16 July 2007
The Lawyer
MoJ's trials and errors
With stunning timing, the new Ministry of Justice (MoJ) managed to cock up its first major announcement. High Court judges Mr Justice Pumfrey and Mr Justice Rimer were both appointed to the Court of Appeal last week, but the short online statements confirming the moves were mixed up.
People
•Manchester-based firm Geoffrey Miller has hired Julie Robertson as an assistant. Robertson was previously a legal adviser for the Vale Royal Magistrates Court in Northwich.
A tough act to follow
So it's bye bye Fiona, hello Andrew. Last night the great and the good of the Law Society gathered to pay their respects to Fiona Woolf, outgoing president and the first of her ilk in years to know her way around the City.
A&O and Ashurst win £11bn Altadis-Imperial roles
Imperial Tobacco's €16bn (£11bn) takeover of Spanish tobacco company Altadis has yielded a brace of deals for Ashurst and Allen & Overy (A&O).
A&O and CMS advise on Metronet administration
Five UK firms have scooped key roles on the Metronet administration, which was launched earlier today.
A&O bags Unicredit hat trick with subsidiary's Ukrainian purchase
Allen & Overy (A&O) has secured its third deal in two months for banking group Unicredit, advising on Bank Austria Creditanstalt's (BA-CA) acquisition of Ukrainian bank Ukrsotsbank.
A&O, CC drive Anglo-Polish banking partnership
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Clifford Chance have scored lead roles on an innovative tie-up of the Polish and British banking sectors.
A&O's record year triggers new bonus
Allen & Overy's (A&O) London associates are set for a bonus of up to £23,100 following the firm's record financial performance this year.
Acting up
Can London defend its position to act solely on an arbitration, or can a party break the agreement and switch to an EU member state if it is more favourable to its cause? Roger Hopkins and Ben Horn report
Addleshaws boosts infrastructure practice with Dundas hire
Addleshaw Goddard has hired former Dundas & Wilson banking and finance partner Rhodri Davies as a legal director in its London infrastructure and project finance practice.
Addleshaws wins first deal for Tiscali
Addleshaw Goddard has advised Tiscali UK Holdings for the first time, working on its £210m acquisition of Pipex Communications’ broadband and phone businesses.
Bakers rolls out rewards for bumper UK results
Baker & McKenzie has introduced a bonus scheme worth £2m to reward all UK staff following a strong year for profit.
Barclays adapts panels to reflect changing business needs
Securing a spot on an international bank's panel is a big win for any firm. Last week 11 firms were celebrating their places on one of the most significant following Barclays' conclusion of its six-month review (www.thelawyer.com, 6 July).
BLG's corporate losses mount as AIM partner quits for Stikeman
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) corporate partner Jonathan Deverill is joining the London office of Canadian firm Stikeman Elliot.
Bloxham case: Freshfields reveals £24m severance costs
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer chief executive Ted Burke revealed today that the magic circle firm spent £24m in severance payments to departing partners last year during the firmwide restructuring named ‘Size and Shape’.
Bloxham judgment put on hold
The judgment on Peter Bloxham's age discrimination claims against his former firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been reserved indefinitely.
Bond Pearce saves Stewarts £200K in High Court claim
Bond Pearce has saved litigation firm Stewarts Solicitors from a £200,000 High Court claim brought by trusts lawyer Rosemary Phelps of Russell-Cooke Solicitors.
Bond Pearce sees profit slump after panel losses
Bond Pearce sees profit slump after panel losses" /Bristol-based Bond Pearce has recorded a sharp dip in profitability, with average profit per equity partner (PEP) tumbling by 17 per cent.
Box clever
Is this what really happens to lawyers' offspring? Not even a man of Tulkinghorn's age was actually shocked by the news of the latest celebrity sex video to be 'leaked' to the public, which featured 'Ray J', an aspiring rapper, and Kim Kardashian, daughter of Robert Kardashian, the Los Angeles lawyer famed for his role representing OJ Simpson in the American football-star-turned-actor's 1994 trial for murder.
Breaking up is hard to do
What a mess. The £4.5m age claim brought by Peter Bloxham against his former firm Freshfields is like a particularly bitter divorce.
