26 May 2008
The Lawyer
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#Watson Farley & Williams has hired project finance associate Mehrab Nazir from CMS Cameron McKenna. He joins as a partner.
A&O: LGBT groups face Middle East dilemma
The chair of Allen & Overy's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group has spoken out about the challenges the firm faces in jurisdictions where homosexuality is illegal.
Addleshaw Goddard turnover up 11 per cent
Addleshaw Goddard has reported an increase in turnover for 2007-08 of 11 per cent, hitting £195.4m after last year’s figure of £176.7m (The Lawyer, 8 May 2007)
Akin Gump in Specialist Fund Market's first IPO
The London office of US firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has advised the first vehicle to list on the Specialist Fund Market, the London Stock Exchange’s public capital market for alternative investment vehicles.
Allen & Overy launches Romanian alliance
Allen & Overy launches Romanian alliance" /Allen & Overy has launched a presence in Romania, signing an exclusive association with local firm Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu SCA (RTPR).
Art of the States
After taking down the Unabomber, former FBI lawyer Lisa Osofsky has turned her attention to corruption and money laundering in the financial services industry - and she's busy
Ashes to caches
Since the 1989 regime change in Romania, the country's business law firms have thrived and have been helped rather than hindered by the arrival of competition in the form of their Western counterparts. By Catalin Baiculescu
Ashurst raises NQ pay to £65,000
Ashurst has announced a modest pay rise for newly-qualified lawyers, which will see the group paid £65,000, an increase of £1,000 on last year’s salary.
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert replaces senior partner
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert London professional liability chief Simon Konsta will replace Richard Dedman as senior partner, the firm announced today.
Beachcroft in hunt for Euro best friends
Beachcroft is to launch a pan-European strategy that will see it forming best friend agreements with a number of European firms.
Berwin Leighton Paisner: could do better
After its stellar performance in recent years we expected more from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP). While its turnover rise of 10.1 per cent rise in turnover is hardly disastrous, it represents a massive slowdown on the previous two years, when turnover grew by 16 per cent and 19 per cent.
Bird & Bird turnover up nearly a quarter
Bird & Bird has emerged as one of the fastest growing technology and media outfits in the top 100 UK firms, outstripping its peers with a 24 per cent increase in turnover to reach £143m.
Bivonas's QC hire heralds alternative model
London litigation and commercial firm Bivonas has recruited 23 Essex Street head of financial fraud and crime Mark Rainsford QC.
Brabners mulls lay-offs after bleak forecast
North West-based firm Brabners Chaffe Street is contemplating lay-offs in its construction and property finance groups after gloomy predictions for 2008.
Burness continues hiring spree with financial services capture
Scottish firm Burness has beefed up its financial services regulatory practice with the hire of former Weil Gotshal & Manges associate Lorna ;Finlayson ;as ;a partner.
Camerons reaches Pinnacle in e600m sale
CMS Cameron McKenna is working opposite Linklaters on the sale of major Eastern European warehouse operator Pinnacle Real Estate to Islamic investment fund Arcapita.
Camerons salary rises keep pace with magic circle
CMS Cameron McKenna has raised its trainee and newly-qualified (NQ) salaries by an average of three per cent as it bids to keep pace with the magic circle.
Clifford Chance turnover up 11 per cent
Clifford Chance turnover up 11 per cent" /Clifford Chance is the first magic circle firm to announce its financial figures for the 2007-08 year, posting an 11 per cent revenue increase and 13 per cent rise in profit per equity partner (PEP).
Clifford Chance, Linklaters battle A&O for ISDA roles
Clifford Chance and Linklaters have muscled in on Allen & Overy's (A&O) longstanding relationship with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.
CMS network boosts Camerons' fortunes
CMS network boosts Camerons' fortunes" / CMS Cameron McKenna was the star performer among the firms that released their average profit per equity partner (PEP) figures last week, with PEP up by an astonishing 30 per cent to £655,000.
