The Lawyer
24 October 2005
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15 New Bridge St celebrates soaring turnover
24-Oct-2005
Criminal chambers 15 New Bridge Street is celebrating a hugely successful first year after its demerger from civil set Hardwicke Building.
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2 Harcourt lures Stone Chambers senior clerk to spark set expansion
24-Oct-2005
Planning and public law set 2 Harcourt Buildings has poached Stone Chambers' senior clerk Paul Coveney as it prepares to move into bigger premises next year.
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A&O wins direct Hungarian corporate eurobond
24-Oct-2005
Allen & Overy (A&O) has landed a role on the first eurobond to be issued directly by a Hungarian corporate.
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A&O wins M&A first from BSkyB
25-Oct-2005
Allen & Overy has secured its first M&A instruction from BSkyB, on its recommended takeover of the pan-European broadband network company, Easynet Group.
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A&O's very own deadlock
24-Oct-2005
Tulkinghorn is on the telly this week. As readers will know, the great man began his career as the faithful lawyer to Sir Leicester in Charles Dickens' Bleak House. As viewers can see on the Beeb, while being impersonated by Charles Dance, Tulkinghorn discovers that Lady Dedlock has something to hide and will not rest until he has unearthed the secret and has her in his power.
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ABP appoints First Choice GC
26-Oct-2005
Former First Choice Holidays general counsel Andrew Garner has jumped ship to take the helm of Associated British Ports’ legal functions.
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Arnold & Porter to defend Da Vinci Code
24-Oct-2005
The London office of Washington DC's Arnold & Porter and London firm Orchard Solicitors are preparing to do battle over Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code.
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Baby boomers
24-Oct-2005
Contrary to popular opinion, the youth of the bar are holding their own. Declan Redmond argues why 'baby juniors' offer a unique and valuable service
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Baker Botts advises Liberty Global on new stake in Telenet
24-Oct-2005
Baker Botts advised broadband cable company Liberty Global on increasing its stake in Belgium's largest broadband cable operator Telenet Group Holding to 20 per cent through an IPO worth €160m (£109.5m). The purchase reinforces Liberty Global's reputation as having the world's largest broadband cable subscriber base outside the US, with around 23.5 million homes serviced. Baker Botts corporate partner Paul Landen led the deal, which will see Liberty Global purchase 7.7 million shares ...
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Bakers boosts CIS team with more Coudert hires
24-Oct-2005
Baker & McKenzie has boosted its global M&A and energy practices by mopping up two of the few remaining Coudert Brothers partners yet to find a home.
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Bar Council appointments announced with Vos vice-chair
25-Oct-2005
The Bar Council today (25 October) announced that Geoffrey Vos QC of 3 Stone Buildings is to succeed 6 Pump Court’s Stephen Hockman QC as vice-chairman.
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Bingham re-elects Zimmerman as chairman
24-Oct-2005
Bingham McCutchen has re-elected Jay Zimmerman as its chairman. The partnership selected Zimmerman to serve his fourth term and also re-elected San Francisco partner Donn Pickett as vice-chairman. Under Zimmerman's leadership, Bingham McCutchen has grown from a regional law firm based in Boston to a national firm specialising in corporate, finance and litigation. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com, 17 October
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Blake Dawson pulls out of London as billings dry up
24-Oct-2005
AUSTRALIAN law firm Blake Dawson Waldron will close its London office after it stopped generating its own revenue.
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BLG's new regulatory team scoops place on Bupa panel
24-Oct-2005
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert's (BLG) new financial services regulatory team has scooped a place on private healthcare giant Bupa's legal panel.
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Bryan Cave takes eight lawyers to boost trade group
26-Oct-2005
US firm Bryan Cave has expanded its international trade practice by raiding national rivals White & Case and Katten Muchin Rosenman with eight hires to its Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles offices.
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Campbell judgment rules out CFA means-tests
24-Oct-2005
The House of Lords last week decided that lawyers are not required to means-test clients for conditional fee aggreements (CFAs), even if they are wealthy celebrities.
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Careers: In brief
24-Oct-2005
The Law Society last week welcomed plans for the implementation of the Clementi reforms to enable new forms of legal practice and external investment in law firms. The society warned that it was important that the new regulatory framework should not lead to disproportionate regulatory burdens on the legal profession. "The legal profession has an important role in standing up for individuals against the state and defending the rule of law generally," said Law Society president Kevin ...
