21 November 2005
The Lawyer
Deals comment
Linklaters will be delighted French building materials group Saint-Gobain’s offer for plaster-board giant BPB was accepted. BPB, advised by Clifford Chance corporate partner David Pudge, has consistently rejected Saint-Gobain’s offer.
In brief
The Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (Peopil) has elected a new president. John Pickering, head of Irwin Mitchell's personal injury department, will replace John Price, who has held the position since Peopil's creation. Peopil was set up in 1997 to promote cooperation and communication between European jurisdictions in personal injury.
ABN moves to defuse skills crisis
Dutch investment banking giant ABN Amro has responded to the drought in the market for derivatives lawyers by rolling out a unique training programme for its in-house finance lawyers.
An open book
What effect does the Freedom of Information Act have on the Land Registry? By Joann Bainton
Bakers scoops prize Macquarie role on LSE bid
Baker & McKenzie has scooped the lead role advising the Macquarie Bank on its expected bid for the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Bevan Brittan promises forty per cent PEP hike in eighteen months
Bevan Brittan promises forty per cent PEP hike in eighteen months" /South West firm Bevan Brittan has set a target of increasing its profit per equity partner (PEP) by more than 40 per cent during the next 18 months.
Beyond expectations
Employers and employees must voice expectations at an early stage to avoid regret. By Shaw Chapman.
BLG bags top FSA lawyer
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) has scooped a senior Financial Services Authority (FSA) lawyer in the first hire for its six-month old financial services regulatory team.
Brabners leads North West pack with 21 per cent turnover boost
Brabners Chaffe Street is celebrating a half-year turnover rise of 21 per cent in a strong six months for the North West.
CC chalks up Appeal Court victory for Regent
Clifford Chance has won an extraordinary appeal in which a solicitor sued his client for libel after the client complained he had competed with them for a property.
CC elects global tax and property leaders
Clifford Chance has elected new leaders for two of its global practice groups.
CC Paris bags White & Case finance star
Clifford Chance’s Paris office has bagged an acquisition finance partner from White & Case in a boost to the firm’s French private equity practice.
Christmas cracker
A cry of pre-festive joy was heard reverberating around Tulkinghorn Towers last Thursday (17 November) as the first press release warning of the dangers of office Christmas parties dropped through the virtual letterbox.
City law firms make biggest real estate moves in Europe
Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Baker & McKenzie's mammoth European office moves topped the lettings market for largest deals during the first six months of 2005.
Collateral damage
Does Crestfort v Tesco open the door for collateral agreements that are used to sidestep restrictive provisions? By Jay Bhandal and Laura-Jane Atkins
Crutes' chief loss is blow to expansion
North East litigation specialist Crutes has lost the head of its employment team, Tim Smith, to local rival Ward Hadaway.
Deals roundup
Ashurst is advising the Really Useful Group on Andrew Lloyd Webber's plans to buy the remaining 50 per cent share of Really Useful Theatres from joint venture partner Bridgepoint Capital. The sale price is undisclosed but sources close to the deal estimate it at around £100m. Lloyd Webber will have 100 per cent control of Really Useful Theatres after the purchase. Ashurst corporate partner Jonathan Angell is leading the negotiations. Travers Smith is advising Bridgepoint.
Dentons appoints PwC to study LLP switch
Denton Wilde Sapte has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as its adviser as the firm considers converting to limited liability partnership status deferring its vote by almost one year.
Digital TV giant Pace overhauls legal team
Pace Micro Technology, the maker of digital television set-top boxes, has reshuffled its legal department, appointing a new general counsel and hiring an IP specialist from Pinsent Masons.
DLA Piper makes first French hire
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has made its first lateral hire in Paris since Piper Rudnick launched in the French capital in July 2004.
DLA Piper snares AIG regulatory deal
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has set up a groundbreaking deal, which writes the firm into the policies of insurer AIG Europe to provide loss mitigation advice.
Eversheds sacks Nottingham team
Eversheds, a firm which promotes itself as a great place to work, has made its Nottingham-based legal systems team redundant.
Finers Stephens in row over Olympic village
The London Development Agency (LDA) is set to go head-to-head with Finers Stephens Innocent in round two of negotiations regarding the multibillion pound development of the 2012 Olympic village.
Firm profile: Blaser Mills
"We are a traditional high street practice that has developed far more into the commercial sector without forgetting our roots," says Alka Kharbanda, head of commercial and former managing partner at Home Counties practice Blaser Mills.
French insurance boutique launched
A new independent Paris firm focused on risk and financial services has been launched by three lawyers with experience of international in-house and private practice.
Freshfields advises consortium of bidders on Drax acquisition talks
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has landed a plum role acting for a consortium of bidders on its ongoing negotiations over the possible acquisition of energy giant Drax.
From riches to Wragges
A joyous time was had by all at The Lawyer's in-house summit in Barcelona last weekend. Well, almost all. Wragge & Co was rated by our moles at the conference as most unpopular law firm there.
GE appoints Slaughters partner as GC Asia
Hong Kong-based Slaughter and May corporate partner Richard Jones has been poached by GE Consumer Finance for it’s in-house legal department.
