26 February 2007
The Lawyer
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•Essex Court Chambers has hired international law specialist Professor Campbell McLachlan as a door tenant. McLachlan joins from Victoria University in New Zealand, where he was a professor of law. He is also an associatemember of Bankside Chambers.
1 Hare Court family silk adds momentum to Farrers' growth
Farrer & Co has continued its recent recruitment drive, snaring the services of highly rated family barrister Jeremy Posnansky QC from 1 Hare Court.
20 Years: Blooming tech
The technological advancements of the past 20 years have revolutionised how law firms operate
A&O beats Freshfields as Slaughters remains top firm for FTSE100 clients
Allen & Overy (A&O) has overtaken Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in the number of FTSE100 clients it can lay claim to, according ...
A&O gives welcome boost to Welcome Break
Allen & Overy (A&O) helped Investcorp receive some long-anticipated good news by advising on Welcome Break’s £300m leveraged recapitalisation.
ABN Amro ditches e-billing plan
ABN Amro has ditched any immediate plans to introduce e-billing following a review of the cost to benefit ratio.
Addleshaws first past the post on new tax laws
Addleshaw Goddard and Allen & Overy (A&O) have broken new ground in tax law, advising on the first publicly listed securitisation structure under new regulations.
Anti-Carter campaign set to storm courts
A new campaign to resist the Carter reforms to civil legal aid is to be launched in May with demostrators campaigning at courts across the country.
Asia
Foreign firms push IP for China incursionlaw Firms are wasting no time in putting China high on their agendas for 2007. The bustling Shanghai legal market is particularly busy and a number of firms have already launched offices there this year. Within just seven days US firms Foley & Lardner, McDermott Will & Emery and UK patent and trademark attorney Marks & Clerk have all either set up shop or are in the process of doing so on the Chinese mainland.
AstraZeneca ramps up for M&A upsurge
Pharmaceuticals leader AstraZeneca is to ramp up its in-house transactional capability in preparation for a sharp increase in M&A work.
Aussie firms to target private equity investment
A group of six small Australian firms are set to merge and sell the united entity to private equity investors.
Australasia
Australia may have thrashed England 5-0 in the Ashes, but UK firms would be wise to not hold a grudge against their Antipodean counterparts.
Bar strikes back in direct access row
The Bar Council defended itself from allegations that it has not done enough to promote direct access to the bar.
BEA Systems general counsel forced to stand down over stock option blunder
Nasdaq-listed technology company BEA Systems has demoted its general counsel following an investigation by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett into stock options backdating.
Big bucks to be Buck
Tulkinghorn fulfilled a lifelong ambition last week when, as a guest of CMS Cameron McKenna's Central and Eastern Europe practice, he sang along with that legendary 1980s icon Rick Astley.
Bird & Bird in £40m Applied aim listing
Bird & Bird is advising San Francisco-based Applied Intellectual Capital on its £40.2m admission to AIM. The firm, led by corporate partner Alastair Crellin and associate David Lowe, is acting for the electrochemicals group on its £20m placing, its first instruction from the company. Faegre & Benson, led by partner Max Audley, is acting for nominated adviser
BLG toasts Di and Dodi inquest win
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert with niche law firm Stephenson Benson & Co won a high court ruling that the inquests into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed should be heard by a jury.
BPE helps raise £10m for hexagon
BPE Solicitors has scooped its first instruction from Hexagon Human Capital, advising on its £30m listing on AIM. The Birmingham-based firm advised the company on its successful placing of six million shares at 165p each, raising around £10m. Corporate partner Anthony Rudge led the team advising on the IPO. Leightons Solicitors, led by corporate partner Cameron Sunter, picked up the role advising Brewin Dolphin, the sole nominated broker and nominated adviser. Hexagon intends to put ...
Burger and quips
The quote of the week - nay, the year - comes courtesy of Nils Breidenstein, BEA Systems' general counsel for Europe, the Middles East and Africa, who popped along recently to a meeting of the Law Society's commerce and industry group debate on the way lawyers charge their clients."The only people on hourly rates work as plumbers, at Burger King or at law firms," says Nils.Well put, sir, well put.