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Careers: People
24-Oct-2005
TLT Solicitors has hired two new lawyers. Nicola Howell, who joins from Tesco, has joined the firm's regulatory team, while Sally Olsen, who joins from Laytons Solicitors in Bristol, will strengthen the banking and financial services litigation team.
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CAT-Abbott settles on morning of appeal
26-Oct-2005
The IP dispute between Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) and Abbott Laboratories has reached a shock settlement ahead of a Court of Appeal hearing due to start today (26 October).
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CC takes Heinz merger to Competition Commission
27-Oct-2005
Clifford Chance is set to argue its case for the completed acquisition by Heinz of the HP Foods Group after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) referred the takeover to the Competition Commission.
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Chessa returns to CC Rome after two-year break
28-Oct-2005
Clifford Chance’s former joint Italian managing partner Luigi Chessa has rejoined the magic circle firm’s Rome office as of counsel just two years after quitting.
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Cleary advises Bank of America on maximum stake in IPO-bound CCB
24-Oct-2005
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton will represent Bank of America after it was given the all-clear to increase its stake in China Construction Bank (CCB) to almost 20 per cent ahead of the Chinese bank's IPO.
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Coudert Bros struggles with $11m debt
24-Oct-2005
Disbanding firm Coudert Brothers is struggling to pay debts estimated at more than $11m (£6.2m) after the sale of the firm's most valuable assets.
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Criminal bar strike off as Carter talks pay off
27-Oct-2005
Criminal barristers who have been refusing instructions in the row over legal aid are returning to work, it emerged today (27 October).
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DLA Piper bolsters Moscow with more Coudert hires
27-Oct-2005
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has made another raid on Coudert Brothers, this time taking two partners from its Moscow office.
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Dundas triple hire continues London expansion
24-Oct-2005
Dundas & Wilson is continuing a City hiring spree with the appointment of three new partners, bringing the total number of London lateral hires to five this year. Pinsent Masons construction partner Mark Tiggeman, Watson Farley & Williams projects partner Ian McNeill, and employment specialist Graham Paul from City boutique Doyle Clayton are the latest hires for the Scottish firm. Tiggeman is the second Pinsents partner to jump ship for Dundas this year, following the move of former banking ...
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DWS scoops TMT partner from Taylor Wessing
24-Oct-2005
Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS) has raided Taylor Wessing, recruiting Ingrid Silver as a partner for its London-based technology, media and telecoms department. Silver joined Taylor Wessing in May 2003 following previous positions with Ashurst, Froriep Renggli (Geneva) and the European Commission. She specialises in the provision of commercial, regulatory and corporate support to the media, telecoms and IT sectors. DWS chief executive officer Howard Morris said: "Ingrid is a strategic appointment ...
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EAT finds Herbies guilty of sex discrimination
24-Oct-2005
Herbert Smith has lost an appeal against an employment tribunal ruling which found it had discriminated against a part-time manager at the firm.
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Exchange dumps Olpas recruitment method
24-Oct-2005
North West set Exchange Chambers is ditching traditional methods of choosing pupils in favour of designing its own recruitment programme.
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Ex-Olswang Reading chief emerges at Steptoe
24-Oct-2005
Marshall Leopold, Olswang’s former Reading managing partner, has resurfaced at US firm Steptoe & Johnson.
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Firm profile: Henmans
24-Oct-2005
Managing partner: Julie Iball Turnover: £7.8m Total number of partners: 21 Total number of fee-earners: 72 Main practice areas: Commercial litigation, employment, personal injury, private client, professional negligence and property Key clients: BMW, Cancer Research, RSPCA and Guide Dogs for the Blind, ...
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Flu adieu
24-Oct-2005
Tulkinghorn's heard a lot of excuses over the years for not being able to get hold of partners, but the one from Tarlo Lyons' switchboard last week has to be the best yet.
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Frozen out
24-Oct-2005
When an extension to the standard freezing order was sought to cover real property in Perry, a number of issues were exposed. Paul Reed and James Watthey report
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General counsel pay soars post-Sarbanes
24-Oct-2005
General counsel in the US are seeing their salaries rise as corporations fight to keep legal talent despite an increased workload.