Brick Court builds up Norris defence
The campaign to stop businessman Ian Norris from being extradited to the US has just stepped up a gear. The bar's undisputed big-hitter Jonathan Sumption QC of Brick Court Chambers has been seconded to Norris's legal team as it gets ready to take the tycoon's plight to the House of Lords.
Carter judicial review settles
The much-anticipated judicial review brought by black and Asian lawyers against the Government's Carter reforms ended abruptly yesterday (19 July) after the application was withdrawn.
CC makes CEE pledge with committee role
Clifford Chance has underlined its commitment to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) by making space on its management committee for a representative of the region.
City firms rail against Polish legal fee cap
Top City law firms and the Law Society have flown in to Warsaw for crisis talks as they seek to head off legislation likely to cause the retreat of all international firms from Poland.
Clydes plots Middle East hiring spree
Clyde & Co has put the Middle East at the heart of its strategic priorities, with a plan to hire at least 40 lawyers in the region during the next financial year.
Collas Day suffers loss to Mourant
Jersey-headquartered Mourant du Feu & Jeune has bolstered its corporate practice with the hire of John Lewis as an equity partner in Guernsey.
Committee calls for attorney general role to be abolished
The "ancient office" of the attorney general is "not sustainable", a report by the Constitutional Affairs Committee alleged today (19 July).
Cooley sweeps up Testa Hurwitz vets for Boston launch
US West Coast firm Cooley Godward Kronish has launched a new East Coast office in style, taking 10 partners from different firms for its Boston opening.
Dewey's US Court of Appeals victory set to bolster conflict of interest law for arbitrators
Dewey Ballantine has won a major victory in the US Court of Appeals.
DLA Piper takes on NHS trust PFI work
DLA Piper has advised three Peterborough NHS trusts on a PFI healthcare project that will include a new 612-bed acute hospital, a 102-bed mental health unit and an integrated care centre with 34 specialist rehabilitation beds. DLA Piper advised the trusts on all aspects of the funding and management, with finance and projects partner Nick Maltby leading the team. Lawyers from other practices acting ...
DMH Stallard partnership hits 50 following raid on ASB Law
South East firm DMH Stallard has hired the head of corporate finance from South East rival ASB Law, the firm's third new partner in as many months.
DMH turnover rises by 5 per cent ahead of KSB merger
DMH Stallard posted turnover of £22.25m for the year 2006/07, a 5 per cent increase from last year's £21.2m.
Doin' it for the kids
Should a miracle occur before the witching hour tonight (20 July) and the secrets of the final Harry Potter book stay that way until midnight, remember that it's thanks to Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) associate Umayya Abu Deeb.
DWF promotions build North West strength
North West firm DWF has made up six partners across its Manchester and Liverpool offices.
Energy
The energy market is abuzz. Bristol's Bond Pearce recently upped its game by grabbing a five-partner energy team from Scottish giant McGrigors and opening an office in Aberdeen. The firm's first Scottish base will home in on North Sea carbons and be staffed by partners Clare Munro Kenny Paton and Finlan Crossan.
Energy: In at the deep ends
The expected decommissioning of projects in the North Sea will give UK Continental shelf industry a chance to gain experience it can market to the rest of the world. By Richard Cockburn
Energy: Power nous
The 2007 energy white paper brings with it new hope for a future of reform, but now is the time for action, says Marcus Trinick
Energy: Wind shopping
China's growth of the wind farm and biomass energy sectors is seeing foreign investors take a keen interest, but the country's electricity purchasing system is keeping that interest from being converted into action. By Michelle Thomas
Eversheds bags trio of transport deals
Eversheds has acted for the Department for Transport on three rail franchise deals in as many weeks. The East Midlands passenger rail franchise deal closed on 20 June, with successful bidder Stagecoach being represented by Herbert Smith, led by partner Adrian Clough. The West Midlands franchise was closed the next day, with winning bidder Govia, a joint venture between the Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, ...
