28 March 2011

1

Chadbourne sets sights on Istanbul practice

US firm Chadbourne & Parke is planning to launch an office in Istanbul later this year. The firm has built up an impressive roster of Turkish clients since hiring partner Ayse Yüksel from Debevoise & Plimpton’s New York office in 2004. They include Koza Altin, Koç Holding and Koza Gold. Yüksel, who is currently based […]

Focus: Defamation, Clauses célèbres

The draft Defamation Bill has been broadly welcomed by media reformers, but many believe the politicians have been perfunctory when they could have been revolutionary  After intense lobbying by defendant media lawyers and their newspaper clients, the ­Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has finally published the draft Defamation Bill. Broadly, it has been welcomed by the […]

Russell’s brand

You’d expect a man who learnt his trade at the temple to old-fashioned style, Macfarlanes, to be well-dressed. But Russell van Praagh, now a private ­equity partner at Taylor Wessing, has gone a step further. Some of van Praagh’s mischievous colleagues let slip to Tulkinghorn’s spies that this fine figure of a man has moonlighted […]

Claude Serfilippi

Chadbourne’s poor showing in City puts top 30 London placing at risk

Mixed results for US practices as Sidley and Reed Smith post positive results. Chadbourne & Parke is on course to drop out of the top 30 international firms in London after reporting another disappointing UK performance in 2010. After seeing City income fall by 16 per cent in 2009, last year Chadbourne’s London revenue took […]

Ex-Solicitor General joins No5 Chambers

Former Labour government minister Mike O’Brien QC has joined Birmingham set No5 Chambers as a ­tenant. O’Brien, who held a ­number of ministerial roles before losing his North Warwickshire seat at the last election, will practise public law at the set. Speaking about his move O’Brien said: “I made the law in Parliament and now I want to […]

Andrew Cox

Weightmans merger threatens Mace & Jones’ recruitment policy

Mace & Jones’ innovative trainee recruitment programme is under threat following the firm’s decision to merge with Weightmans. The ’2-Way Street’ scheme, launched just six months ago, would have seen Mace & Jones hire graduates as paralegals as opposed to trainees. After a minimum of six months’ service the paralegals would be eligible to start training contracts. In […]

Jonathan Blair
8

Dickie Dees’ growth drive kicks off structural shift

Dickinson Dees has launched a partnership consultation on remuneration as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of its business. In a series of staff meetings over the past week managing partner Jonathan Blair as announced the management’s vision for the North East firm for the next few years, including the launch of updated appraisal processes and career paths across the practice. A […]

Samantha Mangwana
6

Employment Tribunal unequivocal on discrimination stance as gay lawyer wins action

A gay lawyer who discovered a note from one of his firm’s partners that accused him of giving work to his “batty boy mate” has won a discrimination fight against the firm. The decision comes amid a rise in claims of homophobic discrimination. Figures from the Employment Tribunal show an increase of almost 20 per […]

Milbank grows up in the Smoke

And then, from nowhere, Milbank appeared. Well, not quite nowhere. It’s been in the City for years, where it has taken a fits and starts approach to building critical mass from its project finance roots. Culturally it still prefers to hide its light, but things are definitely changing. Six months ago ­Milbank invited in a […]

Fried Frank ‘lifer’ swells Milbank City partnership

Fried Frank has lost the head of its European capital markets and finance ­practice to Milbank. Tim Peterson, a corporate partner since 1992 and ­resident in Fried Frank’s London office, joined Milbank today (28 March). He specialises in international debt and equity securities offerings, leveraged finance and debt restructurings. Peterson’s clients include Virgin Media, which he advised […]

1

Charles Russell rejig sees top job ditched

Top 50 firm Charles Russell has scrapped the role of managing partner in a ­radical overhaul of its ­management structure. A spokesperson said the decision followed an internal review and was not the result of external pressure, nor was the move in anticipation of the introduction of alternative business ­structures in October. The current board has recommended […]

Boris Martor
1

Eversheds sets the scene for Casablanca outpost

Eversheds is adding Morocco to its expanding international network through a cooperation agreement that is expected to develop into a Casablanca office in the future. Former Eversheds associate Mohamed Oulkhouir is establishing his own ­practice in Morocco to work in cooperation with the UK firm. Oulkhouir left Eversheds’ Paris office in 2008 to become Tangiers managing partner […]