27 April 2009
The Lawyer
39 Essex St opens in Manchester as Admin Court work pours in
London set 39 Essex Street is poised to launch a Manchester branch in June.
Argie bargy
Diego Maradona once dubbed Carlos Tévez the “Argentine prophet for the 21st century”: high praise indeed from a player with the dexterity of a deity.
Ashurst muscles in on CC’s Candover relationship as group names first GC
Candover has linked up with Ashurst after decades of dealings with Clifford Chance.
Avanti Group names new general counsel
?Avanti Communications Group has appointed Patrick Willcocks to the newly created role of general counsel. Willcocks joins the broadband satellite company from Electronic Data Systems, where he was a senior attorney responsible for the negotiation of outsourcing contracts with the UK Government and commercial organisations. Most recently he worked on a $1bn (£680m) data centre outsourcing deal with Aviva. Avanti chief executive David Williams said that as general counsel Willcocks will ...
Bakers guides Sphinx through fund set-up
The London office of Baker & McKenzie has advised on the establishment of a $100m (£68.35m) turnaround fund in Egypt.
Ball control: Steven Hodkinson, Umbro International
It’s an enviable job considering the perks, but for Umbro general counsel Steven Hodkinson, the beautiful game sometimes getsa little ugly.
BlackBerry injunction forces Chinese wall on DLA
DLA Piper has installed Chinese walls in its litigation group after BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (Rim) instructed Allen & Overy (A&O) to seek an injunction against the firm.
Budget spurs on Wilsons’ London plans
The introduction of a 50 per cent tax rate in last week’s Budget is accelerating the expansion plans of Salisbury firm Wilsons.
Burness, BLP called in on BlueGem bank project
Scottish firm Burness and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) have been handed mandates in private equity group BlueGem’s investment in Panmure Gordon, the loss-making investment bank.
Cains wins prestigious Queen’s Award
Offshore firm Cains has been presented with a Queen’s Award
Claimant lawyers speak out over NHSLA criticism
Lawyers have rounded on NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) allegations that the claimant profession is bleeding the NHS dry by racking up massive legal bills.
Cuatrecasas battens down the hatches
CUATRECASAS Gonçalves Pereira has taken a number of fireproofing measures to insulate the business from the impact of the recession.
Dickinson Cruickshank duo desert to establish offshore boutique business
ISLE OF MAN firm Dickinson Cruickshank has lost two partners who have defected to launch their own boutique on the offshore jurisdiction.
Eversheds branches into Saudi Arabia
Eversheds is opening in Saudi Arabia through an alliance with Saudi practice Hani Al Qurashi Law Firm
Firm profile Spratt Endicott
Established in 2002, Spratt Endicott now employs 120 people across six commercial departments.
Freshfields, Links lead way on Heineken-Globe Pub debt deal
Magic circle firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have lined up to advise on brewing giant Heineken’s surprise investment in Globe Pub Company’s senior debt.
Herbert Smith slashes jobs in London
?Herbert Smith is to cut up to 84 members of staff from its London office. Salaries will be frozen at 2008-09 levels, meaning an associate moving from one year’s post-qualification experience (PQE) to two years’ PQE will remain on £71,000. The firm said the job cuts would affect 33 people in its corporate practice, with fee-earners, professional support lawyers and paralegals likely to lose jobs. The real estate practice will lose up to nine positions while up to 21 secretarial roles ...
High-flyers get wings clipped as UK bears the brunt of promotion caution
With the 2009 promotions season well under way, the theme so far is that generally fewer partners are being promoted.
Hill Dickinson to scrap salaried partner role
Hill Dickinson is getting rid of the salaried partner role as part of an overall restructure of its partnership model.
If music be the food of law...
I’m not sure why, but a large proportion of the lawyers I meet are frustrated musicians.
Irwin Mitchell robs ten from BPE Birmingham
Irwin Mitchell has raided BPE Solicitors’ Birmingham office for a team of 10 that includes three partners.
Landlocked and loaded
It has been a diplomatic incident waiting to happen for decades. Germany’s efforts to claw back tax from citizens who hold bank accounts in Luxembourg has been an ongoing bone of contention, but recessions have a habit of strengthening people’s resolve, and political pressure from the G20 countries appears to have driven the first wedge between Luxembourg’s secretive banks and their clients.
Matrix loses silk to Doughty Street
Matrix Chambers silk Heather Rogers QC is leaving the set to join Doughty Street Chambers.
Muckle hangs on to qualifiers despite trainee deferrals
Newcastle firm Muckle has announced it will retain 100 per cent of trainees due to qualify this year, despite the growing number of redundancies in the legal sector.
Network Rail asks firms for innovative solutions
Rail infrastructure company Network Rail is set to review its panel of external law firms for the first time in three years.
Nixon Peabody defies climate to take on new staff
Nixon Peabody, which late last year announced plans to double its size within five years, has begun making good on its big talk.
Old Square Chambers head steps down
?John Hendy QC has stepped down as head of Old Square Chambers after nearly a decade at the helm.
Pink practice
The effective representation of minorities can be patchy in any sector, but when it comes to sexual orientation, is the legal profession falling behind?
Scottish arbitrators expand in anticipation of new bill
THE?SCOTTISH Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators has set up a new north of Scotland section ahead of the Arbitration (Scotland) Bill.
Shearman tackles Man City following Mansour deal
Shearman & Sterling is muscling in on Premier League football transfer work after one of the firm’s associates joined Manchester City as general counsel.
Shearman to resurrect Europe
New European chief flexes muscles and cracks whip to stimulate business
Simmons set to vote on moving legal jobs offshore
Firm lines up qualified agency staff in India, South Africa or Australia
Tanfield associate appointed as UN envoy
?Tanfield Chambers associate Professor Surya Subedi has been appointed as UN human rights envoy for Cambodia. The UN human rights council voted unanimously for Subedi to be special rapporteur to the country at a recent meeting in Geneva. As it is a non-residential appointment, Subedi will work from London and visit Cambodia to report on the human rights situation. He said: “It’s a huge privilege and an opportunity to make my contribution as an independent expert to enhance the human ...
Taylor Wessing reveals new tactics
Taylor Wessing has unveiled a package of measures in response to the economic slump, including offering all employees an extra two weeks of holiday in return for a 3.85 per cent reduction in salary.
The world famous 100 Club to host Law Rocks
The legal profession’s first battle of the bands is being launched this summer, dubbed Law Rocks.
Transport for London looks in-house for legal head
Transport for London (TfL) has recruited from its in-house team to replace director of compliance Gareth John, who left for Sodexo in January.
Tulkinghorn: Holding out for a hero
Tulkinghorn is often shocked by the way lawyers are represented in popular culture. Most fictional characters are either incompetent buffoons (see The Simpsons’ Lionel Hutz) or downright evil (Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate).
Willkie Farr & Gallagher scores role on £2.5bn pharma M&A job
Willkie Farr & Gallagher has advised US dermatology company Stiefel Laboratories on its $3.6bn (£2.5bn) takeover by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Work Life Quiz: Paul Johnson, Kings Chambers