Eversheds captures DWS India chief
Eversheds has poached Denton Wilde Sapte's (DWS) head of India Gauri Advani in a bid to further expand into the Indian market. Advani, who has been head of India at DWS since 2003, will take a leading role in Eversheds' 10-lawyer India team. Eversheds' chair of its India group Parmjit Singh said the Indian market is extremely buoyant and that the momentum coming from the India group was very important. ...
Eversheds ditches regional head roles
Eversheds ditches regional head roles" /Eversheds has restructured its management team for the second time since it merged its Nottingham, Birmingham and Cardiff offices in 2004. The firm has opted for a more streamlined management structure, without the managing partner and regional head titles, designed ...
Farewell Tony, and thanks for all the employment disputes
Can we all agree that cancer is a bad thing? I think we can. Indeed, I think we can go further and agree that lung cancer is a very bad thing. And as smoking causes lung cancer, it follows that smoking is a bad thing and that the recent smoking ban is a very good thing.
Freshfields feels the heat this summer
Poor old Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. You've got to feel a smidgen of sympathy for the magic circle firm – even if you're a Linklaters partner.
Freshfields on the back foot as ex-partner paints bleak picture of pension reforms
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is fighting to maintain that its controversial pension reforms and its £55m firmwide restructuring undertaken in the past two years are two distinct policies.
Freshfields under fire as new age claim emerges
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is preparing to fight more than one discrimination case as another former partner files a claim.
Gómez-Acebo in London leap after global review
Gómez-Acebo & Pombo has named project finance partner Fermín Garbayo Renouard as head of the firm's new London office in anticipation of a September launch.
Google plans pan-European legal team
Google is planning to recruit an in-house team across Europe after growing by more than 50 per cent in the last year.
Grey matters
Some mirth emerged in the otherwise bleak proceedings between Peter Bloxham and his former firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Guidelines knock global derivatives into shape
A set of guidance principles that could revolutionise the global derivatives market was published last week (10 July), ahead of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) report on the matter, which is expected soon.
Halliwells wins ngss role for gazprom buy
North West firm Halliwells has secured a significant deal advising Natural Gas Shipping Services (NGSS) on its takeover by oil giant Gazprom. NGSS was purchased by Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GM&T), the UK arm of Gazprom. This is the second time Halliwells has acted on such a transaction - it represented NGSS's sister company Pennine Natural Gas when it was purchased by GM&T last year. Charles Glaskie, the partner that led the Halliwells team that worked on the deal, said: "We ...
Hammonds advises on Brum football deal
Hammonds has acted on its second Premier League football deal in a fortnight, advising Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung Ka-Shing on his purchase of a third of Birmingham City FC.
Hammonds launches last-ditch attempt to save law advice centre
Lawyers at Hammonds' London office have issued a call to arms on behalf of Paddington Law Centre in West London, which faces imminent closure unless donations are forthcoming.
Helen Hurley: Virgin Radio
Helen Hurley may have to bear the burden of being Virgin Radio’s sole in-house lawyer, but it’s worth it to work in the arena she loves. By Malar Velaigam
Herbies called on for website's LSE float
Herbies called on for website's LSE float A team from Herbert Smith is advising price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com on its proposed IPO on the London Stock Exchange's main market. The flotation is being underwritten by Credit Suisse as sole sponsor, global coordinator and bookrunner, with UBS and Lehman Brothers acting as co-lead managers. The banks are being advised by Freshfields ...
Hill Dickinson to educate its lawyers on business matters
Hill Dickinson has launched a new training programme aimed at honing skills and improving its lawyers' knowledge of the business.
Home Depot nabs Staples GC
US company Home Depot has hired former Staples general counsel Jack VanWoerkom as its new executive vice-president, general counsel and corporate secretary.
HSBC follows Barclays' lead in diversity stakes
HSBC is likely to require details of firms' diversity policies in its upcoming panel review, head of group general counsel Richard Bennett has revealed.
Insurance company AJG revamps legal team
Insurance company Arthur J Gallagher (AJG) has reshuffled its legal and compliance team with two executive promotions.
Judging the judge
Yesterday's decision by the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice to refer Mr Justice Peter Smith to the Office of Judicial Complaints (OJC) for further investigation has sparked a thousand cries of: "And what happens next?"