C&I Group rolls out junior in-house mentoring plan
Hourly rates were at the top of the agenda of the first meeting of core members of the Commerce & Industry (C&I) Group, the Law Society-recognised body of in-house lawyers, who met on 20 February to discuss best practice and firms' fee arrangements.
CC lawyer quits for Whittington in-house job
Singapore-based Whittington Group has appointed a new group general counsel from magic circle firm Clifford Chance to lead its global expansion strategy.
Chadbourne hires renewable energy duo
Chadbourne & Parke has bolstered its US-based renewable energy practice with the hire of two partners from Morgan Lewis & Bockius's Los Angeles office. Chadbourne has recruited Morgan Lewis head of renewable energy Edward Zaelke and wind power project finance specialist Adam Umanoff. Before he joined Morgan Lewis, Umanoff served as the general counsel and later as the president and chief executive ...
Charles Russell opens in Cambridge
Charles Russell has today opened its Cambridge office, giving the City firm a dual presence in the both Oxford and Cambridge.
Charles Russell's Varsity ruse
We don’t know if this is a sneaky attempt to get ahead of the milk round, but Charles Russell has just become the only law firm with an office in both Oxford and Cambridge. See story.
City launches summit on future of LPC
The ‘City LPC’ consortium of premier firms has invited the nation’s top law schools to present their views on the future of the Legal Practice Course (LPC).
College of Law 2 follow BPP's txt result service
The College of Law has followed BPP Law School in shunning traditional mail for text messaging to let applicants know that they have been successful.
Crowell NY office raids Buchanan for trio
US firm Crowell & Moring has beefed up its New York office with the addition of three partners from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.
DLA network scoops €30m kaupthing deal
DLA Piper's European network is benefiting from a developing relationship with Iceland's largest bank. The firm's London and Netherlands offices advised Kaupthing Bank on its provision of €30.2m (£20.33m) of debt funding to fruit and soft drinks manufacturer Refresco in its acquisition of Polish drinks company Kentpol. But the bank seems far from entering an exclusive relationship. Although DLA ...
DLA Piper bolsters Emea equity numbers
DLA Piper is to widen its Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) equity partnership after promoting a record number of partners into ownership of the firm's business this year.
DLA Piper’s international push triggers AIM bonanza
DLA Piper’s international push triggers AIM bonanza" /DLA Piper is the adviser of choice for clients on AIM, dominating the latest rankings released today by Hemscott.
DLA Piper's growing gains
DLA Piper's growing gains" /There is a glimmer of hope for DLA Piper associates who fancy a stab at partnership. The firm with the tightest equity in the City appears to have had a change of heart.
Double-digit turnover outstrips Labruna's first-year target
Labruna Mazziotti Segni’s revenue has hit the ?10m (£6.73m) mark in its first year, smashing the founding partners’ original turnover projections.
Faegre raids Kirkpatrick for IT boost
Faegre & Benson has hired an outsourcing partner from Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis, boosting its London office.
Foot Anstey swoops for Bond Pearce FD
South West law firm Foot Anstey has hired the finance director and former business development director of Bristol-based Bond Pearce.
Former Bird & Bird chair plots passage to India
The former chairman of Bird & Bird Hamish Sandison will now plot the firm’s entry into India after standing down last week.
Freshfields adds three to City arbitration team
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is set to boost its London arbitration practice by bringing its three big-hitting stars to the capital.
Freshfields chief speaks out
Freshfields chief executive Ted Burke has revealed that the magic circle firm is considering taking a leaf out of Clifford Chance’s book and outsouring some of its support functions.
Freshfields replaces restructuring chief
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has named Ken Baird as its new restructuring head following the departure of Sandy Shandro. Freshfields moved quickly to replace Shandro, who is leaving the magic circle firm to become dean of the law faculty at University College London (UCL), starting in September. Baird will move into his new role on 1 March. Baird, who has been a partner since 1996, ...
