4 June 2007
The Lawyer
People
•Farrar's Building has appointed three -barristers. Andrew Wille and Guy Watkins join from Lamb Chambers, alongside Grant -Goodland, who has joined from pupillage.
£100M projects lure magic circle to Govt super panel
Magic circle firms Allen & Overy (A&O), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have won places on the Government's new Catalist super panel, the replacement for L-Cat.
2-4 Tudor Street expansion sees set rebrand as Carmelite
The Chambers of Richard Ferguson QC, 2-4 Tudor Street, is set to relaunch as Carmelite Chambers in July as it boosts its numbers with a new member.
Addleshaws announces salary rises following trainee pressure
Addleshaw Goddard has bowed to mounting pressure from trainees and announced its salary increases three months early.
Addleshaws, Osborne Clarke breach £500K PEP
Addleshaw Goddard and Osborne Clarke have increased average profit per equity partner (PEP) above the £500,000 mark for the first time ever.
AIM - The better alternative
2006 saw AIM's rise to prominence continue, and with the market now attracting foreign companies those firms just below the magic circle have had a bumper couple of years
Anderson Strathern passes £15m turnover
Scottish firm Anderson Strathern has raised its turnover by 11 per cent, hitting £15.5m for 2006.
Ashurst acts on brum airport stake selloff
Ashurst is advising Canadian and Australian private equity firms Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Victorian Funds Management in their joint bid for Birmingham Airport Holdings. The two private equity firms have made an -unconditional offer for a 48.3 per cent stake in the Midlands airport -operator. The £420m offer was accepted by Macquarie- -Airport Group and Aer Rianta International, a subsidiary ...
Ashurst takes care of Foxtons selloff
Ashurst has advised estate agent Foxtons on its £400m takeover offer from pan-European private equity firm BC Partners. Dickson Minto advised the private equity group on the deal, which has taken up six months of -negotitaions. The acquisition includes Foxtons' mortgage broking business Alexander Hall Associates, ...
Bakers turns Rupert Murdoch green
Baker & McKenzie has clinched a deal to advise Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation on its carbon neutral strategy.
Barclays calls for 'balanced scorecard' in recruitment
Barclays Bank has lowered its academic entrance level for its in-house legal team as part of the bank's diversity strategy.
Barrister handed LCIA vice-presidency
The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) has appointed Essex Court Chambers barrister Johnny Veeder QC as vice-president.
Barristers sue over luxury horsebox
A group of sports and equine law barristers who argue that their horsebox is too heavy to carry horses have taken their dispute to the High Court.
Box weather
Usually art imitates life, but Eversheds chief executive David Gray decided to imitate art at the much anticipated Antony Gormley exhibition Blind Light.
Brick Court lures Cleary associate back to the bar
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton associate Robert O'Donoghue has defected back to the bar, joining Brick Court Chambers.
Bristows enters the Pleasuredome
Traditional equity partnership Bristows revealed its funky side last week when IP partner Brian Cordery scored a trademark win for 1980s pop icons Frankie Goes to -Hollywood. The case gave Cordery a chance to dust off his old -Welcome to the Pleasuredome records and Frankie posters.
Bristows wins BSA job after Covington partner quits
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has chosen Bristows for its UK copyright enforcement work following the first review of its UK legal services.
Bryan Cave opens in Germany as Euro expansion gathers pace
US firm Bryan Cave is set to open its first office in Germany, and is eyeing up further office launches in Paris, Brussels and Madrid as part of an ambitious European expansion plan.
BSB opts against deferral of call to the bar
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has rejected plans for deferring call to the bar until after pupillage is completed.
Call of beauty
Proving that even in the multi-channel age the BBC remains a national unifier, Tulkinghorn recently passed a pint of porter discussing Radio 4's Desert Island Discs with Pinsent Masons' local government head Nick Dobson.
Camerons lures Intel's IP work away from Howrey
CMS Cameron McKenna has scooped Intel's UK IP work from Howrey, advising the tech company in its Court of Appeal litigation with field marketing and telemarketing company CPM.
Camerons revision triggers small bonus increase
CMS Cameron McKenna has had its preliminary financial results revised, putting a slightly shinier gloss on an otherwise disappointing year.
CC bags European Islamic Investment Bank first
Clifford Chance has bagged the lead role to advise on the first UK dual-fund sharia-compliant real estate transaction.
CC lawyer gets second bite at partnership
Italian structured finance star Luigi Chessa has become the first person to be made up to the Clifford Chance partnership on two separate occasions.
CC pushes arbitration business in Asia
Clifford Chance is embarking on a marketing drive in Asia in a bid to boost its arbitration business in the region.