Comeback kid
After nearly getting axed last year, Eversheds has secured a second exclusive contract with Tyco. How did it do it? It sent in the cavalry, of course.
Council legal teams create own practice
A group of local authority legal teams are set to split from their authorities in a radical bid to create the UK’s first standalone public sector legal practice.
Dickson Minto, Willkie eschew marriage for long engagement
Dickson Minto, Willkie eschew marriage for long engagement" / Willkie Farr & Gallagher is one of many US firms to be touted as a potential Dickson Minto merger partner in recent years, but, unlike most, the fit between the pair is remarkable.
DWF takes on more space and higher costs in Leeds
DWF has moved into new offices in Leeds, quadrupling both its office space in the city as well as its rental costs, which are set to hit £800,000 per year.
Elder care
There's more than one way to make sure your lawyers work harder.
F&C harasses tribunals
McDermott Will & Emery employment partner David Dalgarno has pitched himself squarely against the Employment Tribunal.
FFW and Simmons cook up roles on bakery purchase
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) and Simmons & Simmons have won places on the sale of UK-based baked goods producer Eurobuns to Scandinavian giant ;Lantmannen Unibake.
Firms cash in on Enodis selloff
Ashurst and Hammonds have joined the £1bn takeover battle for kitchen equipment maker Enodis. The London-listed company, advised by Ashurst corporate partners Richard Gubbins and Anthony Clare, has received a £1.03bn cash offer from Illinois Tool Works (ITW). ITW has turned to Hammonds corporate partners Giles Distin, Jane Haxby, Richard Burns and Simon Gordon to oversee the bid, which is set to ...
Firms out, chambers in as T-Mobile rethinks panels
T-Mobile is planning to cut law firms from much of its disputes work as it embarks on a cost-cutting drive that will include the formation of a panel of barristers chambers.
Football focus
The Euro 2012 event is seeing co-hosts Poland and Ukraine raising their games when it comes to public and private investment.
Forsters' PEP dips as equity expands
Forsters' average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure has fallen by more than £100,000 to £445,000 at its year-end.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer makes nine counsel
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has promoted nine associates to counsel in its global network.
Fresnillo deal tests magic circle mettle
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have won places on the £4bn listing of Mexican silver giant Fresnillo on the London Stock Exchange. Fresnillo, which is expected to enter the FTSE100, called on Linklaters corporate partners Charlie Jacobs and Stuart Bedford and managing associate ...
FTSE 100 clients demand diversity
THE LAW Society has completed the first draft of its diversity charter with help from a number of FTSE100 companies, including BT, it was revealed at The Lawyer's Diversity in Law 2008 conference.
Gay & O
Gay & O.29-May-2008Kylie's 40! Hurrah! God bless the diminutive princess of pop!(That's Kylie Minogue, the Australian soap star turned pop star, for those who are wondering).
Halliwells forces councils to follow EU procurement rules
Halliwells has won a major victory in the High Court that could force local authorities to withdraw from a mutual insurance scheme designed to overhaul how they purchase insurance.
Harbottle looks to tax dept for new chief
Media and entertainment firm Harbottle & Lewis has appointed tax partner Glen Atchison as its new managing partner, taking over from Lawrence Abramson. Atchison will take up his role at the start of June after leading the tax practice for 10 years. He has been on the firm's management committee since 2006.
In the drink
A benevolent God smiled on residents of the Solent in need of a lawyer over the weekend, providing them with 64 yachts absolutely stuffed to the gills with partners, associates and secretaries.
Is it workin' in the Gherkin?
Watson Burton's London operation has been chugging along for almost two years, but for those based in the cradle of the firm in Newcastle it is perhaps especially hard to see where it is going.
Laytons picks Guildford managing partner
Laytons dispute resolution partner Will Slater has been made managing partner of the firm's Guildford office. He has been at the firm since joining as a trainee in 1991 and has been dispute resolution head since 2004. Slater said he was looking to build on Laytons' strong position in the local business community. Zoe Melville-Harris, a partner in the residential development team, has been appointed as deputy managing partner in Guildford. Laytons also has offices in London and ...