Freshfields' shrinking ship
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's staff should not get too comfortable, with the firm's cost-cutting exercises tipped to continue.
Freshfields, Herbies bag emi-warner talks
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Herbert Smith are tipped to advise on takeover talks between EMI and Warner Music. The firms, which are advising the respective companies, are remaining tight-lipped on Warner's takeover bid. Herbert Smith M&A specialist James Palmer is Warner's relationship partner, while corporate partner Mark Rawlinson and competition partner Rachel Brandenburger ...
Freshfields, Slaughters sidelined as Links gets the nod from
German industrial group Linde unveiled what it believes is a new legal model today - 'The Linde Model'. Imaginative.
GC hire kicks off Global Switch panel shake-up
Global Switch, the facilities management provider, is planning to launch a mid-year legal panel review following the appointment of a new group legal chief and general counsel.
German firm enjoys Oscar glory
Noerr Stiefenhofer Lutz is basking in Oscar glory after advising the production company behind the Oscar winning best foreign language film.
Global EU law idea gets a barracking
International law firms have ridiculed the European Commission's proposals that the rest of the world should adopt EU regulations.
Gómez-Acebo enjoys double-digit growth
Spanish independent Gómez-Acebo & Pombo is edging closer to the €50m (£33.67m) mark, after recording a revenue rise of 11 per cent for 2006.
Green for show
It's no secret that firms are taking the issue of carbon neutrality seriously, or at least they like to be seen as doing all they can to promote all issues green.
Heller plunders second group from WilmerHale London
Heller Ehrman has made a second raid on WilmerHale to augment the hires of three corporate partners made two weeks ago.
Herbies claims Eurotunnel arbitration victory
Herbert Smith scored a historic victory for Eurotunnel but also law firms seeking to do advocacy, in the first big international arbitration ruling against western governments.
Howrey says no thanks to Yanks
Howrey is a rare thing among US firms, especially those US firms that have major growth ambitions in the UK and elsewhere.
Hutching a plan
Losing a pet, as everyone knows, can be akin to losing a member of the family. Unless you're Travers Smith private equity star Charlie Barter, that is.
India is ripe for liberalisation
It is often asserted that India has the potential to become one of the world's great legal centres in the 21st century, alongside London and New York. It has innate advantages in its common law traditions and English language capability. But until very recently India had not recognised the role that advisory legal services have to play in attracting foreign investment and developing a broader-based services economy.
Jenkens closes LA as exodus continues
Texan firm Jenkens & Gilchrist suffered further meltdown as it lost its entire Los Angeles office to Ohio-headquartered Baker Hostetler and most of its Chicago office to newcomer Nixon Peabody.
Jenkens future in doubt as departures mounts
The future of Texan firm Jenkens & Gilchrist seemed ever more shaky as Jackson Walker confirmed it would be taking 10 lawyers from Jenkens’ San Antonio outpost, effectively shutting down operations in that city.
Jenkens rejects Coudert comparisons
The dissolution of Jenkens & Gilchrist’s satellite offices was decided as early as last summer, it has emerged.
JPMorgan guns for Lovells in High Court
JPMorgan Chase is suing Lovells for negligence for an undisclosed amount in the High Court.
Kent Law School goes up against DLA Piper in Tesco worker pay case
DLA Piper and Kent Law School's pro bono clinic are going head-to-head in a legal battle between supermarket giant Tesco and a group of employees.
Landmark Chambers
Lateral hiring has been the name of the game for Landmark Chambers since it was founded almost five years ago.
Latest Reed Smith merger goes live
The merger between US firm Reed Smith and Chicago-based Sachnoff & Weaver is going live today.
Latham displays Russian muscle with Sitronics IPO
Latham & Watkins completed London’s first major listing of a foreign company this year with the IPO of Russian technology group Sitronics.
