21 January 2002
The Lawyer
A whole new world
Moving chambers just wasn't different enough for Philip Vallance QC, so he joined Berrymans - and now he is going places he has never been before
A&O finalises partner moves
Allen & Overy (A&O) has decided on the list of partners moving to the Canary Wharf Citibank tower in March
Addleshaws leakage sees half of new trainees depart
National firm Addleshaw Booth & Co has revealed that it has retained only 50 per cent of its latest batch of qualifying trainees
Alive and kicking
Canada Life UK may have been lying low for a while but the acquisitive company is ever on the lookout for that perfect purchase. Naomi Rovnick discovers it is still a client to watch
Beitens' KPMG talks puts paid to the BBLP alliance
The BBLP alliance has collapsed following Germany's Beiten Burkhardt Mittl & Wegener's entry into the KPMG legal network
Brobeck loses four from San Fran and DC offices
Product liability litigators go it alone; founder of Washington DC office jumps ship
Builders group modifies panel
The National Federation of Builders has drastically overhauled its legal panel following a review, introducing 13 new firms
CLA reveals new brand
International legal alliance Commercial Law Affiliates (CLA) has launched a massive rebranding exercise as it clarifies its German membership and continues to search for a new UK member
Corporate summary
Field Fisher Waterhouse (Marie-Caroline Frochot, David Wilkinson, Mark Sellers, Belinda Benney) advised French group Castel Frères on its purchase of off-license group Oddbins from the Seagram Group, now owned by Diageo and Pernod Ricard. Macfarlanes acted for Pernod Ricard and Slaughter & May ...
Covington hires first London tax partner
The London office of US firm Covington & Burling has signalled its intentions in the City by hiring its first UK tax partner
CSFB panel review reaps savings as firms agree to reduced legal fees
Credit Suisse First Boston's (CSFB) investment banking division has successfully negotiated discounts from firms which want a place on the bank's list of external lawyers that are approved for global work
Cuatrecasas plans launch in London
Magic circle Spanish firm Cuatrecasas is planning to open an office in London
DEAL OF THE WEEK: E.ON/Norsk Hydro
Linklaters proves M&A prowess with Norsk deal
Dentons defies bomb threat to finalise deal
Denton Wilde Sapte has proved that it takes more than a bomb threat to divert die-hard deal-makers from their purpose
DLA and Prices join forces in Belgium
DLA has merged with its Belgian alliance firm Price & Partners in the first full European integration of two DLA & Partners (D&P) firms
Driving forward
Restrictions on vehicle operators are tight and often have a political edge. But recent cases have changed some of the regulatory frameworks. Richard Serlin and Patrick Sadd report
Employed barristers to get ethics lessons
Bar's employed barrister group gets new chair as City Firms Bar Group is formed
Ex-Houthoffs chief opens boutique firm
The former managing partner of Dutch firm Houthoff Buruma has launched a new boutique firm with a former Trenité van Doorne partner
Finance summary
Sidley Austin Brown & Wood (Graham Penn) advised Lehman Brothers on its first securitisation of commercial mortgages, worth £467m. Issuer Windermere was advised by Clifford Chance (Elizabeth Knox).Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft (Lyndon Norley) advised Indonesian cement company Semen Cibinong ...
Five more hike bonuses to keep up with NY rivals
Five more New York firms have caved in to market pressure and upped end-of-year bonuses
Gibson Dunn in £310m property buy
The London office of US firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has started the year in fine style by completing a massive property acquisition for a private overseas client.The £310m total purchase comprised two deals joined through common funding arrangements. The vendors were PMB Holdings and the Royal London Mutual Insurance Society. Property finance partner Alan Samson led the Gibson Dunn team in acquiring and financing the combined portfolio of 44 investment properties.
Govt drops sedition charges in Malaysia
The Malaysian government has dropped sedition charges against Karpal Singh, the first lawyer ever to be prosecuted for statements made during a trial
House of Commons lawyer found guilty of abusing the court while defending his wife
A House of Commons lawyer has been found to have abused the court process in his wife's libel case against Associated Newspapers
Howard Kennedy faces new negligence claim
Howard Kennedy 'strenuously' defends legal action as ex-legal executive is sued
Inces boost with two new partners
Ince & Co has taken on a former Eversheds insurance partner and a Simmons & Simmons senior corporate parter to boost its non-contentious practices
KLegal boosts asset finance with CMS man
Klegal has taken on veteran CMS Cameron McKenna asset finance partner Richard Goodman
Landwell ties up with tax and law firm in Spain
Landwell has taken over a 12-lawyer tax and law firm in Alicante, which boasts the European Office of Trademarks and Patents as one of its clients
Laws of motion
With transport issues fast becoming the Government's new bugbear, Kerrie Dawson rounds up the latest legal developments and decisions concerning land, sea and air
Legal Widow
The Lawyer has been observing with some satisfaction the pitched battle going on for the car parking spaces beneath the offices.Assured of his own place in the basement of privilege, he can afford to be expansive about the plight of the junior lawyers, who would work any hours - and possibly kill - for the chance of driving to work."Patience," he will say at the end of the day, as he passes them on their way to the bus stop, weighed down by über-briefcases, laptops and rucksacks ...
Linklaters, first for fashion
Tulkinghorn is shocked at the slipping standards of Silk Street. It was bad enough when the City abandoned wing collars, but at least you could rely on those Linklaters chaps to turn up in grey.But Tulkinghorn is distressed to report that restructuring star Robert Elliott is taking dress down that little bit too far. Elliott is currently sporting what can only be described as a woven bangle, after ...
