27 March 2006
The Lawyer
Deals comment
Euronext noses ahead in race for London Stock Exchange
Deals roundup
CC cements Aviva ties with Prudential offer mandate
A rural revolution
The South West aims to generate 15 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2010, compared with 3 per cent at present. But planning consent is a bar to progress, says Luke Gabb
A taste of things to come
Thanks to Kamlesh Samji, a solicitor at Leeds firm Wrigleys, who suggested the following name for Bevan Brittan's new cafe: "A Taste of Brittan".Loving your work Kamlesh, but can anyone beat it?
A&O lands role to advise on Collins Stewart Tullett operations demerger
Allen & Overy has landed the key role of advising Collins Stewart Tullett on its proposed demerger.
A&O management board gets complete makeover
Allen & Overy (A&O) has completely overhauled its global management board. Only Amsterdam corporate partner Sietze Hepkema was re-elected.
ABP adds Slaughters to panel for Goldman takeover bid
Slaughter and May has strengthened its corporate ties with Associated British Ports (ABP), with the firm all set to advise ABP on a possible bid by a consortium led by Goldman Sachs.
Addleshaw hires Ashurst partner for London competition push
Addleshaw Goddard has poached well-known Ashurst competition partner Mark Clough QC as part of the firm’s strategy to expand its behavioural and contentious competition practice.
Addleshaws set to defend sexual discrimination allegation
Addleshaw Goddard has found itself the subject of a sexual discrimination claim brought by a construction litigator who claims she was treated unfairly after returning to work following mater-nity leave.
All roads lead to London
Another week, another takeover for Halliwells. This time the North West's most muscular outfit has done a deal in its own back yard in Manchester, with the absorption of insurance boutique James Chapman.
American glean
The increase in EU claimants filing US class actions highlights the need for a consistent legislative framework for compensation claims, say Paul Llewellyn and Colleen Davies
Australian whine
An Australian upstart working in-house took one of Tulkinghorn's scribes to task at a recent social outing and wanted to question our hack's journalistic ability."I listened into my boss's end of your phone conversation," he explained, "and your article covered everything he said exactly, except you didn't mention my name."Well, Barry Saraullo of Constellation Commodities Group, your name is now mentioned. Congratulations.
Ballast lambast
Typical lawyers. Cast your mind back a few weeks to the exploits of Olympic rowing champion James Crackers and TV presenter Ben Foggy in the 2005 Atlantic Rowing Race. The high-profile pouting pair were the first double-crewed boat to finish in Antigua in January. They appeared to have snagged the title. Sadly, though, they hadn't reckoned on Clifford Chance's risk management head Chris Andrews and ...
Beatles label and French Govt attack Apple iTunes
Apple Computer is facing a European IP war on two fronts against its profitable iTunes music service.
Bin Shabib becomes first UAE firm in Dubai centre
Bin Shabib & Associates has become the first United Arab Emirates-based law firm to set up shop in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC).
Bird & Bird IP office strives to be Lyon king
Bird & Bird IP office strives to be Lyon king" /Bird & Bird has become the first Anglo-Saxon firm to open in France's second city of Lyon as it integrates new IP hire Yves Bizollon.
Bond Pearce managing partner lands ILA top job
Bond Pearce managing partner Victor Tettmar (left) has been formally installed as national president of the Insolvency Lawyers' Association (ILA). Tettmar has taken over from Ken Baird at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and will hold the post for a year. Tettmar is based at Bond Pearce's Bristol ...
Bugger lugs
Tulkinghorn always suspected that practising law in Russia might be a little bit tricky, but was given an insight into it during a recent meeting with Dimitry Afanasiev, managing partner of Russia's largest firm Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners.
Burges Salmon helps set up Islamic financing tool
Burges Salmon has advised on an innovative commercial property Islamic finance product for longstanding client Bristol & West Property Finance.
CC litigation partner elected LSLA president
Clifford Chance litigation partner Simon Davis (right) has been elected as the new president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA), taking over from Lovells' Graham Huntley. He has been elected for a two-year term following his selection as the LSLA vice-president a year ago. As well as being a member of the LSLA committee, Davis is a Law Society Council member and a member of ...
City property teams laud Budget for giving Reits new lease of life
City real estate practices are extolling the virtues of Chancellor Gordon Brown's Budget, unveiled last Wednesday (22 March), while corporate lawyers are eyeing a series of mouth-watering privatisations.
