26 June 2006
The Lawyer
People
Hampshire firm Warner Goodman & Streat's commercial arm, Warnergoodman Commercial, has promoted Steve Grant to associate level.
White & Case factions square off
The battle lines have been drawn within the London office of White & Case over the latest potential shake-up of the office's management.
A drop in the ocean
These pages regularly feature tales of the charity and generosity that feature so prominently at some of the legal market's top firms. Tulkinghorn has lost count of the thousands of pounds raised by some of the UK's finest legal brains.
A fantastic oversight
Thanks to Marvel Comics for the following insight into what might have been: "Reed Richards, the only son of wealthy physicist Nathaniel Richards and his wife Evelyn, was a child prodigy with special aptitude in mathematics, physics, and mechanics. Evelyn Richards died when Reed was seven. Nathaniel encouraged and guided young Reed in his studies and Reed was taking college-level courses by the time he was 14."
A&O counts the cost of pensions
Allen & Overy (A&O) partners - don't panic. If the discovery that you're all personally liable for £85,000 towards filling the gaping hole in your firm's pension fund comes as news to you, take comfort in the fact the whole liability is not payable today.
A&O scoops former Freshfields China chief
Allen & Overy has poached magic circle rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s former China practice head for its Beijing office.
A&O, Macfarlanes act on publisher sale
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Macfarlanes advised on the E550m (£380m) sale of Italian publisher Arnoldo Mondadori Editore to the French arm of magazine publisher Emap. The deal is conditional upon EU regulatory clearance. Emap France has a portfolio of more than 40 consumer titles, including TV listings, lifestyle ...
Allen & Overy battles £26.2m pension hole
Allen & Overy battles £26.2m pension hole" /Allen & Overy (A&O) partners have been subsidising a multi-million-pound hole in the firm's staff pension fund for the past four years, it has emerged.
Allen & Overy puts Japan arm on trial
Allen & Overy (A&O) is conducting a wholesale strategic review of its underperforming Tokyo office.
Assurant names European senior counsel
Assurant Solutions has appointed its first European senior counsel as it looks to expand its operations in Europe. Tara Caithie joins from the legal team at RBS Insurance, the insurance arm of Royal Bank of Scotland, and will assume the roles of company secretary and senior counsel UK and Europe. She will head the legal and compliance team responsible for providing legal and regulatory guidance to Assurant's UK and continental European businesses.
Baker & McKenzie signs trainees up to College of Law's new bespoke LPC
Baker & McKenzie has become the latest firm to sign up to the College of Law's bespoke LPC.
Batteries not included
The hunt is on for the City's most ecologically sound firm and Mishcons has just driven straight to the front row of the grid. Investigative reporting reveals that three partners, including head of property Nick Doffman, all drive electric cars. That's around a tenth of the partnership buzzing around in little leccie motors.
Bignon ramps up for China opening
French independent Bignon Lebray has launched a Chinese law practice with the hire of a partner from Haarmann Hemmelrath and the opening of a new office in Shanghai.
Birthday honours for lawyers
Pritchard Englefield's managing partner Stuart McInnes received an MBE in the Queen's 80th birthday honours list. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Kent Law Clinic, received an OBE, as did Judge John Phillips; Neil Franklin, chief crown prosecutor at the CPS; Martin Polen, president of the Environmental Law Foundation; Leo Scoon, a solicitor at the Law and Special Policy Group at the Department for Work and Pensions; and Celia Wells, a professor at Cardiff University Law School.
BT brings in two to boost legal team
BT has recruited two lawyers as part of its drive to ramp up its in-house capability across its legal function following the creation of its Openreach division in January.
Cadwalader's Croke jumps ship for Orrick
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has raided Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft for two structured finance partners, including the high-profile James Croke, for its New York office.
CC scoops Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer Awards
Clifford Chance scooped the top prize at last night’s Lawyer Awards, winning Law Firm of the Year after a stellar 12 months.
CC targets Romania through local tie-up
Clifford Chance has formed an association with a Romanian firm as the first step to a potential merger as it looks to capitalise on the growing work coming out of the country.
Chadwick LJ condemns Addleshaw Goddard QC
Court of Appeal judge Lord Justice Chadwick has slammed Addleshaw Goddard solicitor-advocate Mark Clough QC for the content of his skeleton argument in Sony's case against HM Revenue & Customs.
Clyde & Co launches in US following raid
Clyde & Co is breaking into the US market with offices in New York and Los Angeles and the hire of four partners from US firm Condon & Forsyth.