Gibson Dunn considers salaried tier
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is investigating whether to introduce a salaried-partner tier, ending its reign as one of the US's last single-partnership firms.
Görg cuts two from board in management rejig
Görg Rechtsanwälte has streamlined it management and reorganised its business along sector lines.
Grapevine
Slow and steady as she goes has always been the Nabarro Nathanson philosophy, but could its big-hitting property department be about to rock the boat?
Herbert Smith suffers Hong Kong mass exit
Herbert Smith's Hong Kong-based litigation department has suffered an exodus of associates, with more than 75 per cent of its junior lawyers leaving during the past year.
Holland & Knight closes nine US offices
Tampa-based firm Holland & Knight is to close nine of its regional US offices and lay-off about 40 fee-earners in a dramatic shake-up aimed at increasing profitability.
Holman annexes Hill Taylor Dickinson Dubai
Holman Fenwick & Willan is launching in Dubai with the takeover of shipping boutique Hill Taylor Dickinson’s Middle East office.
Hong Kong Shui
There are many obvious cultural differences between East and West that make doing business in the East a challenge for international law firms. Then there are the subtle ones that make things downright irritating.
In-house
Donna Sawyer on the month in the in-house sector: Technology and pharmaceutical companies are top legal spenders; Motorola halves law firm numbers; Panel cuts at Nestlé leave three casualties; Gate Gourmet counsel defends moves to counter strike action; All change for in-housers
International eye: Germany
Lorraine Cushnie on the month in Germany: Haarmann continues to haemorrhage partners; Sidley becomes Germany's newest entry; Lovells suffers from CC raid - codenamed Siegfried; Düsseldorf named as Germany's most expensive city for legal advice
International report: Smeets Haas Wolff, Frankfurt
In the five years since its was set up, Smeets Haas Wolff has witnessed impressive growth. From its humble beginning with three partners and no secretary, the Frankfurt firm now boasts a team of 36 lawyers, a turnover that is expected to reach €6.5m (£4.4m) at the end of this year, and enough secretaries for everyone.
Keeping derivatives in-house
Forget about panel reviews for the moment. ABN Amro general counsel John Collins is doing something more interesting than simply launching the City's latest institutional tender.
King & Wood opens in HK as associate firm merges
China’s largest law firm King & Wood has launched a new office in Hong Kong, following the recent merger of its partner firm Fong & Ng with Arculli and Associates.
Lanier sets sights on NY domination
Houston-based Lanier Law Firm has launched in New York with four lawyers, with the aim of making it the firm's largest office within three years.
Latham hatches radical plan to shake up high yield market
Bryant Edwards is campaigning to dilute call protection. It could be controversial, says Catrin Griffiths
Law Soc regulatory arm seeks chief
The Law Society has started its search for a chief executive to manage its regulatory function when this becomes operational in the New Year.
Law Soc slammed for failure to hit complaints targets
The Law Society is still failing to meet the majority of complaints-handling targets set by Legal Services Complaints Commissioner (LSCC) Zahida Manzoor.
Legal team takes shape at the ODA
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary partner Peter Rout has scooped one of the last key roles on the 2012 Olympic Games organising team as head of legal for the interim Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
Legal Widow
You can tell the firm is feeling twitchy when the size of its official Christmas card increases. This year's offering is an unappealing image of the most brutal head office building covered with snow. It softens the corners, but can't disguise the utter bleakness of the building's north face - a wall of windows which was so badly fitted that if there were any snow it would find its way in and cause small drifts in the meeting rooms. Although it might liven events up a bit; there'd be competition
Linklaters and Freshfields win roles on Britvic's £800m IPO
Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have reaffirmed their positions as market leaders for London Stock Exchange (LSE) listings after securing work on the £800m Britvic flotation.
Linklaters raids CC for Dubai launch
Linklaters is to join the swath of firms entering the booming Dubai market, after raiding magic circle rival Clifford Chance to hire two lawyers to launch its local presence.
Louise Round: London Borough of Islington
With million-pound houses standing side-by-side with social housing, the old and new Islington is plain to see. Helen Morris reports on one of the busiest councils in the capital
Lovells' 30 per cent PEP hike sows seeds of recovery
Lovells has bounced back from its woeful 2004-05 financial results after reporting a 30 per cent leap in average profit per partner at the half-year stage.
Making tracks
Rail infrastructure development is gaining pace in the Middle East, with many national projects in the pipeline. Mhairi Garcia reports
Martineaus takes Conti from Nabarros
Midlands firm Martineau Johnson has poached Nabarro Nathanson partner Mario Conti for its pensions team.
Middle East
The Middle East is now one of the hottest jurisdictions in the legal market, literally and metaphorically. Firms are flooding the Gulf region off the back of the booming energy and projects sectors.
Oil slick
With oil prices soaring, business is flooding into the Middle East. Farmida Bi and Ravi Gupta report on expected sustainability and growth in the region
Oman's largest firm takes on ex-Tory MP
A former UK Shadow Solicitor-General is joining Oman's biggest law firm as it looks to swell its ranks.
