has admitted that it paid private investigators to gather information about a campaign group it is battling in court.
Bakers, KPMG Abogados post gains in Spain
Foreign firms have had a lively year in Spain, with Baker & McKenzie and KPMG Abogados boosting their turnovers by 12 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
Barclays turns to Lovells for credit card portfolio divestment
Lovells has secured a win over rival panel firms to advise Barclays on the sale of part of a consumer credit card portfolio.
Better late than never for Freshfields' finance team
Like buses, promotions tend to all come at once. But never one to shy away from controversy, Freshfields bucked the trend by deciding to announce two promotions two weeks after the other 22. See story.
BLP unveils in-house lawyer locum service
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is set to pilot a locum service aimed at in-house legal teams.
Borat spat
Tulkinghorn is pleased to report news of a chivalrous hero among the City elite, who got into a punch-up earlier this month in a swanky City bar.
Breaking with the law
It’s never too late to opt out of a career in law. And your legal background can give you the ideal grounding for making a new start
Bristows, Taylor Wessing alumni spirit away human genome case
Bristows, Taylor Wessing alumni spirit away human genome case" /Two of the biggest names in IP, Bristows and Taylor Wessing, have missed out on the UK's first-ever human genome patent litigation after the loss of key litigation ...
Burges Salmon wins Hargreaves Lansdown IPO
Bristol-headquartered Burges Salmon scored an instruction on the landmark flotation of independent financial advisers and stockbrokers Hargreaves Lansdown, which will value the company at between £600m and £800m.
Carter Review spurs Bar Council to assess standards
The Bar Council has kick-started a consultation into how to ensure quality of courtroom advocacy following the Carter Review.
Cassidy splits to form Brussels lobby firm
A team of lawyers has quit lobbyists Cassidy & Associates Europe to set up its own law firm in Brussels.
CC's pay move is not that bold
How's this for a reaction to last week's pay hike at Clifford Chance: "At 10 or 15 per cent it's simply uneconomic and bad business."
Chadbourne goes back to the future to launch in Dubai
US firm Chadbourne & Parke is relaunching in Dubai after a 14-year absence, giving the energy-strong firm its eighth international office.
Citigroup legal team facing redundancies
The impact of Citigroup's massive staff restructuring hit the London legal team last week, with the announcement of a wholesale review of the in-house function.
City firms braced for new associate salary showdown
A&O's pay announcement expected to trump CC's benchmark
Clydes promotes six to senior equity partner
Clyde & Co has promoted four senior associates to its partnership, one more than last year .
Cripps lands Barclays development expert
Tunbridge Wells-based Cripps Harries Hall has hired former Barclays director of professional practices William Arthur as a non-executive director.
DLA Piper swoops for Bingham hedge funds star
DLA Piper has poached Bingham McCutcheon banking and finance partner Sarah Coucher, marking the latest in a line of departures from the latter's London finance practice.
DLA Piper, Eversheds and Pinsents beat magic circle on UK promotions
DLA Piper, Eversheds and Pinsents beat magic circle on UK promotions" /DLA Piper, Eversheds and Pinsent Masons are the biggest promoters of UK ...
Edge secures ex-Sony legal vice-president
The former senior vice-president of legal and business affairs at Sony BMG Alasdair George has joined niche media and entertainment advisory and investment group Edge.
Farringdon secures QC for head role
Criminal set Farringdon Chambers has parachuted in Paul Purnell QC from 187 Fleet Street to become its head of chambers.
Firms must focus on wider issues than PEP
Average profit per equity partner (PEP) is no longer an appropriate measure of the success of a law firm. It should be replaced by measures that take account of both client satisfaction and staff and partner motivation. Sustainable profitability is nevertheless an essential prerequisite for the long-term health and independence of the legal profession ...
Fluffy pandas versus sweaty wrestlers
The long-running fight over the initials 'WWF' touches even the most cynical lawyers.
Freshfields restructuring derails promotions process
The £40m restructuring undertaken by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has thrown its its partnership promotion programme into chaos.
Garrigues takes on UK, US firms with Latin American mergers
Spain's largest firm Garrigues is to make an audacious bid to merge with its Latin American alliance partners to create a trans-Continental powerhouse intent on challenging the pre-eminence of UK and US firms in the global marketplace.
Government set to endure BAE judicial review
A judicial review of the Government's decision to abandon a corruption investigation into BAE Systems could be launched, with full grounds to do so lodged yesterday.
Green houses
The South West is reducing its carbon footprint by encouraging new developments to be environmentally sustainable. By Richard Guyatt and Paul Collins
Hackney legal chief falls foul of overhaul
Borough solicitor at the London borough of Hackney Meic Sullivan-Gould has lost his job.
Hammonds adds lucky 13 to the partnership
Stokes & Master, joins Hammonds' built environment group, which encompasses construction, property, PFI and planning.
