23 June 2003
The Lawyer
A little respect
Religious and political beliefs are often treated differently in the eyes of the law, but Richard Nicolle says the differences are not clear-cut
A non-executive decision
The Higgs Report promises the rise and rise of the non-executive director. Tim Russell asks whether they are up to the task
A&O partner quits for Hale and Dorr
Hale and Dorr has scored a coup by taking on Allen & Overy (A&O) IP litigation partner Robert Barry. The magic circle partner will move to Hale & Dorr’s London office, where he will rejoin former KLegal lawyer Mark Haftke. Both Barry and Haftke have previously practised at Bird & Bird. Barry is the fourth partner A&O has lost to a US firm. Euan Gorrie moved to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Nick Segal then left for Davis Polk & Wardwell and ...
A&O on both sides of Cordiant deal for WPP
As predicted by The Lawyer last week, Allen & Overy (A&O) lawyers sat on both sides of the negotiating table when WPP, the exclusive bidder for Cordiant, agreed to acquire the majority of Cordiant's debt.
A&O to save millions by using virtual filing
Speaking at a seminar on real estate needs for law firms, Rodney Barker, a former A&O director of business services, who is now a legal workplace consultant, said that A&O was aiming to reduce its current provision by 80 per cent....
A&O wins Fortis in-houser
Allen & Overy's (A&O) Brussels office has taken on Jean-Marie Moreels, the general counsel of financial services provider Fortis.
Afghan bound
Being Christian Aid's sole lawyer is no conventional role. Advocacy officer Matt Hobson is on the front line of the reconstruction of post-war Afghanistan. Husnara Begum reports
All abroad
Offshore outsourcing is booming and UK law firms are waking up to that fact. Matt Byrne looks at the progress of the key players, including Bird & Bird, Barlows and Simmons
Ashursts the loser as British Telecom gets tough on fees
Ashurst Morris Crisp's relationship with British Telecom (BT) was bedevilled by a row over fees prior to the firm's exit from BT's panel, The Lawyer can reveal.
Baker & McKenzie picks Senior for London managing partner
Baker & McKenzie has named corporate partner Gary Senior as its new London managing partner. Senior replaces Russell Lewin, who moves up to sit on the firm’s global executive committee after five years in the top job in London. Senior has also been the partner responsible for professional development and knowledge management at Bakers’ London office.
Bevan Ashford fees stay modest
Hourly charge-out rates for partners at Bevan Ashford's West Country profit centre have gone up - but only to £180.
Borealis finds new general counsel at Allergan
Plastics supplier Borealis has hired Allergan’s European general counsel Ruth Steinholtz as its new global general counsel.Steinholtz has left her role at the global health care company to replace Hans Byfeldt at Borealis. The company’s head office is in Denmark, so Steinholtz will divide her time between Copenhagen and London.
Clyde & Co first to Iraq
Clydes beats the City with Iraqi launch as it stakes key claim to lucrative post-war reconstruction
Commercial Court plans lack firm foundations
He may know a lot about wallpaper, but former Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine is no engineer.But having recently resigned, at least Irvine will not have to deal with the possibility that the new Commercial Court, planned to be built on the site of the Queen's Building in the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ), could fall down.
Correction
In The Lawyer on 2 June, under the headline 'Barrister appeals on charge of negligence', it was incorrectly stated that the subject of the article, barrister Jacqueline Perry, was a tenant of Lamb Chambers. Perry is in fact a tenant of Lamb Building. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Dewey postpones European plans
US firm Dewey Ballantine has put European expansion plans on hold as a result of the Iraq war and concerns about the international economic climate.
Dresdner Kleinwort to create US, Asian panels based on UK model
German investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein is set to launch legal panels in the US, Japan and Singapore following a successful pilot scheme in the UK. A further German panel is likely to follow.