CMS Hasche Sigle boosts Russian activity
Germany's CMS Hasche Sigle has bolstered its Russian operation by taking the entire Moscow arm of Haarmann Hemmelrath. The move was agreed between Hasche Sigle and the liquidators of Haarmann Hemmelrath last week. Around 28 lawyers will join forces with Hasche Sigle, making it the largest Russian office of any German law firm.
Cobbetts partner enticed by Trowers
Cobbetts has suffered a blow to its social housing practice with the loss of partner Mike Gaskell to the Manchester office of Trowers & Hamlins.
CPS hit by racism allegations
The Crown Prosecution Service has been rocked by accusations of racism by one of its own prosecutors, former barrister Uma Bhardwaj.
Cravath and Cadwalader snare key roles on $16.6bn Johnson & Johnson deal
New York firms Cravath Swaine & Moore and Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft have both grabbed the top roles on Johnson & Johnson’s $16.6bn acquisition of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.
Davis Polk loses NY star to Freshfields London office
Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer has bolstered its London restructuring and insolvency capability with the star hire of Nick Segal from the New York office of Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Diversity venture rocked as Slaughters wields axe
The future of Global Graduates is hanging in the balance with a number of its law firm sponsors indicating that they are exploring options to work with alternative diversity organisations.
DLA gets the cheap seats as Tulkinghorn endures two days without football
Two days without football - can you believe it? Tulkinghorn couldn’t either, and went into hibernation in silent protest at the lack of legitimate reasons to duck out at 4pm for a swift pint or three.
DLA Piper bucks private equity trend with Munich expansion
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary is actively looking for a Munich office to add to its rapidly expanding German operation.
DLA Piper Europe and Asia reaps £366m
The Europe and Asia offices of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary generated a fee income of £366.7m for the last financial year.
DLA Piper kicks off DCM practice with A&O hire
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has taken the first step in building up a debt capital markets (DCM) practice with the appointment of an Allen & Overy (A&O) senior associate as a partner in its London banking group.
DLA Piper wins Commonwealth Games Glasgow race
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has won a competitive bid to secure the role of legal adviser to the Glasgow 2014 bid for the Commonwealth Games.
DLA Piper works on john morphet sell-off
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary and Ashurst advised on North West-based John Morphet's sale of nine UK leisure complexes to Legal & General Ventures for an undisclosed sum. John Morphet owns a number of leisure sites, including caravan parks in the UK, and the Royal Westmoreland resort in Barbados. DLA Piper advised John Morphet, ...
Education team for Guildford Chambers
Bristol set Guildford Chambers is launching a team of barristers dedicated to education law. The 10-strong team will be led by head of chambers Simon Oliver and will focus on advising on issues related to education and special educational needs. Senior clerk David Smith said barristers within the set had previously done education work as individuals, but the team would bring the expertise together.
England's exploits bring out the hooligan in Mayer Brown
After England’s, ahem, heroic exploits at the weekend, the nation’s lawyers are returning home to pop in on The Lawyer Awards tonight before heading back out for the Portugal game on Saturday.
Exchange tenant helps Health in Trafford fight local ward closures
North West set Exchange Chambers has secured a judicial review for a group of local campaigners battling to save vital healthcare services.
Expanded DLA Piper plans to focus on English finance law
DLA Piper plans to focus on English finance law" /Following its December acquisition of the Madrid practice of Squire Sanders & Dempsey, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has signalled its intention to develop an international ...
Fifa strips supporters as ad rules are breached
FIFA has hit back at the first high-profile guerilla marketing activity at the World Cup after Dutch brewery Bavaria provided football fans with thousands of pairs of branded lederhosen for Holland's group match against Ivory Coast.
Firm friends
Reed Smith and Richards Butler say they will succeed where other US-UK mergers have failed. But only one man can pull it off
Firm profile: Schofield Sweeney
Eight-year-old Bradford-based firm Schofield Sweeney recently merged with long-established local rival Sampson Horner, which was founded in 1891.
Firms clamour as BA's case takes off
The investigation into the alleged price-fixing at British Airways (BA) and a number of other airlines is providing much work for the City's biggest competition practices. As first reported by The Lawyer (26 February), Slaughter and May is advising BA on the latest investigation, but Allen & Overy,
Forsters records best year ever with £487K PEP
Property-based Mayfair firm Forsters has confirmed its best year ever with an average profit per equity partner of £487,000, a rise of 29 per cent.
Frenchman does a runner; Bonelli supports Spain
Tulkinghorn was at The Lawyer Awards last night, along with 1,500 of the best and brightest of the legal profession who quite rightly made the choice to sacrifice the opportunity to watch Spain take on France in favour of non-stop comedy from host Rory Bremner and boogying the night away until the sun came up.