Keeble Hawson advises start-up financial adviser support service
Yorkshire law firm Keeble Hawson has scored a deal advising independent financial adviser (IFA) support network 2plan on its start up.
Law firms need to diversify diversity
Diversity has featured prominently in legal circles for so long now that the business imperative for firms to embrace it should be abundantly clear.
Law Society names new president
Fiona Woolf today (19 July) stepped down as the president of the Law Society to make way for immigration lawyer Andrew Holroyd
Lenovo poaches Howrey partner as new GC
Personal computer manufacturer Lenovo has hired Michael O'Neill as senior vice-president and general counsel from US firm Howrey.
LG: Penny Francis
LG's partner profits fell last year. So can new offices, a new name and a new international strategy help the firm regain some momentum?
Lovells scoops green Bakers partner
Lovells has beefed up its London environmental and health & safety team with the hire of Baker & McKenzie partner Christopher Norton.
Microsoft shakes up legal team
Microsoft UK has restructured its legal department, promoting commercial lawyer Dervish Tayyip to manage the legal group. Tayyip replaces Chris Parker, who has been promoted to senior director for law and corporate affairs in the UK. Before starting his new role, Tayyip managed the legal support for Microsoft's services business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Tayyip joined Microsoft in 1999 from West End firm Reid Minty, where he was a partner. A spokesperson for the ...
Morgan Lewis moves to double headcount
The London office of Morgan Lewis is moving to new premises to prepare for a doubling in lawyer numbers.
Mourant completes offshore merger
Jersey giant Mourant has completed its merger with offshore rival Quin & Hampson, boosting the firm's critical Cayman Islands presence.
New Malaysia courts to clear IP backlog
The Malaysian government is setting up 21 dedicated IP courts to manage a backlog of more than 1,500 IP cases.
Newcastle duo create planning outfit
Newcastle under Lyme firm Hacking Ashton has merged with Cheshire planning firm John Rose Associates. The combined firm claims to have the region's largest specialist planning team, which comprises seven town planners and planning solicitors. The firm will be independently branded as John Rose Associates. Covering planning, urban design and regeneration, John Rose Associates will seek to capitalise on local projects, including the regeneration of Stoke on Trent. Hacking Ashton ...
Nishimura & Asahi raids Linklaters Japan
Newly merged Japanese firm Nishimura & Asahi has scooped capital markets and securitisation specialist Mitsuhiro Yasuda from Linklaters' Japan operations. Yasuda had joined Linklaters' Tokyo office in 2005 when Linklaters teamed up with local firm Mitsui Yasuda Wani & Maeda, where Yasuda was a name partner. Yasuda's place at Linklaters is to be assumed by partner Sasaki Kozo, who also joined Linklaters ...
Olswang strengthens Reading real estate team
Olswang has bolstered its Reading real estate group with four new lawyers, two of whom are returning to the firm.
Opinion of difference
Herbies may be one of the leaders on diversity, having appointed full-time diversity manager Carolyn Lee a year ago, but Tulkinghorn thinks Herbies' German brethren may have a little bit further to go.
Paris restructuring fails to dampen Freshfields' figures
The Paris office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has posted a revenue rise of 8 per cent to hit e116m (£78.48m), despite reducing its partnership by around a quarter.
Pasty power
As Brick Court Chambers gears up for a 100km walk in aid of Oxfam and the Gurkha Welfare Trust, the set's senior clerk Ian 'Iron Man' Moyler has been giving the hikers the benefit of his knowledge on sports nutrition.
Pensions Regulator's ruling promotes responsible parenting
How Hammonds and Sackers found themselves at the heart of the M&A world. By Margaret Taylor
Pinsents beefs up regulatory
Pinsent Masons has hired Bevan Brittan regulatory partner Ruth Smith.
Privacy on parade
Judges are creating new privacy case law with each new ruling. And with the lack of parliamentary legislation
Proskauer launches in Brazil
New York firm Proskauer Rose has launched a Sao Paulo office, marking its first physical entrance into Latin America.
Richards Butler HK relents to Reed Smith
Reed Smith" /Reed Smith has secured a significant coup by unexpectedly convincing the previously sceptical Richards Butler Hong Kong partnership to agree to a full merger.