CMS aims for Euro corporate synergy
The French arm of the CMS alliance, CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, has merged its corporate departments into a single team in order to capitalise on its relationships with international partners CMS Cameron McKenna in the UK and CMS Hasche Sigle in Germany.
Dewey takes White & Case associate for London capital markets
Dewey Ballantine has made a bid to resurrect its London office with the hire of capital markets specialist Joseph Marx from White & Case.
Dickinson Dees lands Tyne & Wear Metro upgrade role
Newcastle giant Dickinson Dees has beaten a swathe of City and national firms, including Ashurst and DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, to advise on a major upgrade of the Tyne & Wear Metro system.
Does Mipim provide value for money? And does it matter?
Despite the cost, most firms would never forego their annual trip to Cannes. By David Middleton
East spenders
A trio of East London boroughs has created an innovative shared legal panel to exploit economies of scale and avoid replicating their work. Is this the future of public sector lawyering? Jon Parker investigates
ECJ gives primacy to national court rulings
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that national court judgments that conflict with EU law should not be overturned when there is no appeal.
Eversheds sees Marley estate through guitarist's royalty fight
Eversheds and West End firm Hamlins are going head-to-head in a High Court dispute between Bob Marley's record company and Aston 'Familyman' Barrett, the singer's former guitarist, over unpaid royalties.
Ex-Fox Williams partner creates Docklands firm
A former Fox Williams partner has set up an innovative employment practice in Canary Wharf with the aim of acting for companies and partnerships based in the Docklands.
Firm profile: Putsmans
Birmingham-based firm Putsmans has been in an expansionary mood during the past two years, bringing in several new recruits from big Midlands firms.
Flying pigs in swine hunt
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the City Disputes Panel signed a cooperative agreement recently in an effort to share resources. The first step was an evening do at the institute's Bloomsbury Square headquarters, attended by a select group of lords, silks, arbitrators... and the odd hack.
Former Farrers partner taken to task as divorcee brings charges for negligence
A former partner of Farrer & Co is being sued by a woman, who claims the partner advised her negligently over the division of £5m of assets during a divorce.
Freshfields ex-China chief 'frustrated' by US strategy
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's former China managing partner Mike Moser has taken a parting shot at the magic circle firm for its failure to build a viable US operation.
FSA unveils first legal training scheme
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has launched its first dedicated legal training programme in a bid to attract young lawyers who will remain at the regulator over the long term.
Fulbright boosted by DWS and Vinson hires
Fulbright & Jaworski's London office has bolstered its projects capacity with two high-profile hires from Vinson & Elkins and Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS). UK project finance lawyer Christopher Clement-Davis joins from US rival Vinson, where he has spent the past seven years practising in project development and finance, international energy deals, banking, infrastructure and cross-border transactions. Former DWS international managing partner David Moroney joined the firm as of counsel ...
Garrigues strengthens Lisbon office with IP boutique
Spain's Garrigues has launched an IP practice in Portugal with the acquisition of Lisbon IP boutique Cabral Cunha Ferreira & Associados.
Grapevine
Juicy BlackBerry harvest reaps $200m in fees
Guernsey's Ozannes is first to launch in Jersey
Offshore firm Ozannes is to become the first Guernsey outfit to launch an office in Jersey.
Heatons Birmingham snared by Clarke Willmott
Clarke Willmott has taken over the Birmingham office of Heatons leaving the firm with just three partners and nine lawyers in its Manchester office.
Herbies puts litigators on ice for another year
Herbert Smith's litigation department has been effectively passed over for partnership for the second successive year as the firm focuses its promotion strategy on corporate and finance.
Housing key
The region's property markets are lively but the affordability gap is large and growing. David Powell and Stephen Rosser report
If at first you don't succeed...
What can newly qualified lawyers do if they don't get their specialism of choice? By Stephen Hockey
International eye: Asia
Donna Sawyer on the month in Asia
International report: Procopé & Hornborg
Procopé & Hornborg, one of Finland's oldest firms, has just hired its first UK-qualified partner. In fact, not only is Andrew Cotton Procopé's first UK-qualified solicitor, he is the only one currently practising in Finland.
James Chapman splits to join Halliwells, Brabners
Halliwells and Manchester's James Chapman & Co are to merge, but the latter firm's headline-grabbing commercial team, including senior partner Maurice Watkins, has split to join Brabners Chaffe Street.