Linklaters bods go all-out for vods
It seems it is not only The Lawyer that has launched a new pod and vodcast service: one magic circle firm has gone crazy for the new technology.
Linklaters steps up Italy expansion drive
Linklaters is set to move to larger offices in Milan - a sign the firm is about to embark on an aggressive recruitment strategy in Italy.
Linklaters usurps Freshfields and Slaughters after Linde reshuffle
The battle for a place on gas and engineering group Linde’s slashed legal panel has ended with DLA Piper selected as the firm’s new go-to adviser.
Lovells comes good for H&M as Moscow sets IP precedent
Lovells has triumphed with a rare win in Russia for Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), after a Moscow court ruled in favour of the Swedish retailing giant.
Matthew Hill: Nintendo
Life in the legal department at Nintendo may be fun, but the work is certainly no game and outside advisers are key. By Ben Moshinsky
McIntosh takes SIF chair
The Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) has appointed a new chair with David McIntosh, former senior partner of Davies Arnold Cooper, replacing Paul Marsh, who has recently retired from the SIF Board.
Mishcon swoops for Olswang's India chief
Olswang has lost the spearhead of its India practice to rival Mishcon de Reya.
MoD forks out £1m to pay for dumped Simmons
Simmons & Simmons has managed to squeeze more than £1m out of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after being ditched from the panel at the start of 2006.
MOP to hand newbies different salary bands
Matheson Ormsby Prentice (MOP) has taken a lead in the Dublin legal market by becoming the first firm to introduce tiered salaries for newly qualified solicitors.
Mourant to blaze offshore trail with NY launch
Jersey giant Mourant du Feu & Jeune is to make legal history when it becomes the first offshore firm to launch in New York in April.
Nabarro falls on its 's'
What's in a name? Plenty, thinks the firm formerly known as Nabarro Nathanson (or Nabarros to its mates).
Nabarros rebrands as Nabarro for "user-friendly" image
The firm formerly known as Nabarro Nathanson has radically overhauled itsidentity, dispersing with Nathanson and even rejecting its informal moniker, Nabarros. From today, the mid-size City firm has requested that it be known simply as“Nabarro.”...
New Birmingham head for Bevan Brittan
Bristol-based Bevan Brittan's Birmingham office has a new head.
Norton Rose dispute resolution overhaul heralds new chief
Norton Rose dispute resolution overhaul heralds new chief" /The international dispute resolution practice at Norton Rose is undergoing a dramatic overhaul, with global head James Bagge handing over the baton to partner Antony Dutton.
Norwegian trio launch in Singapore
Niche shipping firms Nordisk Defence Club and Vogt & Wiig have joined leading Norwegian law firm Wikborg Rein by launching in Singapore.
Outside influence
Guy Templeton and Rob Hanley discuss Australian law firms' scepticism when it comes to flotations
Paul Hastings bags finance team from Orrick
Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker has continued expanding its finance and restructuring practive, following a two-partner raid on Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.
Piers Morgan's human rights tact
This year’s most telling comment on privacy law? No, not tucked away in some Court of Appeal judgment, but in this month’s GQ.
Private equity – the Australian experience
2006 was the year of private equity in Australia. Judging by how 2007 has started, it looks like the current year will be even better. Braddon Jolley and Rebecca Maslen-Stannage report
Prole control
The head of Morton Fraser's new London office Christian Hook had a rude reintroduction to City life last week.
Property boon for Beachcroft as John Lewis announces panel
Beachcroft could be the big winner in retailer John Lewis's panel shake-up after winning a spot on the panel for the first time.
Reed Smith creates full-time pro bono role
Reed Smith creates full-time pro bono role" /Reed Smith Richards Butler has appointed Chris Marshall to the newly created full-time role of pro bono and community manager. Marshall was previously an associate in the firm's commercial disputes and shipping group. He has extensive experience on a range of dispute ...
Revealed: City's fastest growing US law firms
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw (MBRM) and White & Case are the fastest-growing US firms in London, as The Lawyer reveals the revenues for the top 10 US firms in London last year.
