Partner Colin Kearney dicusses McGuinness Finch’s decision to throw in its lot with Osborne Clarke. But what will they all do without Selfridges? Colin Kearney is first among equals. Although he may be appearing as the figurehead of McGuinness Finch to discuss the firm’s decision to merge with Osborne Clarke, he is not the senior […]
Swiss investment bank UBS has recruited a new group general counsel to be based in Zurich. Leading Swiss corporate lawyer Peter Kurer will join UBS from Zurich-based firm Homburger on 1 July. Kurer, who is currently head of the corporate practice in the leading Swiss M&A and securities firm, will oversee the heads of legal […]
Clifford Chance and Eversheds have sealed Tishman Speyer Properties’ (TSP) latest move in the City by advising on the acquisition of a £100m-site at Aldgate East from Marsh & McLennan. The US property giant plans to build almost 1.5 million sq ft of office space on the site. The deal follows TSP’s acquisition of the […]
A&O steals BT contract for e-commerce float Allen & Overy (A&O) was selected in a beauty parade to work on the flotation of BT’s international directories and e-commerce business Yell. This was the first time the firm instructed BT, which had previously enjoyed longstanding relationships with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters & Alliance. This was […]
Leamington Spa-based Wright Hassall says it has a relaxed attitude to work which is in direct contradiction to its name. Founded in 1846 in Leamington Spa, it is a working example of life without logos. Partner Jane Senior says: “At the time, Wright Hassall simply didn’t have those connotations.” And the fact that the name […]
At the Solicitors Costs Conference in London in November 1999, I was asked to present my views on the future of legal costs, presumably as I was a critic of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) from a legal costs perspective (The Lawyer, 10 January 1999). The panel included three judges and a past president of […]
The phoney war is over and now the real phoney war begins. The party machines and their counterparts in the media have been stocking their bottom drawers with all manner of material, just waiting for Blair to fire the starting gun. And now the poster sites that were booked out months ago can be filled, […]
There are fashions in law firms. Travers Smith Braithwaite had a rotten time of it before its recent triumphant return to form; last year Olswang was the hot stock, though its throne is less burnished these days. Much rarer is the firm that can’t seem to put a foot wrong. Macfarlanes is one; another is […]
Holman Fenwick & Willan is expanding its banking, insolvency and fraud team with two new partners. Former Paisner & Co partner Laurence Katz (left) is joining the London office and Herbert Smith partner George Lamplough is joining the Hong Kong office. The firm has also taken on Canadian law firm Bull Housser & Tupper’s Shanghai […]
Clifford Chance is poaching one of France’s leading projects and finance lawyers from US firm White & Case. Giustini has been with White & Case since he qualified in New York in 1986 and moved to Paris in 1987. He will join Clifford Chance’s Paris office at the end of May. He is currently co-head […]
One of the most contentious questions facing brand owners as they pour increasing millions into advertising and marketing is how to evaluate the return on each pound spent. As Lord Leverhulme once famously commented: “I know that half my advertising budget is wasted, I just don’t know which half.” When selling baked beans or packets […]
Laurence Rabinowitz, One Essex Court South African Laurence Rabinowitz is hugely influential, accruing by far the most votes in a recent survey undertaken by The Lawyer. Law firms and chambers alike say it was amiss of the Lord Chancellor not to select him for this year’s silk appointments. Paula Hodges, commercial litigation partner at Herbert […]