Easing the pain
Redundancies are inevitable in this climate, but it is easy for companies to find themselves fighting tribunals if they go about them the wrong way. Anna West reports
EU seeks to fill 375 extra lawyer posts
The institutions of the EU have invited applications for around 375 lawyer posts to help meet the demands imposed by next year's enlargement of the EU from 15 to 25 countries, which will add 75 million to the EU population.
EU, US sign extradition agreement
The EU is to sign a controversial extradition deal with the US, with the agreement being approved by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, despite concerns raised by the European Parliament.
Ex-Bird & Bird lawyer lands Beckham deal
David Beckham's transfer to Real Madrid has been handled by a former Bird & Bird lawyer who is now in-house at the footballer's agents SFX.
Ex-OPIC boss moves to Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance's Washington DC office has bolstered its projects group by recruiting Ronald Jonkers, the former assistant general counsel of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). He is joining the firm after 11 years at OPIC, a development agency which is part of the US government, where he specialised in large project finance deals in a number of emerging markets, including Russia ...
Finance deals round-up
Herbert Smith (Dina Albagli) advised Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) on its issue from its master trust Mound Financing, raising £2.26bn for the bank and an increase in trust property to £7.5bn. Shepherd + Wedderburn acted for HBOS on issues relating to Scottish law. Citigroup acted as sole arranger with Credit Suisse First Boston as joint book runners. Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, represented by Allen ...
Former health minister teams up with Beachcrofts
The former health minister who resigned over the Iraq war is to take up a new brief advising Beachcroft Wansbroughs’ health and social care division. Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Philip Hunt) will be part of the team helping clients face the issues and implications of the constantly changing health sector. He will particularly support the firm’s focus on NHS Foundation Trusts. These new entities will be introduced by legislation currently going through Parliament, ...
Freshfields tops German M&A
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has netted the largest share of Germany's deals despite the slow market, as revealed by Thomson Financial's M&A tables for announced deals, January-June 2003. It is understood that some of the firm's German offices are now matching, or are slightly outperforming, London.
Freshfields upsets assistants with email clanger
In a damaging email blunder, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has revealed limited partnership promotion prospects for associates in the London project finance department.
Fried Frank rocked by exits
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has been hit by the departure of its highly-rated head of structured finance and securitisation.
Frizzell withdraws negligence claim against Birchams ahead of court case
A £1.4m negligence claim against Bircham Dyson Bell brought by Frizzell Financial Services has been dropped just weeks before the case was due to go to court.
Griffiths wins South Downs inquiry work
Robert Griffiths QC of 4-5 Gray's Inn Square has beaten off several rivals to become counsel to the inquiry investigating a proposal to make the South Downs one of only two national parks to be established in the past 50 years. Although his title is counsel to the inquiry, Griffiths is officially acting for the Countryside Agency, which he also acted for in the recently completed New Forest National Park Inquiry. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews 17 June
Hammonds in football challenge
The £130m dispute between the Football League and Hammonds over the collapse of ITV Digital has finally kicked off.
Harbottles moves to LLP status
Harbottle & Lewis is converting to a limited-liability partnership (LLP) from 1 July this year.
Herbert Smith alliance ramps up joint approach
Herbert Smith has set up joint working groups with its alliance firms Gleiss Lutz and Stibbe in areas such as M&A, capital markets, private equity and litigation. The groups will pitch for potential new clients.
Hogan takes a lead role in restructuring Afghani law
Community action and pro bono
Hong Kong lawyers granted China licence
Hong Kong-qualified lawyers are to be granted the right to practise local law on the Chinese mainland for the first time under a free trade agreement expected to be entered into on 30 June. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement between Hong Kong and the mainland will contain provisions to allow Hong Kong-qualified lawyers to sit the national bar exams in the People's Republic of China.
Jacob wins promotion to the Court of Appeal
Mr Justice Jacob, one of the finest judges in the High Court, has been promoted to the Court of Appeal.
Judge calls for privacy law in New Zealand
Following the UK Government's rejection of proposals by a House of Commons select committee that it should legislate on privacy, a judge in New Zealand has asked the New Zealand parliament to create a new privacy law.