Making their marks
Move over, Hengeler and Bruckhaus. Caroline Davies reports on the new generation at Linklaters, Oppenhoff, Shearman & Sterling and Gleiss Lutz, who are challenging the German elite
MoFo blasts its way to top of Bay Area revenue table
Troubled Brobeck slips into runner-up position; merged Pillsbury Winthrop makes its presence felt
Music to your ears
Music lawyers are always keen to point out their extensive knowledge of the industry and, whatever their age, of still being down with the kids.Hence the latest offering from Collyer-Bristow's music and entertainment team. They have produced a compilation CD of what they describe as "16 pop dance tracks". Tulkinghorn was delighted to receive a copy in the post and thought that the firm had produced its own band to challenge the hegemony of Morrison & Foerster's band. ...
News in brief
A round up of stories from the UK and around the world
NHS pledges to cut costs with mediation crusade
NHS gets help from ADR Group; Law Soc urges in-housers to push mediation
Opinion
Listing. Aren't ya sick of it? The days of waiting six months for that part-heard hearing to reconvene are gradually passing. Floating is the new black. Why is it that some tribunals think that it is acceptable for a public service to list more cases for hearing than can be heard in one day? And it is not just once in a while, but every day of every week. It is what we discrimination lawyers like to call a continuing policy or practice, one that, I can't help noticing, is ...
Out of your league?
If you just can't wait until the start of the World Cup in the summer then you need look no further than the 'Mundiavocat'. Yes, it's a football world cup exclusively for lawyers. A London team has been entered for the biennial tournament that starts on 30 May in Malta. The squad already boasts three Oxford blues and partner representation in the shape of Simon Hall, Slaughter ...
P&O Princess and Carnival takeover battle rages on
As P&O's Valentine's Day vote nears, lawyers' tactics are under the spotlight
PALSER GROSSMAN
Expansion has been quick for litigation practice Palser Grossman
PruPIM advisers put under scrutiny
Life assurance giant Prudential is putting its three main advisers under the spotlight after reaching a turning point in the ongoing review of its legal outsourcing for UK property investment work
Real estate
The news that McGrigor Donald has lost a chunk of its London property team to Altheimer & Gray is threatening to cast a nasty shadow over an almost fallout-free merger deal with K-Legal; and the fact that they are all sharing the same external PR agency must have made for some interesting conversations on damage limitation.The departure of former London managing partner Steven Scates will come as no great surprise to those in the loop. Although he favoured merger, he hardly ...
Real estate and projects summary
Eversheds (Richard Stephens, Felicity Wooldridge) advised a joint venture set up between the Bank of Scotland and West Coast Capital on the £135m acquisition of five regional shopping centres from Cole Pensions. Andersen Legal (Michael Polson, Caryn Penley, Keith Barnett, Andrew Lewry) advised the Bank of Scotland on its funding of the acquisition. Lovells (Michael Stancombe) advised Cole Properties.
Set for success
Whether they have been hiding in the regions, making a return to form, or just starting out, three chambers could take the bar by storm this year. Brendan Malkin reveals all
Solicitor struck off for property plan
A solicitor has been struck off the roll for breaching investment regulations after hundreds of investors placed up to £250,000 each in a property investment scheme he set up
Suing the fat
Tulkinghorn's advice for Australian meat-lovers: Don't wear your love on your sleeve, or feet for that matter. The Sydney Morning Herald last week reported on the somewhat bizarre plight of Ross Lucock, who could be facing a A$750,000 (£269,000) damages claim. Lucock was enjoying a lively drinks evening at the Jannali Inn four years ago, when he was told to put his shoes on, he told an Australian District Court last week. But having won the meat tray raffle that night, ...
The Leader Column
Until recently, few lawyers outside the shipping wo-rld had ever heard of Jane Peaston. But her move from niche firm Jackson Parton to Richards Butler has sparked a train of events that could be calamitous for the legal profession.The basic facts are these: Richards Butler acted for Ariadne Maritime against Koch Shipping, represented by Peaston at Jackson Parton. When she moved to Richards Butler, Koch argued that there could be a risk of inadvertent disclosure of confidential ...
The sky's the limit
The open skies debate is hotting up as the Government looks ready to make a decision and the BA/American Airlines deal awaits clearance. Jon Robins asks the in-house lawyers involved how the changes will affect the UK airline industry
TJG-Wessing talks aim for Anglo-German tech firm
City firm Taylor Joynson Garrett has entered into exclusive merger talks with German firm Wessing in a bid to create an Anglo-German technology specialist
Wall Street strength shows through as Valley sees dramatic IPO slump
Wilson Sonsini retains top spot with only six deals; Cooley Godward only other West Coast firm to make top 10 table
Watson Farley Paris office goes to Orrick
Syed leads crack team into US merger; Vivendi Universal, Renault likely to follow
What lies beneath
The law is a drug, they say. An addiction even. Nevertheless, Tulkinghorn is continually astounded at the lengths to which lawyers will go to keep up with the latest developments in their profession. Take Simon Cockshutt, one of those friendly litigation partners at Coudert Brothers. Unfortunately for him, the firm clearly doesn't get enough copies of The Lawyer and Cockshutt was being denied the opportunity of reading his favourite mag in peace.Cockshutt, it seems, got so ...
