4 June 2001

A year ago this week

US firms retaliate in war for London’s top lawyers`This time last year the salary war between UK and US firms was just hotting up with US firms upping the ante by increasing pay rates for London lawyers.`Having waited for the outcome of the UK magic circle firms’ April pay reviews, US firm Cadwalader Wickersham & […]

Opinion

On 23 May, Mr Justice Moses handed down his judgment in the Interbrew/Bass case. In an unprecedented ruling, the January decision of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry requiring the divestment of Bass by Interbrew was overturned.`Interbrew’s challenge to the Competition Commission and Government’s decisions was based on the argument that the remedy […]

The deal makers

Organisation: Rotch Property Group`Sector: Financial engineering`Employees: 350`Legal capability: One in-house lawyer`Group general counsel: Meena Heath`Reporting to: The board`Main law firms: Ashurst Morris Crisp (telecoms), Clifford Chance (securitisation & PFI), Julian Holy (property), Macfarlanes (property finance), Memery Crystal (litigation), Osborne Clarke (property finance), and Slaughter and May (recently appointed to the panel, but has not been […]

A View from the Cayman Islands

Where precisely do the Cayman Islands stand now that the dust has settled following the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) supranational initiatives on tax harmonisation and anti money laundering?`The short answer is that the legislative and regulatory amendments are sympathetic and, as a result, the Cayman Islands […]

Lovells hires niche IP lawyer from Paris rival

Lovells is continuing its expansion in Europe as the Paris office takes on an intellectual property (IP) partner from local firm Dubarry Le Douarin & Veil. `Dominique Ménard joins the firm today (4 June). Ménard set up the IP practice at Dubarry and specialises in patent litigation. His clients include IBM, Polo Ralph Lauren and […]

Dolmans in Cardiff

Dolmans in Cardiff is taking on a lawyer from Morgan Cole as a partner in its company commercial team. Johnathan Rees (right) is joining the business services division.

Davies Wallis launches legal transaction centre DWF Maxima

North West law firm Davies Wallis Foyster has increased and diversified its presence in the region by launching a national centre for high-volume, process-driven legal transactions in Warrington. `The £1.5m operation will trade under the name DWF Maxima and will be headed by Davies Wallis partner Mary Barlow.`Barlow joined the firm in January from DLA, […]

Mills & Reeve names Jeffries for top role as Ogilvy is ousted

Cambridge-based law firm Mills & Reeve has appointed a new managing partner to take over from Duncan Ogilvy, who was voted out after six years in office. `Mark Jeffries, who was previously the head of the corporate services group in Leeds and Birmingham, took over the position on Friday (1 June).`Jeffries, who was managing partner […]

The personnelity

As you will have noticed over the past few weeks, we live in an age of opinion polls and focus groups. It seems that the guiding principle for New Labour is to keep everyone onside and to annoy as few as possible. And while opinion remains divided about how accurate polls are, what better way […]

Cartwrights' insurance dept splits from firm

Cartwrights’ insurance litigation department is to launch its own specialist firm under the name of Cartwrights Insurance Partners when the rest of the Bristol firm merges with Bond Pearce in July. `The announcement by partners David Vernalls, Deborah Bradley, Richard Ottley and Ian Poole ends any prospects of a merger between them and insurance giant […]

McKinsey warns Slaughter and May: your clients will want you to go global

Study of 50 International legal practices reveals law firms trail industry; Skadden Arps tipped for future domination `And despite their elite reputations, Slaughter and May and Cravath Swaine & Moore are singled out.`The report says: “We believe that they will face growing pressure for geographic expansion to maintain world-class capabilities in their specialities and to […]