Hammonds to help revive Birmingham exchange
Hammonds has advised regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM) on re-establishing the long-defunct Birmingham Stock Exchange.
High Court demands £100m in miners’ fees to be repaid
Law firms that profited from handling compensation claims of sick miners may have to pay back tens of millions of pounds to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) following a High Court ruling.
Hugh's adieu
Thanks go out to the spy who reported back to Tulkinghorn recently from the Conference of Pharmaceutical Trademarks Group in Edinburgh. The eminent former senior judge of the Patents Court and renowned expert on IP Sir Hugh Laddie was one of the speakers at the conference and, according to the mole, was being his normal provocative self.
ISDA turns to CC for Islamic expertise
Clifford Chance is celebrating a boost to its Islamic finance practice with the success of drafting the International Swaps and Derivatives Association’s (ISDA) sharia-compliant master agreement.
Japanese firms merge to create Nishimura & Asahi
Two of Japan's largest firms have confirmed their merger a year after they announced plans to create a combined firm to counter the arrival of foreign firms launching in the jurisdiction.
Keoghs' non-legal staff given equality
Keoghs has levelled its career structure to give non-legal staff the same status as the firm's lawyers.
Kirklees implements leadership programme
Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council has launched a leadership programme for its legal services team.
Lawrence Graham enjoys triple boost from LaSalle relationship
Lawrence Graham has completed the third in a trio of real estate deals for new client LaSalle UK Ventures, the £1bn private equity fund set up by LaSalle Investment Management last year.
Lawyers take to the streets as top judge is forced to stand down
Lawyers in Pakistan have clashed with police over a decision by the country's president to sack the country's top judge.
Lincolnshire's finest win year-end honours
The first firm to publish its figures in this year's financial reporting season has claimed a record turnover increase for 2006-07.
Linklaters teams with De Brauw on RBS approach for ABN
Linklaters has teamed up with its former alliance firm in the Netherlands, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, to advise a consortium of banks mooting a rival approach to ABN Amro, a move that could lead to a break-up of the Dutch banking giant.
Linklaters to escalate associate salary war
Linklaters is expected to heat up the pay war with an increase in its associate salaries of around 16 per cent, which is higher than its magic circle rivals’.
London bags two as Dundas promotes six
Scottish firm Dundas & Wilson has promoted six senior associates to the partnership.
London benefits from lion's share of BLG promotions
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) has promoted seven associates to its partnership.
Lord Lofthouse pans SRA for lame approach to coalminers scandal
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract has launched a scathing attack on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) over its conduct when dealing with law firms that have profited unduly from the plight of sick coalminers.
Lovells advises BNP Paribas on sex discrimination case
Lovells is advising BNP Paribas on its defence of allegations over sex discrimination despite losing key employment partner Lisa Mayhew to Jones Day last year.
Lovells elects five to partnership council
Lovells has elected five members to its partnership council, with the posts due to be taken up at the beginning of May.
Marks & Clerk wins Mr Miss World case
Marks & Clerk Solicitors won a last-minute injunction against Channel 4 for client Miss World Limited, forcing the broadcaster to change the name of its Mr Miss World show.
McGrigors boosts turnover by a quarter
McGrigors has posted half-year results that reveal a 25 per cent growth in fee income compared with the same period last year.
Miners' advisers could be forced to dig deep
Just two weeks after Beresfords senior partner Jim Beresford was revealed to be the UK's richest lawyer after taking home £16.8m in one year, it seems he may have to give a bit back.
Mini-me's entrance fee
More news on the Freshfields restructuring. Now it transpires that the magic circle firm's radical downsizing of its equity partnership and sharp focus on controlling costs has led to a return to good, old-fashioned Victorian values. In the shape of child labour.
Mishcon snaps up Bakers litigation lawyer
Mishcon de Reya has hired private client litigation specialist Henry Frydenson to its trust and probate practice.
Morgan Cole raids rival for Bristol launch
Morgan Cole has opened in Bristol after hiring a corporate partner from regional rival Clarke Willmott.
Nats GC moves to LDA
The London Development Agency (LDA) has appointed a new general counsel from the National Air Traffic Services (Nats).
Norton Rose adds Singapore energy nous
Norton Rose has hired Jones Day senior associate Alex Cull as a partner in its Singapore energy team.
Norton Rose makes up record numbers
Norton Rose has made up 23 senior associates to its partnership, breaking last year's record promotion round by one.
NSN seeks compliance expert after scandal
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is searching for its first group compliance officer after a corruption scandal at Siemens delayed the launch of the joint venture company.
OFT beefs up team with CC's Branch
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has taken on a Clifford Chance competition partner as one of its new senior hires this year.
OFT says 'yes' to private competition enforcement
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has set out to encourage private actions in competition cases.
Olswang overhauls management for post-Goldstein revolution
Olswang is preparing to distance itself from the Jonathan Goldstein years by installing a radical new management structure aimed at promoting national and international growth.