Freshfields and Herbert Smith win Hong Kong roles on ICBC flotation
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Herbert Smith have scooped the Hong Kong roles on the estimated $12bn (£6.51bn) Industrial & Commercial Bank of China's (ICBC) flotation.
Freshfields instructed in Vue Entertainment MBO
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has landed instructions from its new clients Boston Ventures and Clarity Partners on a management buyout of cinema operator Vue Entertainment.
Freshfields launches Pac-Man defence for EMI
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has scooped an instruction to advise EMI as its larger rival Warner Music launches a counter-bid for the UK music company.
Freshfields to ditch all-equity partnership
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s partners have voted in favour of introducing salaried partners across all of the magic circle firm’s offices.
Friends of the Earth wins right to bike
Blackstone Chambers’ Michael Fordham and Friends of the Earth’s Rights & Justice Centre have won a High Court victory on behalf of hundreds of cyclists.
Gianni Origoni loses partners from New York and Rome operations
Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners has been hit by the departure of two partners, losing New York head Stefano Crosio and Rome litigation chief Aulo Cossu.
Gianni Origoni rejigs internal structure
Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners has revolutionised its internal structure, handing 14 partners management roles and setting up governance committees. The decision was approved at the partners meeting held on 13 June. Previously, Gianni Origoni only had a five-partner executive committee, but has now set up a remuneration committee and an opinions committee to give more say in management. M&A partner Giovanni Nardulli becomes the firm's Rome head and corporate specialist Bruno Bartocci ...
Growing pains
Firms must beware of the insurance implications of any mergers or lateral hires, says Frank Maher
Hammonds boosts profit 61 per cent; cuts borrowing by 38 per cent
Hammonds has seen a dramatic turnaround in fortune with average profit per equity partner (PEP) up 61 per cent to £328,000 after a year of tough management.
Hammonds scores court victory against the Football League
Hammonds was celebrating last week (23 June) after winning the bulk of the £150m negligence claim brought against it by the Football League.
Herbies plans diversity survey
Herbert Smith is set to conduct a major employee opinion survey on diversity and inclusivity at the firm.
Hextalls overhauls management structure
Hextalls has appointed its head of employment Jane Liddington as its first non-executive chairman as part of a new management structure.
Howrey takes Haarmann competition partner
Howrey has scooped a third new lawyer for its Brussels office with the hire of former Haarmann Hemmelrath competition partner and Martina Maier.
Insurers face $3.5bn World Trade Center suit
A trio of New York firms have scooped roles advising on the $3.5bn (£1.9bn) litigation filed against World Trade Center insurers yesterday.
Keeping us abreast
Tulkinghorn's thanks go out to the pregnant PR who cheered up a grumpy, post-England v Trinidad and Tobago beerfest editorial team with the following bon mot: "My breasts are huge and I'm really horny."
Killer name
A couple of late entries for Tulkinghorn's quest for the most comical email addresses. First this blatant bit of self-promotion from Michael Franks of William Sturges & Co: "If you go back to the days of telex and telex 'answer back', Harris Chetham & Co (commonly known as 'Harass and Cheatem') had a telex answer back of 'Jethams'. Smiles & Co had an answer back of 'Mirth'. Chethams merged with William Sturges & Co in 2000."
Law Soc deficit rises to £8m
The Law Society’s annual deficit rose again last year to nearly £8m, the recently-published accounts reveal.
Law Society names firms on intervention panel
Eversheds, Hammonds and Hill Dickinson are among 25 firms picked as part of the Law Society’s new panel of intervention agents that will help wind up solicitors’ practices ...
Lawyers are the only winners as Gas Natural feels the chill in Spain
With Gas Natural's €22.5bn (£15.35bn) hostile bid for Endesa halted by a Madrid commercial court, some are suggesting that the only beneficiaries of the drawn-out affair may be the law firms advising.
Lester Aldridge names managing partner
Lester Aldridge names managing partner" /South East firm Lester Aldridge has elected Michael Giddins as managing partner. Giddins, head of the dispute resolution group, beat rival candidates Rachel Lapworth, the head of real estate, and corporate partner Tim Ford to the post. Head of fast-track Karen ...
Linklaters' new senior partner warns against complacency
Linklaters' new senior partner warns against complacency" /Linklaters senior partner-elect David Cheyne has pledged to drive forward the firm's current strategy in the wake of his high-profile election.
Lovells loses another partner in London
Jones Day’s City arm has raided Lovells for a employment partner Mark Taylor.
Lovells rebuilds in Germany with Luther raid
Lovells has finally moved to rebuild its German securitisation practice with the hire of a three lawyer team from the Ernst & Young associate firm Luther.