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Gibson Dunn rejigs hiring process to hike leverage
24-Oct-2005
US firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is set to overhaul its partnership and fee-earner recruitment process following the decision to increase the firm's global leverage to three lawyers for every partner.
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Gloves come off as Lovells duo decamps to Sidley
24-Oct-2005
Lovells tears into defectors as US firm aims to rival top two German firms. By Lorraine Cushnie
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Grapevine
24-Oct-2005
Despite hitting the self destruct button two months ago, the Coudert Brothers name will live on in Hong Kong for some time yet.
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IFPI wins back legal star from BPI
24-Oct-2005
Leading music industry lawyer Geoff Taylor is to rejoin IFPI as general counsel and executive vice-president little more than 12 months after leaving for the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
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Inn the know
24-Oct-2005
After establishing Thirteen Old Square one year ago, John McDonnell QC offers his views on the ideal environment for a barrister in the modern legal world
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Irwin Mitchell and Marks & Clerk set for MDP conversion
24-Oct-2005
Irwin Mitchell and Marks & Clerk Solicitors are set to lead the first wave of law firms to take advantage of a radical regulatory change for the legal profession in new legislation outlined by the Government.
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Jones Day Latin America head joins Gibson Dunn
24-Oct-2005
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has hired the chair of Jones Day's Latin America practice Steve Guynn. Guynn will join the New York office as a partner in the firm's capital markets and Latin America paractice groups. Gibson Dunn managing partner Ken Doran said Guynn will play a key role in building the firm's capital markets capability.
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Judge orders English court to move to Zambia for fraud case
24-Oct-2005
The paraphernalia of an English court is due to be moved to Zambia next year in the face of a ruling handed down by Mr Justice Peter Smith.
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Judges threaten mass walkout over new pension tax laws
24-Oct-2005
The Government is facing a mass resignation of High Court judges if it fails to implement a bill aimed at exempting them from changes to new laws on pension rights.
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Keal departs A&O one month into notice with KKR in tow
24-Oct-2005
Allen & Overy's (A&O) legendary leveraged finance partner Tony Keal has left the firm just one month into the standard six-month notice period, taking his entire book of business with trophy client Kohlberg Kravis Robert (KKR) to new firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
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Law Society row ends in LPC U-turn
24-Oct-2005
The Law Society has been forced into a U-turn on its controversial plans to make the LPC non-compulsory following a furious row at the Legal Education Training Group's (LETG) annual general meeting.
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Legal Widow
24-Oct-2005
The Lawyer has been complaining about the firm's new pro bono scheme: 52 hours per year, minimum. Just one a week, the equivalent of two tea breaks, according to the bosses.
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Let's get quizzical
24-Oct-2005
Quiz mania appears to have struck, at least at Tulkinghorn Towers.
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Linklaters all smiles as Somerfield sell-off is finally realised
24-Oct-2005
Linklaters will no doubt be delighted that the protracted £1.1bn takeover of supermarket group Somerfield completed last week. According to reports, the seven-month auction had to overcome last-minute hurdles regarding the financing of the takeover. Linklaters, led by private equity partner Raymond McKeeve, advised the purchasing consortium, which comprised Apax Partners, Barclays Capital and the Tchenguiz Family Trust. It is understood that Clifford Chance, Olswang and Weil Gotshal ...
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Linklaters in place for BP- Sinopec link-up in China
24-Oct-2005
Linklaters is in line to benefit from a pending partnership between oil giant BP and China's biggest producer of refined oil products Sinopec.
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Lord's sword restored
24-Oct-2005
Back in July, Beachcroft Wansbroughs advised betting company Betex on its appointment to manage the state lottery for the Chinese province of Guizhou. The deal meant a visit to the UK by a group of Chinese prosecutors, one that was disrupted by the July terrorist attacks on London.
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Lovells overhauls international executive
27-Oct-2005
Lovells has appointed regional managing partners for Continental Europe and London and a practice stream leader for commerce as the City firm puts the finishing touches to its new-look international executive.
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Manches faces SEB in Appeal Court row
24-Oct-2005
Manches was in the Court of Appeal last week fighting a multimillion pound claim over its involvement in an ongoing arbitration.
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Matrix recruits 2-3 Gary's Inn director
24-Oct-2005
Matrix Chambers has poached 2-3 Gray's Inn Square's chambers director Lindsay Scott as its new chief executive.