Jones Day raids Heller for China push
Jones Day has bagged the head of San Francisco-based Heller Ehrmann’s China practice, marking the second major lateral hire for Jones Day’s China offices this year.
Lawyers wary as new Legislative Reform Bill expands Govt powers
Lawyers have expressed concern that the new Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill will give the Government unprecedented powers to make and change UK laws at will.
Linklaters competition team quits in Madrid
Linklaters has lost two-thirds of its Madrid-based competition team with two associates leaving to join Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Lovells.
Linklaters vows to reshape private equity after Kirkland raid
Linklaters has pledged to remould its private equity practice in the wake of the resignation of partners Graham White and Raymond McKeeve.
Long-running Weil conflict case gets May trial date
Weil Gotshal & Manges will face trial in May over a long-running legal malpractice suit relating to allegations that the firm was conflicted during its representation of an unfair competition case.
Lovells and DWS win planning consent for King's Cross work
Initial planning permission for the King's Cross regeneration project, one of the largest such projects in Europe, has seen the culmination of several years' work for the planning departments of City firms Lovells and Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS).
Lovells bags SoftBank for £9bn Vodafone LBO
Lovells' Tokyo arm has scooped the lead advisory role on Japan's largest-ever leveraged buyout (LBO).
Lovells pulls the plug on Dutch real estate outfit
The Dutch office of Lovells has discontinued its domestic real estate practice in favour of subcontracting the work to a local firm.
Lovells wins Villalba appeal for Merrill Lynch
Lovells has won a resounding judgment on behalf of Merrill Lynch in the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) this morning (31 March).
LSE legal dept reduced during takeover battle
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has completed a downsizing of its legal department, cutting the number of lawyers by almost half.
Maclays hit by Latham's private equity poaching
Latham & Watkins has lured Maclay Murray & Spens' private equity partner Graeme Sloan in a massive setback to the Scottish giant's private equity ambitions in London. Sloan, who has been at Maclays for 15 years, is a rising star in private equity circles and appeared in The Hot 100 supplement ...
Manoj Paul: Avanade
Avanade is the world's fastest-growing IT consultancy. Director of legal affairs Manoj Paul tells David Middleton how his IT background has helped him progress the company's expansion
Milbank, Slaughters in UK first with ITV takeover offer
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy and Slaughter and May have secured the lead roles advising the consortium attempting to take control of ITV with a groundbreaking deal that marks the first of its kind in the UK.
Nabarros bolsters Sheffield with Mayer Brown and FFW hires
Nabarro Nathanson has added three partners to its Sheffield office, including two rare lateral hires out of City firms to its employment and pensions groups.
National firms shame City giants in diversity stakes
Shoosmiths and Fladgate Fielder have finished top of the first-ever league table of diversity in the UK's top 100 law firms, The Lawyer can reveal.
OC names Birt new senior partner
Osborne Clarke London managing partner Tim Birt has been named as the successor to senior partner to Leslie Perrin.
Opinion
Certain aspects of the revised Transfer of Undertakings Regulations could cost companies dear
Paul Hastings growth spurs hunt for space
The Milan office of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker is on the hunt for more office space after nearly trebling in size since launching last May.
People
South West firm Stephens & Scown has hired James Orpin as a corporate partner in the firm's new Truro office. Orpin joins from Michelmores.
Pro Bono: Lawrence Graham duo tackles Mount Kilimanjaro for charity
Lawrence Graham duo tackles Mount Kilimanjaro for charity" /Lawrence Graham real estate partners spend the majority of their time sealing high-profile property deals, but give them some spare time and there's no telling what they will get up to.
Product liability
As Merck fights the case for its controversial rheumatoid arthritis drug Vioxx on both sides of the Atlantic, and with consumers becoming increasingly conscious of risks posed by unsafe food and other goods, The Lawyer turns the spotlight on product liability.
Report demands more diversity in the judiciary
The Commission for Judicial Appointments (CJA) has warned that there is still much work to be done before true diversity in the judiciary can be achieved.
Return to vendor
Instances of product recalls are on the rise causing companies and their insurers to bash out a new regime going forward. Stewart White and Nick Pester report
School of hard mocks
News reaches Tulkinghorn that the annual IP summer school held in Downing College, Cambridge, is relocating to London this year. This is causing much dismay among trademark and patent lawyers. How will they cope without their annual dose of punting, strawberries and Pimms?Tulkinghorn trusts that, wherever its location, the school will stay true to its high standards of intellectual rigour. Apparently, last year a mock arbitration panel reduced one poor lawyer to tears, while another ...