Lovells wins power station permission
It only took seven years and two public inquiries, but Lovells has finally managed to secure permission for client Riverside Resource Recovery to build the UK's largest energy from waste power station in Belvedere, South East London. The application was first made in September 1999. The first public inquiry was high profile and lasted some four months. The Department of Trade & Industry failed to come to a decision, and reopened the inquiry for a further three-week hearing in September ...
Maninder Gill: Harvey Nichols
If he isn't yet the best-dressed lawyer in London, Maninder Gill ought to be. Harvey Nichols' first legal director talks shop with Joanne Harris
Maxwells raids Kingsleys
Maxwell Batley has poached London niche firm Kingsley Napley's head of construction Michael Janney. Janney, who has worked previously for the pre-merger Masons and Cameron McKenna & Co, joins as a construction partner and specialises in contentious construction and engineering ...
Mediating judges must be innovative to be effective
I congratulate the Technology and Construction Court on its initiative to trial judges as mediators (The Lawyer, 5 June). But, as with every such pilot, there are qualifications to be made and useful tips to be gained from others' experience.
NatWest Three lawyer criticises courts
The lawyer acting for the three former NatWest bankers facing extradition to the US today slammed the UK and European courts after the trio’s final appeal failed.
Non-exec role needs careful consideration
Lawyers are frequently working with owners and directors of companies during periods of development and change, and are often aware that their clients need general business advice and support alongside their legal advice. This is most effectively delivered by a non-executive director (NED) supporting the company through strategic decision-making and periods of growth or change, sometimes for several years. Lawyers are often asked if they know of a suitable NED in these circumstances and ...
OFT is on trial
So far all the focus has been on BA and what the impact could be on the airline . But there is as much at stake for the regulator, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), in this investigation as there is for the airline industry.
Ogier gets in first with ICCs in jersey
Offshore law firms have been talking about incorporated cell companies (ICC) for so long that they were beginning to look like an urban myth. But the first two transactions have now been completed with Ogier winning a role on both deals. ICCs are a company made up of different cells that contain different assets, but, unlike a protected cell company, each cell is treated as a separate legal entity. The firm acted for Bank Société Générale in launching the first ICC to be set up in Jersey. ...
Olympic Delivery Authority chooses City firms for panel
Berwin Leighton Paisner, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and
On the slide
What do you get if you mix that most enigmatic and intangible of concepts - law firm branding - with a leading international sportsman? Motivational presentations to lawyers, obviously.
Orrick boosts Rome with Pocci takeover
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has absorbed boutique Studio Legale Pocci to bolster its corporate practice in Rome.
Pannone set to handle Marsh's uninsured loss recovery claims
Manchester firm Pannone stands to win thousands of new personal injury cases a year after being appointed to handle all of insurance broker Marsh's uninsured loss recovery (ULR) claims.
Papers agree 'orgy' settlement with Ashley Cole
Teacher Stern Selby and specialist advocacy firm David Price Solicitors have secured apologies and damages for footballer Ashley Cole and DJ Masterstepz after The Sun and The News of the World published articles allegedly linking the pair to a “gay sex orgy”.
Penningtons results show slow growth
South East firm Penningtons has announced its year-end financial results, revealing increases in turnover and profit per equity partner (PEP).
Professional negligence
Negligence claims against firms of accountants, solicitors and other professionals are increasingly common in this litigious age. The law of negligence is in constant development, as major cases come to trial and new legislation makes its way through Parliament.
Profits and performance
Partners at ASB will be taking comfort from the fact that profit per equity partner (PEP) is up by 24 per cent on last year, hitting £161,000 after 2004-05's £130,000. Bizarrely, the firm declined to reveal fee income, which is understood to have remained static at last year's £18.2m.
Pushing the limits
A new UK reform bill is set to remove existing limits on auditor liability, forcing company and auditor to come to an agreement themselves. Nicholas Heaton and Andrew Wigston report
Retention deficit
With its trophy hires, Weil Gotshal & Manges will not have a problem getting private equity mandates. But resourcing the deals will be trickier
Richards Butler signs association with Swiss firm
UK firm Richards Butler and Swiss law firm Chabrier & Partners (Geneva) have signed an agreement to form an association.
Riker Danzig
Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti became the first New Jersey firm to open a London office when it launched in the City a fortnight ago.
Rumours of a US invasion may be exaggerated
Lateral movement may be good for the headhunters but it is bad news for law firms; and rumours abound of impending US arrivals in Iberia.