Lewis Silkin turnover up 17 per cent; PEP 16
Lewis Silkin has reported 17 per cent turnover increase to £29.4m for the year ending 31 March.
Linklaters axes CEE offices; new firm created
Linklaters axes CEE offices; new firm created" /Linklaters will axe its offices in Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest and Prague from November, following a review of its presence in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
Links to take CC's crown?
Clifford Chance is the first of the magic circlers to announce its financial results for the past year and, while it’s posted reasonably robust figures, it looks like Linklaters could be in with a chance of surpassing it as the UK’s number one firm.
Lovells rolls up for Rock ruck
The ongoing Northern Rock saga has provided rich pickings for legal advisers, what witha liquidity crisis followed by a proposed sale, then a nationalisation and now a judicial review.A plethora of firms, from Freshfields Bruckhaus...
Lovells signs up Accor counsel for Paris practice
Lovells has scooped the general counsel of hotel group Accor to boost its Paris corporate practice.
Masseys
When they quit Baker & McKenzie in 2004 to launch litigation boutique Masseys, Gerald Cooke, Sean Upson and Jane Colston knew they were taking a risk. Less than four years later the firm has built a strong reputation among its London peers for its litigation expertise.
Mayor Boris reshapes London's legal landscape
Those of us old enough to remember 'Red Ken' Livingstone from the 1980s have been surprised at the longevity of his reincarnation as London's mayor - but now he is gone, swept away by a tidal wave of anti-Labour sentiment.
McGrigors set for City office redundancies
Scottish-headquartered firm McGrigors is cutting a number of jobs in its London office with fee earners and secretaries in the real estate and banking practices likely to be affected.
Money talks
Political changes have meant the CEE has been a risky market for investors, but arbitration is paving the way for a better-protected future.
Moscow fools
Brabners senior partner and former Man Utd director Maurice Watkins had a plum seat at the Champions League Final last week, right in front of Bobby Charlton, which meant he appeared on the telly every five minutes for the duration of the game.
Murray Sinclair
As the debate over independence rages in the corridors of Holyrood, Murray Sinclair, solicitor to the Scottish government, must rise above the politics to ensure the legal work of government runs smoothly. By Margaret Taylor
Obituary: Richard Burns
#Former Hammonds senior partner Richard Burns has died at the age of 49. He had been battling illness for several months before his death on Monday 20 May. Hammonds managing partner Peter Crossley said in a statement: "We were devastated by Richard's sudden and tragic death. Richard was a great lawyer with hugeintellect, vision and unwavering commitment to ...
OFT lures associate from Slaughters
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has appointed Slaughter and May associate Jackie Holland as head of competition within the advisory, policy and international group. Holland joined Slaughters as a trainee in 1993 before becoming a senior associate in the competition department. She joins the OFT as a director, reporting to group head Ali Nikpay. Holland said: "I'm looking forward to joining ...
Pfizer appoints DLA litigation chief as new GC
Pfizer has snared DLA Piper’s co-head of its class action practice group to be its vice president and global general counsel.
Pinsents brings in Ashurst funds expert
Pinsent Masons has boosted its growing funds group with the hire of Ashurst senior associate Ian Warner, who joins the firm as a partner.
Pole position
The implementation of EC legislation will make it easier for Polish companies to complete LBOs. It's a step in the right direction, says Maciej Jamka
Revealed: legal staff the UK's happiest workers
Legal employees are the happiest workers in the UK, according to a new survey of office professionals.
Roca Junyent beats growth target as corporate coups boost coffers
Spanish firm Roca Junyent has enjoyed solid growth this year, boosting its revenue by 13 per cent.
RPC unveils growth amid restructure
Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) has unveiled a 9.4 per cent rise in turnover, from £52.9m to £57.85m.It comes as the firm announces a management shake-up that will see corporate partner Jonathan Watmough become full-time managing partn...