Law Soc's £2m folly
The Law Society has spent a staggering £2m in consultancy fees over the past two years, including £1m on advice relating to its much maligned IT programme Project Engineer.
Legal Widow
The Lawyer is having a moral crisis at work, with the news that he may be advising against his own client in upcoming negotiations.
Linklaters cements United Technologies' tie with Chubb deal
Linklaters has sealed its first major acquisition for United Technologies Corporation (UTC) since being appointed as preferred legal adviser by the US conglomerate 18 months ago.
Linklaters' property losses mount
Linklaters has lost high-profile German real estate partner Hans-Dieter Schulz-Gebeltzig to Norton Rose together with a second partner and an associate.Schulz-Gebeltzig will be joined in Norton Rose’s Frankfurt office by fellow partner Axel Kunze, an associate, with the possibility of further associates ...
Mayer Brown becomes US LLP after ban lifted
The UK part of the firm is already an LLP, but the US partners could not gain LLP status until this April, when the state of Illinois, where the US partnership is headquartered, lifted its ban on LLPs for law firms.When UK firm Rowe & Maw and Chicago...
Microsoft chooses Mishcons for assault against spammers
Microsoft has appointed Mishcon de Reya to lead its fight against piracy, ahead of rival panel firms Linklaters and Covington & Burling.
Open plan
The Louise Barton decision highlights the potential minefield for employers awarding discretionary bonuses. Caroline Carter and Kate Sandison investigate
Opinion
Rarely does the receiver get more pleasure than the giver in the payment of legal bills. Legal fees for international arbitration work are increasing, but justifiably so, and the arbitration market is experiencing double digit growth
Paull & Williamsons appoints ex-BP man
Scottish firm Paull & Williamsons has bolstered its energy expertise with the hire of Bruce McLeod, who has joined as a partner after eight years' commercial and legal experience with BP. At BP, McLeod was commercial operations manager for the Northern business unit, where he led a team responsible for negotiations and economic analyses for BP's producing fields east and west of Shetland.
Pencil pusher
Former Shearman insolvency star Ronald DeKoven is used to the finer things in life. Matheu Swallow talks to a man coming to terms with grotty old London.
Property lawyers top professional indemnity hit-list
Property work has once again turned out to be the main cause of professional indemnity claims against solicitors. According to a report by Alexander Forbes Claims Services, 34 per cent of claims from 31 August 2002 to date have been racked up over property matters. Of the property claims, residential work was the biggest offender, accounting for 24 per cent of claims, while 10 per cent related to commercial property. Trust and probate work was the next most common ...
Publicis dumps Herbies on Cordiant
Publicis, the French advertising company, has ditched Herbert Smith in favour of Clifford Chance in its battle for Cordiant Communications.
Putting the public back into the PPP market
Julia Cahill investigates the new-look PFI scheme being introduced across the NHS
Relations shit
One hopes that a certain London-based construction and property specialist firm provides better training to its incoming lawyers than it does its new public relations (PR) staff. One PR newbie in particular contacted The Lawyer's office last week to find out who she should send a press release to. A fair request, one would have to concede, and at least she knew the name of the firm she was working for.Unfortunately, when pressed for further details about the firm ...
Separated at birth
Last week's The Lawyer Interview revealed that Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw's US partners are fond of comparing London senior partner Paul Maher with Hugh Grant. They apparently find his "schoolboy banter" hilarious. Tulkinghorn can't help feeling that they've got confused with another Hugh - former Liverpool and England football legend Emlyn Hughes. Hughes was the undisputed master ...
Simmons profits suffer 20 per cent dip
Simmons & Simmons saw turnover rise by 12.6 per cent to £176.9m, but is set to post average profits per equity partner of around £300,000, representing a drop of some 20 per cent. It is the second year in a row that average profits have fallen: in 2002, they fell to £375,000 from 2001's high of £412,000. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews 17 June
Skadden, Mayer Brown wait on Clinton to pay up
Even former presidents have trouble paying their legal bills, as Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom have discovered.
