16 January 2006

Willkie Farr Germany nabs Linklaters private equity star

Linklaters Oppenhoff & Rädler’s high profile private equity partner Jochen Winter has jumped ship to Willkie Farr & Gallager after 20 years at the firm. Winter will leave the magic circle firm at the end of the month, according to German website JUVE. Winter’s appointment is a coup for the US firm’s German private equity […]

MoD dumps Simmons from panel

Simmons & Simmons projects practice has lost its most important client following the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) latest review of its legal panel for projects. The MoD cut its legal panel from 12 to 8 in the review, with half of the existing firms retaining their place. Two new firms were added – Herbert Smith […]

Cobbetts snares DLA Direct chief executive

The former chief executive of DLA Direct, Andrew Bennett, is joining Cobbetts as a partner nine months after being replaced by chairman David Medcalf. Bennett joins Cobbetts’ financial services team in Leeds as a partner. He was replaced by Medcalf at DLA’s volume arm in April 2005 in a bid to turn around the struggling […]

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Fountain Court employment silk Underhill appointed judge

Fountain Court Chambers is losing yet another silk to the bench as employment star Nicholas Underhill QC becomes a High Court judge. The Department for Constitutional Affairs announced the appointment this morning (20 January) and Underhill will be sworn in at the end of this month. Underhill is the latest in a long line of […]

Norton Rose aims to rebuild with new banking head

Norton Rose’s global head of banking Jeffery Barratt is stepping down to be replaced by the firm’s London banking head Stephen Parish. Barratt will return to full-time client work in the reshuffle, which sees Parish assume responsibility for the banking and finance work of Norton Rose’s 19 international offices. Parish said: “I’m obviously of the […]

Cooley, DLA, Fenwick and Sheppard match LA associate pay hikes

Cooley Godward, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Fenwick & West and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton announced yesterday that they are bumping up associate salaries, following the lead of LA-based firms. All four firms – either based in California or with a strong Californian presence – matched the newly emerging benchmarks for first-years of $135,000 […]

Linklaters launches charity in name of murdered lawyer

Linklaters have set up a charitable trust in memory of its associate Tom ap Rhys Pryce, who was murdered 12 January in London. In a statement the magic circle firm said: “We have all been appalled by the murder last week of our friend and colleague Tom ap Rhys Pryce…Tom’s family and fiancée have decided […]

Bird & Bird scoops Olympics sponsorship role

BIRD & Bird has been added to the panel advising the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG). Bird & Bird join Ashurst, Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as firms on the LOCOG panel. Bird & Bird will be advising LOCOG primarily in relation to sponsorship matters and were appointed after a competitive […]

Addleshaws and CC scoop Lookers roles on Vardy deal

Addleshaw Goddard has secured a role on Lookers bid for car dealership Reg Vardy. Lookers put forward a £492m recommend cash offer yesterday, trumping a £450m bid by rival Pendragon last year. Royal Bank of Scotland are providing the finance for Lookers. Corporate partner Michael Birchall is advising regular client Lookers along with banking partners […]

Reed Smith UK outstrips firmwide revenue rise

REED Smith has posted a 12 per cent increase in firm-wide revenue, with the two UK offices posting 15 per cent growth. UK revenue grew to $41.7m (£23.6m) in 2005 while the firm posted a total of $563m (£319m). It is the second consecutive year growth in Reed Smith’s London and Coventry offices has outstripped […]

Lawrence Graham dumps outdated international network

Lawrence Graham has walked away from its network of European law firms following a wholesale review of its international relationships. The firm has disbanded its alliances, which form Lawrence Graham International (LGI), and is pursuing best friend relationships with larger European firms which have specialist capabilities. European firms involved in the original network include Italian […]

Another shakeup at C&W sees Energis GC scoop top job

NICK Cooper has scored the top legal job at Cable & Wireless (C&W) following the shock departure of general counsel Andrew Garard. C&W’s former general counsel and company secretary Andrew Garard has left the company after 18 months “to seek new challenges following the successful resolution of a number of legal proceedings,” according to a […]