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Mayer Brown snaps up Coudert trio
24-Oct-2005
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw is the latest firm to benefit from Coudert Brothers' implosion, hiring partner Paulette Vander Schueren and two other lawyers. Vander Schueren has joined Mayer Brown's Brussels office and specialises in international trade law and remedy issues. She will be joined in Brussels by trade lawyers Nikolay Mizulin and Madelein Perrick. Vander Schueren said: "At a difficult time for all Coudert partners, the move provides a new opportunity for me and I look forward to ...
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McDermott and Carnelutti call time on two-year tie-up
24-Oct-2005
McDermott Will & Emery's merger with Italian firm Carnelutti has failed, with the firms splitting just two years after their merger.
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Media team up with Lords to fight religious hatred bill
24-Oct-2005
The national media's in-house departments have teamed up with an all-party group of peers in an attempt to force amendments to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, which they believe prohibits the right to freedom of expression.
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Michael Hausfield brings class actions to the UK
24-Oct-2005
Michael Hausfeld is on a mission to take the US class action ideology across the world. Can he do it? Clifford Chance for one seems to be interested. By Jon Robins
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Michaud withdraws as Freshfields votes for joint senior partners
26-Oct-2005
The candidates for the position of senior partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer were reduced to five today (26 October) when French partner Jean-Luc Michaud withdrew from the race.
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Mourant set to launch Guernsey office
24-Oct-2005
Offshore law firm Mou-rant du Feu & Jeune is launching a Guernsey office in January as it expands its multi- jurisdictional capabilities.
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Nabarros leads derivatives deal for Quintain
24-Oct-2005
Nabarro Nathanson has advised Quintain Estates and Development on a £15m property index-linked return swap with Barclays Bank.
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Norton Rose Brussels to be led by associates
24-Oct-2005
Norton Rose is moving to refocus its Brussels-based competition team as an associate-led practice in the wake of its second high-profile partner loss in 18 months.
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O'Melveny confirms Ashworth hire
28-Oct-2005
O’Melveny & Myers has confirmed the hire of Ashurst corporate heavyweight Chris Ashworth to create the firm’s first M&A capability in Europe.
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Opinion
24-Oct-2005
Cetelem v Roust Holdings leaves tension over the court's powers to support arbitration
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Orrick strikes groundbreaking outsourcing deal
28-Oct-2005
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has struck an innovative outsourcing deal in the US that will see 35 employees transfer to business process outsouring provider Williams Lea.
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Past, present and future
24-Oct-2005
Identifying mistakes and learning from them is the key to success. By Patricia Wheatley Burt
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Penningtons hires employment chief
24-Oct-2005
Penningtons Solicitors has poached Goodman Derrick's David Bickford (left) to head its employment law practice in Basingstoke. Bickford joined Penningtons as a partner specialising in employment law with an emphasis on claims prevention and pro-active commercial solutions. His practice covers contentious work, where he is able to conduct his own advocacy ...
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Pinsent Masons wins IP star from Codemasters
24-Oct-2005
Pinsent Masons has snared Codemasters Group head of legal Nav Sunner for its Birmingham IP and technology practice. Sunner joined the firm to advise on IP, commercial and media issues, as well as on issues relating to data protection, e-commerce and general IT. Pinsent Masons' group head of outsourcing and technology Clive Seddon said: "Sunner's experience complements our existing team and will allow us to further our games and IP law expertise."
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Revealed: Freshfields' £4m cash pot for partner payoffs
24-Oct-2005
Pot could rise to £16m for 50 partners; full-scale review to shake up City firm's global partnership
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Revolution in the air at Freshfields
24-Oct-2005
Next week hundreds of Freshfields alumni will all get together for a big party. They may not recognise the firm they left.
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Sandelson confirmed as CC London head
26-Oct-2005
Clifford Chance London litigation and dispute resolution head Jeremy Sandelson has been confirmed as the firm’s new London managing partner following an uncontested vote.
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Separated at birth
24-Oct-2005
Sometimes things are so good they have to be repeated.
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Settling in the city
24-Oct-2005
The commercial and chancery bar has taken alternative dispute resolution to its bosom, making London the foremost jurisdiction for mediation in the world. Eileen Carroll reports
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SJ Berwin commits to German growth
24-Oct-2005
SJ Berwin has vowed to beef up its German operation over the next two years despite the resignation of Uwe Steininger, its joint managing partner in the region.