On a mission
Halliwells is launching itself at the UK's top 25. But is the firm set to become the next DLA, or is it destined to be another Hammonds? By Joanne Harris
On form
After a consultation period, the Land Registry is bringing in prescribed clause leases next year. Ingrid Hadfield and Alison Murrin report on the implications for real estate lawyers
Opinion
ASBOs are not a draconian curtailment of liberty but a misreported boost to the community
Osborne Clarke posts 14 per cent half-year revenue rise
South West firm Osborne Clarke has posted a rise of 14 per cent in half year revenues.
Pannones in merger with Johnson Yates
North-West law firm Pannone & Partners will add £1m to its income following a merger with two-partner personal injury practice Johnson Yates.
Paris bar elections: Gide well-placed, Slaughters disappointed
Gide Loyrette Nouel partners Jean-Marie Burguburu and Olivier Cousi are in a strong position to be elected to the Paris Bar Council after they came second and third in the first round of elections.
Pearl picks MoFo for outsourcing instruction
US firm Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has bagged closed life insurer Pearl Group as a new client after advising on the outsourcing of Pearl's life and pensions administration services to TCS, an information technology company that is part of the Tata Group.
People
* Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has promoted Jodie Flynn to of counsel. Flynn, previously a senior associate in the IP/IT practice, specialises in the pharmaceutical sector.
Pinsents and MoFo settle HMRC dispute with EDS
Pinsent Masons disputes partner Rob McCallough was called in by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to help Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) settle HMRC's dispute with IT supplier EDS.
Pinsents pinches Eversheds corporate partner
Eversheds has lost a corporate partner from its Manchester office to national rival Pinsent Masons.
Police launch Bar Council inquiry as barrister sues
Barrister sues Bar Council chair Guy Mansfield QC and others after disciplinary hearing struck out
Power surge
Electricity demands are on the increase in the UAE, but the emirates have different ways of handling it. Patrick Campos reports
Property
The combination of Crossrail, the Olympics and Wood Wharf means there is no shortage of dynamic property matters (and mandates) in the making. But while 2005 has seen exponential levels of activity across the commercial property market, this has contrasted with a decided lack of controversial technical issues - unusually for property lawyers.
Quotes of the week
'We need the Beijing office for convenience, but it is not 100 per cent necessary. The city is saturated with law firms.'Simmons & Simmons China managing partner Huen Wong tells it like it is, More details
Reed Smith seeks China, Chicago and Texas linkups
Reed Smith is stepping up its search for separate Chinese, Texan and Chicago-based merger partners, following the finalisation of its French launch.
Setting standards
Standardisation of documents is allowing real estate lawyers to keep up with the fast-paced, challenging market. David Taylor reports
Shengzhi closed down after making human rights stand
Beijing-based law firm Shengzhi Law Office has had its operations suspended for a year by the Chinese authorities, raising questions about how liberal the legal market in China actually is.
Simmons uses SE Asia as launch pad for India
Simmons & Simmons is set to launch in South East Asia as a springboard to opening in India.
Skadden scoops Shearman rainmaker
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has raided the City arm of US rival Shearman & Sterling to poach M&A partner Adrian Knight.
Slaughters miss out in Paris Bar election
Slaughter and May partner Antoine-Audoin Maggiar has just missed out on a place on the Paris Bar Council after coming 15th in yesterday’s (24 November) second and final round of elections.
SPBG launches study into university pro bono clinics
The Solicitors Pro Bono Group (SPBG) has launched a study into how law faculties at universities promote a culture of free legal help, with the aim of identifying the level of the pro bono work carried out by each institution.
Strategy review sparks Linklaters turnover hike
Linklaters turnover hike" /Linklaters has continued to resurrect its financial performance, reporting a 16 per cent increase in turnover during the first half of the financial year.
Taxing Times
Relief that can be claimed through SDLT has been welcomed, but the market is waiting with baited breath to see whether it will be drawn. By Simon Rose and James Dakin
Taylor Wessing hikes Euro expansion plan
Taylor Wessing hikes Euro expansion plan" /The European expansion of Taylor Wessing is continuing with the launch of a local law capability in Brussels this month.
The work-life quiz
Steven Newdall, managing partner, Levi & Co.
Walkers taps into Middle East success with new Dubai office
Cayman Islands firm Walkers has become the first offshore practice to set up a transactional office in Dubai, as it aims to take advantage of the burgeoning Middle East market.
Weil Gotshal scoops Lion, Blackstone role on Cadbury deal
Weil Gotshal & Manges has completed its first successful mandate for Lion Capital and Blackstone Group on their £1.27bn purchase of Cadbury Schweppes’ European drinks business.
White & Case hires bolster banking and structured finance
White & Case has continued its appointments frenzy, hiring banking and structured finance specialists from DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary and Taylor Wessing.
Wilberforce to fight Pop Idol dispute today
Wilberforce Chambers’ Michael Bloch QC is set to fight Simon Fuller's corner in one of the most hotly-anticipated IP disputes of the year.