Schillings fails to recover all costs in Sara Cox privacy suit
Schillings has accepted a fraction of the total costs it claimed for acting for DJ Sara Cox in a privacy claim against The Sunday People and Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
Securitisation lawyers flock to Barca but they are bottom of the food chain
The ABS conference is a big draw. Even Girls Aloud turned up. Lorraine Cushnie reports
Senior lawyers appointed to EU securities taskforce
Lawyers from Baker & McKenzie, Clifford Chance, Linklaters and Travers Smith have been appointed to the European Commission’s European ...
Separated at birth
It's summer so it must be Big Brother. Sadly, this year it's even more inescapable than ever, with countless hugely annoying contestants and wall-to-wall coverage 24 hours a day, probably until Christmas. Mrs Tulkinghorn is in reality TV heaven. Talking of annoying contestants, none has been more unpopular than this year's first evictee, Sezer. The wannabe ladies ...
Shearman, CC scoop leads in Nokia's Siemens deal
Shearman & Sterling and Clifford Chance have bagged the key roles on the €16bn (£10.97bn) merger of Nokia and Siemens' network businesses.
Shoosmiths boosts PEP by 16 per cent
Shoosmiths posted profit per equity partner (PEP) of £396,000, marking the firm's fifth consecutive year of profit increase. The 2005-06 financial year saw PEP up 16 per cent on £342,000 for the 2004-05 financial year. Turnover was up 23 per cent on last year, from £60.8m in 2004-05 to £74.7m for 2005-06.
Show me the money (and the time off)
Last year it was the English law firms in Spain that made headlines with the departure of many mid-level and senior associates. Now it is their turn to sit back and watch while the premier-league Spanish practices review their recruitment and retention strategies.
Sonnenschein names youngest ever chairman
Chicago-based firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal has elected Elliott Portnoy as the firm’s next chairman, succeeding incumbent Duane Quaini in 2007 when his term expires.
Steptoe hires four for Century City launch
US firm Steptoe & Johnson has launched a new office in Century City, California, with the hire of four partners from local firm Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan.
Steptoe replaces top role with team of four
Steptoe & Johnson has taken the highly unusual step of replacing its London managing partner with a committee of four partners.
Stevens outstrips rivals with PEP hike
South East firm Stevens & Bolton has recorded profit per equity partner (PEP) of £280,000, one of the highest PEP figures in the region.
Tesco in-houser quits for consumer body
Tesco has lost its senior in-house lawyer, Deborah Prince, to the publisher of Which? magazine, the Consumers' Association.
The Wilkes Partnership makes Italian connection
Birmingham firm The Wilkes Partnership has formed an alliance with Italian practice Studio Legale Paoletti.
The work-life quiz: Richard Lissack QC
What was your first-ever job?
Time sensitive
Despite two recent cases in the House of Lords, limitation law has become an increasingly grey area, say Stuart Hall and James Robertson
T-Mobile kicks off in-house shake-up
T-Mobile has reshuffled its in-house legal team, merging the legal and regulatory departments into a single group as the company's new managing director shakes up the senior management team.
Tower Hamlets law chief hits out at election rules
Tower Hamlets' head of legal has lashed out at the Government's failure to remedy problems with the voting system that she says led to legal challenges against the local election results.
Trio land key roles to advise on Axa acquisition of Winterthur
Swiss firm Lenz & Staehelin, Linklaters and Sullivan & Cromwell have secured roles on Axa's acquisition of Winterthur, the insurance arm of Credit Suisse, for SFr12.3bn (£5.9bn).
Union warns temp agencies off Asda
The GMB union is threatening to sue recruitment agencies that provide temporary staff to the supermarket giant Asda.
University set to build £10m Salford Law School
The University of Salford is building a new law school to compete with local rivals BPP Law School’s Manchester branch, the University of Manchester Law School and Manchester Metropolitan University Law School.
Ups and downs in the South East
The South East has seen shake-ups and departures in senior management at both Lester Aldridge and ASB Law.
Web week 26/06/06
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.
Weil Gotshal boosts NQ salary to £75,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges has joined the swathe of US firms out-paying their UK rivals, increasing associate salaries in London by up to 20 per cent.
When bigger isn't always better
It seems that Blake Lapthorn Linnell's merger with Hampshire-based White & Bowker - the firm's third merger in less than five years - proved not to everyone's taste.
White & Case wins Arcelor financing role
White & Case has won the instruction to advise the lead arrangers providing the financing of Mittal Steel’s EUR26.9bn acquisition of rival Arcelor.
Winston & Strawn pursues Paris expansion
Winston & Strawn is continuing the expansion of its Paris office with the hire of a team from French giant Fidal.