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Skadden scoops Linklaters partner for Hong Kong push
27-Oct-2005
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has raided Linklaters to bolster its developing Hong Kong corporate finance and M&A capability.
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Slaughters conflict hands A&O £1.2bn Ericsson-Marconi deal
25-Oct-2005
A Slaughter and May conflict has gifted Allen & Overy (A&O) a mandate to advise Swedish telecoms equipment company Ericsson on its £1.2bn deal to buy the bulk of Marconi’s assets.
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Stewart Wright: Child Poverty Action Group
24-Oct-2005
It started as a research organisation, but Child Poverty Action Group has developed into a campaigning heavyweight setting legal precedents. Joanne Harris reports
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SWIP brings in Latham for asset management deal
24-Oct-2005
Latham & Watkins' London outsourcing team has completed an innovative £87.5bn asset management deal for new client Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) with US bank State Street.
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Takeover Panel makes Terra Firma live up to East Surrey promise
24-Oct-2005
Clifford Chance had good reason to celebrate last week after the Takeover Panel's decision to throw out Terra Firma's application to lapse its £453m offer for water and utilities company East Surrey Holdings. The ruling effectively forces Terra Firma to follow through with the acquisition of East Surrey's principal assets, East ...
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Taylor Wessing draws up Italian shortlist
24-Oct-2005
Taylor Wessing remains on track for an Italian launch and has drawn up a shortlist of five candidate firms for either a full merger or mass lateral hire.
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Taylor Wessing in Twist assist
24-Oct-2005
Staying with Dickens, Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist may have taken a beating at the hands of the critics, but there's at least one City firm that thinks it's just great.Look closely at the end and you'll see Taylor Wessing's name pop up. Apparently, the firm's Paris office film practice, in the shape of all-round movie specialist Christian Valsamidis, played a major role in producing the film. Pity it wasn't The Pianist.
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Taylor Wessing plunders Haarmann for M&A head
24-Oct-2005
Taylor Wessing has raided German rival Haarmann Hemmelrath to boost its Munich corporate practice with two new partners, including the German firm's head of M&A Heinrich Rodewig.
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Taylor Wessing scoops deal hat trick for HSH Nordbank
24-Oct-2005
Taylor Wessing has completed a hat trick of finance deals for HSH Nordbank of Germany. The firm advised HSH on a £27m loan facility, which was made available to a special purpose vehicle subsidiary (SPV) of German fund Doric Asset Finance to acquire a building in Newgate Street, London. Taylor Wessing also advised HSH on a senior facility totalling £36m, which was made available to an SPV subsidiary of German fund Blue Capital to acquire buildings in Fetter Lane, London, and Queen St, ...
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The commercialisation of the bar
24-Oct-2005
Times are changing at the bar as it catches up with a more commercial and more varied market. But who has actually benefited? Marcus Rutherford reports
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The work-life quiz
24-Oct-2005
Andrew Wright, partner, Cobetts
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Uproar as Brobeck papers set for shredder
24-Oct-2005
A bitter row has broken out over the future of millions of documents left behind by the now-defunct Brobeck Phleger & Harrison.
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US merger creates IP powerhouse
26-Oct-2005
US IP specialists Merchant & Gould and Welsh & Katz are set to merge, creating a 160-lawyer firm with six offices.
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Vive la chancery
24-Oct-2005
The Chancery Court may be no more, but the Chancery Division is still providing a world-leading service in business disputes. By Carolyn Walton
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Weil Gotshal leads Premier Foods' sale of Typhoo
24-Oct-2005
Weil Gotshal & Manges has scooped an instruction from regular client Premier Foods on the £80m sale of its Typhoo tea brand to Indian conglomerate Apeejay Surrendra Group. In addition to buying Typhoo, the businesses acquired by Apeejay also include London Fruit & Herb, Lift, QT and other associated brands. Weil Gotshal's team was led by corporate partners Ian Hamilton and Andrew McLean. Berwin Leighton Paisner corporate partner John Bennett advised Apeejay.
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Weil Gotshal's new pro bono regime sets legal benchmark
24-Oct-2005
Weil Gotshal & Manges is to increase its lawyers' minimum pro bono contribution to 50 hours per year. It has also relaunched its pro bono strategy in an attempt to change "the worldwide pro bono model that law firms use".