Olswang refuses to look back in anger
Jonathan who? Olswang's once-iconic chief executive Jonathan Goldstein isn't even out of the door, but already there's a strong sense the firm has moved on.
Planning mission
The PCPA aims to speed up the planning process while consulting the public at an early stage. Can local authorities fulfil both requirements as well as keep up with European law? ask Karen Cooksley and Ben Garbett
Power to the Welsh
The Government of Wales Act will split the Welsh Assembly in two, giving it the power to legislate. Bridgette Wilcox says English lawyers need to take note
Real estate QC steps up to the bench
The High Court chancery division has a new judge in the form of real estate specialist Paul Morgan QC of Falcon Chambers.
'Sack' in haste, repent at leisure
So, Meic Sullivan-Gould, the energetic borough solicitor at the London Borough of Hackney, has left (see page 5). Hackney portrays Sullivan-Gould's departure as an amicable split. But when one of your staff is given just five days to move on (including the weekend), it doesn't quite wash.
Sara Lee rewards panel firms' diversity initiatives
US conglomerate Sara Lee has reorganised its legal panel, with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal promoted to 'preferred partner' status and Reed Smith regaining that status after a year's demotion.
Shearman projects star defects to Baker Botts
Shearman & Sterling’s London-based projects partner Nigel Thompson has left the firm for Baker Botts’ Dubai office, The Lawyer can reveal.
Shearman takes role on record german IPO
Shearman & Sterling has advised a real estate company in the largest IPO in Germany this year. The IPO of Alstria Office will allow the company to be converted into a real estate investment trust (Reit) once the new regulation is formally agreed, which is expected later this month. Lead partner of the team at Shearman Hans Diekmann said: "The German Reit regulations will hopefully be ...
Shell accedes to $450m settlement
US firm Grant & Eisenhofer (G&E) landed an advisory role on the first-ever pan-European class settlement of securities fraud claims.
Shoosmiths' partnership smashes 100-member ceiling
Shoosmiths has promoted 10 to the partnership, increasing its partner count to more than 100 for the first time.
Silverbeck, Beachcrofts duo go solo
Victoria Handley and Laurence Brown have formed new firm Handley Brown in Preston, Lancashire.
Slaughters and Willkie Farr join action on ABN deal
Slaughter and May and Willkie Farr & Gallagher have emerged as the latest firms to scoop roles advising the trio of banks on an alternative bid for ABN Amro.
Sonnenschein Dallas open for business
Chicago-headquartered Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal has launched a new office in Dallas, Texas.
Susan Betteridge: Kirklees Council
Susan Betteridge wants to change the image of the local council lawyer. And after just seven months at Kirklees Council she looks on target to achieve her aim. By Jon Parker
Taylor wessing seals hilton foods float
One of Tesco's key meat packaging suppliers Hilton Foods has announced its planned flotation on the London Stock Exchange. Taylor Wessing is advising the company on its listing for up to £110m next month as part of the group's strategy to expand its business into Europe. Head of private capital Tim Eyles is leading for Taylor Wessing. The flotation will be accompanied by a placing of existing ...
The Dodger's Chelsea smile
Multiple news from the PR world reached Tulkinghorn last week. A mole pointed the great man in the direction of PR Week, which recently published its 'Power Book'. This, apparently, is "the definitive guide to the most influential people in PR". And who should feature - leering out of the top of page 30 - but Allen & Overy's (A&O) global head of comms David Crundwell, who lists his 'guilty ...
The South West and Wales
The South West legal market may be smaller than the City’s, but in its own way it is equally frenetic.
The work-life quiz with James Bateson
What was your first-ever job?Postman.
Thompsons secures key age discrimination win
Thompsons has won the first age discrimination case since new laws were introduced in October 2006, paving the way for a slew of similar cases.
Vos looks to write some wrongs
Get ready for another Legal Services Bill clash. The Lords have not even settled into the next session of Parliament and the Bar Council has already drawn its sword.
Ward Hadaway and Watson Burton in Toon transfer shock
Newcastle-based Ward Hadaway has hired the former senior partner of local arch-rival Watson Burton Andrew Hoyle.
Ward Hadaway embraces former foe for expansion campaign
“It’s better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in.” Lyndon B Johnson.
Web week
The Lawyer's Web Week is a weekly commentary on legal activity on the web. This includes an overview of the best of the week's blogs. If you want to direct us to useful links, email webweek@ thelawyer. com.
Weil beats Ashurst, Lovells to Terra Firma's Alliance Boots bid
Weil Gotshal & Manges has won a stunning first instruction from private equity house Terra Firma on its joint bid with Wellcome Trust to acquire Alliance Boots for more than £10bn.
Wilkin Chapman gets the results ball rolling
Earlier this week the first of the summer's year-end results popped up in The Lawyer's email inbox.
Wrestlers win round three of WWF battle
The wrestlers have beaten the environmentalists in the latest round of the fight over the initials WWF.