Salans eyes Beijing after opening in Hong Kong
Salans is set to launch an office in Hong Kong and is planning for another in Beijing.
Salans makes up extra partners on back of booming CIS workload
Salans has boosted its international partnership with the promotion of two lawyers in Russia and Ukraine.
Schönherr wins partner in Romania
Austrian firm Schönherr has boosted its Bucharest office with the hire of a capital markets partner from Romanian firm Bostina & Associates.
Segro and Blemain win new in-housers
The slowdown in the real estate sector has not stopped in-house activity, with property investment companies Segro and Blemain Group appointing new general counsel.
Separated at birth
Treading the boards has lost its shine for UK luvvie Derek Jacobi, who now finds himself overseeing the European expansion of Squire Sanders & Dempsey under the guise of Mark Cusick. Jacobi was a key part of the team that relaunched the firm's presence in Kiev, hiring a team from local offering The Silecky Firm. With Jacobi busy opening offices in Eastern Europe, it's unlikely that future ...
Shoosmiths' turnover breaches £100m mark
Shoosmiths has broken through the £100m barrier with a turnover of £103m, which is an 8.4 per cent rise on the previous year's.
Six partners gone, revenue low - but BLP bullish over projects saga
This has not been a good year for Berwin Leighton Paisner's projects team. The department lost six partners over the course of 12 months.
Slaughters and Hengeler lock horns over best friend choices
Slaughter and May is expanding its best friends network into Russia, India and the Middle East, but it has refused to commit to the new best friends of German ally Hengeler Mueller.
Sonnenschein layoffs add to US legal market woes
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal has become the latest US firm to announce layoffs, with the Chicago-based firm making a total of 124 staff redundant.
Stephenson Harwood and Norton Rose scoop sharia insurance deal
Stephenson Harwood and Norton Rose have snared lead roles on the outsourcing of sharia-compliant insurance, believed to be the first deal of its kind.Norton Rose, led by partner Mike Rebeiro, advised Principle Insurance on the £90m outsourcing...
Taylor Wessing posts 11 per cent revenue rise
Taylor Wessing has posted a double-digit increase in turnover, boosting global revenue by 11 per cent to hit a total of £180m.
The Apprentice analysed...
Each week we watch as Sir Alan Sugar yells 'YOU'RE FIRED!' at one of The Apprentice wannabes.
The crunch bunch
Tulkinghorn sees the gentlemanly game of cricket as a way to establish order in a chaotic world, and after their win against the associates, he believes the partners at Slaughter and May feel the same way. Chelsea fans and losers Ian Bagshaw, Charlie Jacobs and Richard Youle dragged their clients away from the Gatwick carnage and hot-footed it to Heathrow tocatch an alternative flight. They reached ...
The Lawyer Awards winners 2001: where are they now?
Each week as we count down to The Lawyer Awards 2008 we will take a look at some previous winners and see how their careers have progressed.
The trouble with best friends…
The 'best friends' moniker that Slaughter and May uses to describe its alliance of likeminded firms has always had that cute ring of the playground about it. Only Slaughters could get away with it really.
Thring Townsend reveals acquisition strategy
Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons has unveiled an ambitious plan to more than double turnover within five years through strategic acquisitions.
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.
Weightmans aims for 50 per cent equity partnership
Weightmans is aiming to increase its proportion of equity partners to 50 per cent, while also attempting to boost turnover to a minimum of £70m during the next five years.
Woodfines ties knot with Cambridge firm
#Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire firm Woodfines Solicitors has expanded into Cambridge by merging with regional outfit Matthews Winter & Bullock (MWB). The new office will be called Woodfines Winter & Bullock before transferring to the Woodfines brand after a year. Conveyancing and private client specialist firm MWB will benefit from Woodfines' commercial offering. Woodfines has benefited from several mergers in recent years, taking on regional firms Gareth Woodfine & Partners, ...