Rosenblatt: bit of a… twit
As everyone knows, the secret to success can be a hard thing to pin down. Not so for Ian Rosenblatt, senior partner at Rosenblatt Solicitors.
RPC stands guard over Harry Potter's secrets
Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) has sent senior associate Umayya Abu Deeb on an emergency secondment to publishing house Bloomsbury to protect the secrets of the last Harry Potter book before its launch.
Save the Children CFO appointed Takeover Panel head
The Takeover Panel has nominated a former Coward Chance lawyer to be its new director general next year.
Semple Fraser seals landmark waste ruling
Scottish firm Semple Fraser has scored a key ruling at the Court of Appeal on the legal definition of waste.
Shipping
Like all dispute resolution-based practices, shipping has not seen as much litigation as it had in previous years. But that does not mean there is a lack of work. The beaching of MSC Napoli on the shores of Cornwall, which saw much of the ship's cargo looted in January, has kept Clyde & Co and Holman Fenwick & Willan busy this year. There has also been a flurry of arbitration cases going to the courts ...
Shipping: Lords on the sea
A recent Lords decision will see more shipping disputes go to arbitration when charterparty agreements are reneged upon. Nigel Wagland and Kevin Oram report
Shipping: Steady as she goes
Britannia is still holding her own in the shipping and international trade arena, says Fred Konynenburg
Simmons extends ability framework to all staff
Simmons & Simmons will extend its competency framework from its lawyers to all its support staff on a worldwide basis.
Slaughters, Links refuse to give diversity figures as City firms make poor showing
Firms in the UK top 10 have railed against the Black Solicitors Network's (BSN) research methodology despite an improved performance and a record number of firms taking part.
Smith J referred to the Office of Judicial Complaints
The decision of Mr Justice Peter Smith not to recuse himself in a recent case is being referred to the Office of Judicial Complaints (OJC) for further investigation, it was announced today (16 July).
Sony set to appoint two UK in-housers
Sony is ramping up its European in-house capability by creating two new roles based in the UK.
Spanish legend Rodrigo Uria dies
Rodrigo Uría, president of Uría Menéndez, has died suddenly of a heart attack aged 66.
Thierry Henry turns to Mishcon for divorce
Mishcon de Reya has been appointed to handle the divorce of former Arsenal star Thierry Henry in what could be the biggest divorce payout by a footballer, with Henry's fortune estimated at £25m.
Top of the PEPs - PEP Table
UK 200 PEP Table
Top of the PEPs - Revenue Table
Top of the PEPs Revenue Table
Travers Smith pushes PEP past £800K
Travers Smith has posted a 15 per cent increase in both its average profit per equity partner (PEP) and turnover. PEP for the year 2006-07 came in at £810,000, with turnover at £78.3m. Chris Carroll, managing partner at Travers, said the results are a strong reflection of booming market conditions over the past 12 months and the firm's client list and corporate teams. The corporate team secured ...
Unhappy clappy
Tulkinghorn was amused to note Freshfields M&A partner Mark Rawlinson being less than impressed with the compere at a recent corporate shindig.
US firms scoop key roles on new Sainsbury's bid
US firms Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Shearman & Sterling have landed major roles on the latest bid for Sainsbury’s.
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.
Which bash was bosh?
The hottest ticket at the bar last week was the Matrix summer party, where Tulkinghorn was hoping to hang out with Cherie and sneak some info about the new Alastair Campbell diaries. But alas, it was difficult even to get a foot in the door. The bash, at the Walks in Gray's Inn Gardens, saw more than 200 uninvited guests turn up. Could it be that all 700 present were hoping that Cherie would spill the beans on Gordon Brown?Over at the Terrace in Lincoln's Inn Field, the Wilberforce ...
Withers rebounds as PEP jumps to £350K
Withers has bounced back from its poor profit performance in the 2005-06 year, with this year's average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure coming in at £350,000.
Work Life Quiz: James Trafford, Wilsons
Yankees doing dandy on FTSE
Those pesky US firms have landed yet more coveted spots on FTSE takeover attempts.