Sea, sand and silicon
Devon and Cornwall - for so long dependent on tourism - are now attracting significant investment from the information and communications, biotech and renewable energy sectors. Tim Richards reports
Separated at birth
Is it just a coincidence that Collins Stewart Tullett's head of legal Simon Clark is a dead ringer for surreal comedy supremo Vic Reeves? Surely one of the more unlikely court battles of recent years was the broker's defamation battle against the Financial Times, in which Collins Stewart initially claimed £37m and ultimately won £300,000? The claim for lost business followed an earlier special damages claim that Mr Justice Tugendhat struck out in October 2004. It was for £230.5m. ...
Short's Gunner be working late
There's dedication to the cause, and then there's Stephen Short. Simpson Thacher's London acquisition finance geezer recently spent 14 days thinking about one thing, and one thing only - Arsenal's Champion's League return game against Real Madrid.
Simmons to tap glut of senior associates
Simmons & Simmons is aiming to swoop on the bottleneck of senior associates striving for partnership in magic circle firms as part of a growth strategy for its corporate department.
SJ Berwin, Travers eye Omega as Abingworth counsel switches
SJ Berwin and Travers Smith are likely to be the biggest winners after venture capital group Omega Fund Management poached Abingworth Management's general counsel Claire Wilkinson.
South West & Wales
When lawyers talk of the South West they usually mean Bristol, which is often seen as the hub for legal services in the region. However, the increasing investment in Devon and Cornwall means that law firms on the South West coast are winning exciting and lucrative mandates.
Speechly takes on TLT's LLP case to retain probate faculty
TLT's LLP case to retain probate faculty" /Speechly Bircham and TLT Solicitors have brought a test case to the High Court that will impact on all firms wanting to convert to limited-liability partnership (LLP) status ...
The work-life quiz
What was your first-ever job?A bread butterer in a sandwich factory at the age of 10 - a clear violation of the Factory Acts Legislation.
Third term for Kendall Freeman head
Laurence Harris has been re-elected as managing partner of Kendall Freeman for the third time, the firm announced on Thursday (23 March). Harris was first elected managing partner of DJ Freeman in September 2001 and then re-elected as managing partner of Kendall Freeman in April 2003. No partner stood against him in this month's election and he was re-elected unanimously by the partnership for another three-year term of office, starting on 1 May 2006. He will continue to practise as ...
Ticket to deride
The offer of free tickets for TV's Big Brother would please most staff, reckons Tulkinghorn, but it would seem not for those at Kroll. Simon Appell, a partner at the risk consultancy firm, recently splashed out on four tickets to the reality TV show for his staff at a charity bash, only to be royally pooh-poohed when he told them."I thought it was a cool gift," laments Appell. "Much cooler than the person that bought tickets for Mary Poppins."
Tyco to split global legal function three ways
Tyco is overhauling its legal function and embarking on a massive recruitment drive to build three new legal departments to align with the three new companies it is set to convert into next year.
UK Roundup: The bar
Joanne Harris on the month at the bar
US firms hail 'terrific' year as UK revenues and profits soar
The record global revenue and profit figures revealed by The Lawyer earlier this month (6 March) are echoed by the leading firms' performances in London.
Vinson boosts London energy with Lovells hire
Vinson & Elkins (V&E) has made its eighth hire in nine months, taking Lovells corporate finance lawyer François Feuillat.
Vital ingredient
Failing to include allergen information on a food label is now a criminal offence. Owen Warnock and Richard Matthews look at the increased regulations facing the food industry
Wards partner handed legal reviewer role
Bristol-based Wards civil litigation partner Elizabeth Fry has been selected as an independent peer reviewer by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. She is contracted by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). In addition, Fry has been appointed to work with the LSC's London supplier development group to review the quality assessment process on files and help produce guidelines to be used by case workers.
White & Bowker dumps criminal team ahead of merger
Hampshire firm White & Bowker will abandon its criminal defence practice when it merges with Blake Lapthorn Linnell on 1 May.
White and McKeeve quit Linklaters private equity for Kirkland & Ellis
Linklaters global head of private equity Graham White has resigned from the firm along with partner Raymond McKeeve to join the London office of Chicago giant Kirkland & Ellis.
Wilson Sonsini relocates Virginia office to DC to boost antitrust
The Silicon Valley-based corporate technology powerhouse Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has transplanted its Virginia office to Washington DC.