Rodés y Sala
Barcelona-based Rodés y Sala is growing quickly after riding on a wave of private equity activity in Spain over the last few years.
Seven Bedford Row bags new chief executive
Common law chambers Seven Bedford Row has appointed Orange Broadband managing director Stephen Allen as its new chief executive officer (CEO).
Simmons wins sole role on DTI's Energy Technologies Institute
Simmons & Simmons has won the mandate to become the sole legal adviser to the Government's new Energy Technologies Institute.
SJB raids Weil for arbitration boost
SJ Berwin has boosted its partnership count, with the hire of Weil Gotshal & Manges' senior associate Justin Michaelson in the international arbitration group.
Spanish firms aim to ape UK legal model
The Barcelona Bar Association has sent a delegation to London to learn about Anglo-Saxon law firm models and how to set up a representative office in the capital.
Survey reveals poor ethics and compliance adherence
Companies are failing to implement safeguards to prevent ethics and compliance failures.
Suspended sentence
The criminal tables were turned recently in Scotland, when three judges received a term of imprisonment in a lift at the High Court in Glasgow. Lords Menzies and Bracadale and temporary judge Michael O'Grady were stuck in the lift for 45 minutes while an engineer attempted to free them.
Tall story
News reached Tulkinghorn last week that Eversheds' alliance firm in Dublin O'Donnell Sweeney had rebranded. In a marketing masterclass, the firm is now known as O'Donnell Sweeney Eversheds. Note the canny order of the names.
Tannenbaum launches London outpost
US firm Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt has launched in London, opening its first office outside New York. The firm's founder Michael Tannenbaum said there was "tremendous appetite" in the UK-based hedge funds industry for specialised knowledge of the shifting regulatory environment and access to the US investment landscape. Barry Breen, a partner in the firm's financial services, hedge funds and capital markets practice group, will be the resident partner in London. He will ...
The bar
Bar Council fights Govt to protect independenceThe Bar Council last week (www.thelawyer.com, 19 February) launched a massive offensive against the Legal Services Bill, attacking it for placing "too much power in the hands of the Government".
The Lawyer/YouGov Survey: Worlds apart
The Lawyer/ YouGov survey highlights the London-regional divide: as the City frets over associate retention, the rest of the profession anticipates the Legal Services Bill
The work-life quiz with David Whincup
What was your first-ever job?A cleaner in a cheap Paris hotel.
There's more to China than meets the eye
Underestimating the size and diversity of China and the complexity of its legal sector is one of the most fundamental mistakes law firms make when formulating a business strategy for mainland China. China has seven major dialects, 31 provinces, 650 major cities and 48,000 districts. Notwithstanding these differences, many lawyers either attribute to the Chinese market a homogeneity that it does not actually possess, or simply focus on either Beijing or Shanghai.
Trading aces
Growth in Asian economies provides a chance of expansion for Australian firms, says Tim Blue
Trowers targets Saudi launch after axing alliance
Trowers & Hamlins is set to launch its own office in Saudi Arabia after ending its affiliation with Saudi firm Riyadh-based Hassan Mahassni.
UK project finance lawyers ahead of the game in Russia's PPP boom
Freshfields is leading the pack, but bidders still need to be convinced. By David Middleton
Wall Street trio land TXU, world's biggest private equity deal
A New York triumvirate of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Sullivan & Cromwell and Cravath Swaine & Moore has landed instruction on what is set to be the world’s biggest private equity deal.
Web week
The Lawyer's Web Week is a weekly commentary on legal activity on the web. This includes an overview of the best of the week's blogs. If you want to direct us to useful links, email webweek@ thelawyer. com.
WilmerHale feels the pain as Heller returns for more
Heller Ehrman continued its assault on London today by going back to poor old WilmerHale, which is starting to look like Heller's personal punchbag. See story.
Wilsons acts on adoption charity transfer
Charity specialist Wilsons has advised on the first outsourcing of a local authority adoption service.