Slaughters beats Linklaters to American Express acquisition
Slaughter and May has sidelined Linklaters and won instructions from American Express (Amex) on its acquisition of Threadneedle Asset Management. Amex is now expected to go on a European spending spree.
Slaughters gifts Pru no-fee deal
In a move which underlines the firm's growing flexibility on fees, Slaughter and May is not charging the Prudential for helping draw up its best-practice guidelines for outsourcing. The firm hopes the loss leader will put it in pole position for future outsourcing projects with the financial services giant.
Speaking out
Christopher Braganza says that welcoming whistleblowers is one of the few ways to ensure the smooth running of a company.
Stop the press
Some firms will go to any lengths to avoid bad news. Take Linklaters, for example. Tulkinghorn hears that when the edition of The Lawyer containing the shock news that corporate partner Peter King was joining Shearman & Sterling was published, the post room was told not to distribute copies to Linklaters lawyers.The delay in delivery, Tulkinghorn has been informed, was enforced to allow ...
The Lawyer European Legal Summit 2003
The fourth business and networking forum organised by The Lawyer takes place at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona between Thursday 13 and Saturday 15 November 2003. This independent forum provides a unique environment for debate and informal networking with senior lawyers from in-house and private practice.
The Leader Column
In the same week that Simmons & Simmons released its year-end figures, so details leaked out on the adviser fees for the administration of its one-time trophy client Railtrack.
The price of failure
With the media and the Govt aiming boots at the fat cats, industry is going to have to radically improve self-regulation if it wants to avoid legislation. Richard Yeomans reports
The voice of concern
John McMullen gives the results of one of the most thorough studies into the impact of Tupe
Third Linklaters man jumps ship to Shearmans
Shearman & Sterling's London office has taken on another former Linklaters lawyer. John Schmidt, a senior associate in competition who has experience in several areas, including EU, UK, German and multijurisdictional merger control, spent five years in Brussels at his former firm before returning to London in ...
TLT shows 14 per cent rise in turnover
Bristol firm TLT has grown its turnover by 14 per cent to £15.75m. Average profits per equity partner have risen from £135,000 for 2001-02 to £175,000 for the last financial year, while the number of equity partners has remained at 18. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews 17 June
Too many lawyers sees Cadwalader sell office
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft may soon see its New York headquarters turned into chic designer digs after putting the 325,000sq ft office up for sale.
Travers Smith in management instruction on Hamleys' MBO
Travers Smith Braithwaite saw off competition from two rival law firms to scoop the mandate on the public-to-private buyout of toy emporium Hamleys.
Two partners jump ship from Gray Cary
West Coast-based Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich has been hit by the departures of two partners as it struggles to return profitability to its former level
Valley rent costs threaten Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly is struggling to offload thousands of square feet of expensive Silicon Valley real estate, as the firm attempts to find a buyer for its three European offices.
Vital titles
Just where on earth do City types come up with the names for their deals? Travers Smith Braithwaite recently had the good fortune to act on the management buyout of Regent Street toy emporium Hamleys. And what was the name of the project? 'Project Soldier'. No doubt this was inspired by the halcyon days when young scamps, home from boarding school, found solace playing tin soldier wars ...
Vizard Oldham Brooke Blain
What do you do when your senior partner and 15 other partners, plus their teams, walk out on you? You pick yourself up and start again
Wedlake Bell hoping for airline work after hire of BA's employment lawyer
Wedlake Bell is hoping to get a share of airline industry work after hiring British Airways (BA) senior employment lawyer Jo Pawley.
WS Atkins sets up first legal panel
Following the appointment of a new head of legal, WS Atkins, the largest multi-disciplinary consultancy and services company in the UK, is in the throes of establishing its first ever legal panel.