CC slashes £30m costs as India base goes live
Clifford Chance has embarked on a new costcutting drive with a major upscaling of its offshoring programme in India and a £10m IT investment to maintain average profit per equity partner (PEP), which last week tipped over the £1m mark for the first time.
Choosing killers over billers
It was over to Watson Farley & Williams' swanky 25th anniversary party the other day, at which shipping finance lawyer Anna Soroko amused the crowd with a tale of her introduction to cabinet minister Jack Straw.
Cleary enters arena to advise Citigroup on Terra Firma's EMI bid
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has secured work on Terra Firma's high-profile bid for music giant EMI.
Clydes' PEP growth stalls as litigation nosedives
Clyde & Co has seen its average profit per equity partner (PEP) stagnate at £500,000, an indication that the downturn in litigation could be holding back corporate growth.
Collyer Bristow boosts partnership by 10 per cent
Collyer Bristow has kicked off the new financial year with the addition of three new partners, boosting the size of the partnership by around 10 per cent.
Covington hires Freshfields pair
US firm Covington & Burling has snapped up two former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partners for its London office.
Debevoise, LawWorks join forces to help social entrepreneurs
The London office of US firm Debevoise & Plimpton and pro bono charity LawWorks have launched a legal advice clinic to assist 'social entrepreneurs' to set up charities, community projects or businesses with social aims.
Dentons partner joins London & Regional
A Denton Wilde Sapte property partner has left the firm to join client's London & Regional Properties.
Dewey Ballantine opens in North Carolina
US firm Dewey Ballantine has expanded its reach by opening up a new office in Charlotte, North Carolina, the second-largest banking centre in the US.
DLA, Herbies and Slaughters bag David Lloyd sale
Three City law firms have won the lead roles advising on the high profile £925m disposal of Whitbread’s fitness venture David Lloyd Leisure (DLL).
EC backs money laundering campaign
The Law Society has won European Commission backing in its war against draft money laundering regulations, forcing the Treasury into a rethink.
Eversheds transfers 79 staff with £27m outsourcing deal
Eversheds has outsourced its IT systems to Computacenter Services in a £27m deal.
Eversheds, Links and Norton Rose go green
Eversheds, Linklaters and Norton Rose are leading the legal profession on green issues by wholeheartedly embracing the normally low-profile UN World Environment Day today.
Every secondment counts
In today's competitive legal market secondments are increasingly used by firms to develop client care and deepen the commercial understanding of their lawyers.
FFW hires IP/IT duo for German push
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has appointed two new IP/IT partners in Hamburg as part of its continued expansion drive in Europe.
Fladgate PEP tops £600k
West End firm Fladgate Fielder has revealed financial figures that place it near the top end of market performance for the 2006-07 financial year.
Freshfields makes managing partner promotions in China
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has announced two Chinese managing partner promotions.
Freshfields' PEP peaks
Everybody knew it was a good year for transactional lawyers. Everybody knew that average profit per equity partner (PEP) across the City was going to skyrocket. But nobody in their right mind thought the benchmark for multinational firms' profitability would be set by Freshfields.
Freshfields' smoke and mirrors puts PEP at magic million mark
As readers may be aware, 2007 is The Lawyer's 20th anniversary year. It's an occasion that has prompted a great deal of trawling through back issues, searching for trends that point to the development of the UK legal market.
Gallaher legal head knocks back post-takeover legal role
Gallaher's group head of legal is leaving after the £7.5bn takeover of the company by Japan Tobacco.
GC quits PartyGaming on back of troubled year
PartyGaming general counsel David Abdoo is quitting the Gibraltar-based online gaming outfit following a tumultuous year in the online gaming sector.
GC role for Hogg Robinson in-houser
Travel group Hogg Robinson has reshuffled its legal team, with senior solicitor Nigel Hirst promoted to the newly created post of commercial director and general counsel of the company's Spendvision venture.
Harbottles hires FFW telecoms chief; elects new senior partner
Harbottle & Lewis has boosted its broadcasting practice with the hire of Field Fisher Waterhouse communications group head Tony Ballard.
How to upset 36,000 lawyers at a stroke
There are cock-ups and there are cock-ups. And then, there are cock-ups that overcharge 36,000 lawyers. See story.
Howrey joins class action bandwagon with Lovells raid
Howrey has launched a London antitrust practice, raiding Lovells for competition litigator Tom McQuail.
Hunt hounds MPs on Legal Services Bill
As the Legal Services Bill receives its second reading in the House of Commons today (4 June), the Bar Council is urging MPs to put consumers first.
Irwin Mitchell to appeal High Court ruling on Olympic Village evictions
Irwin Mitchell is expected to appeal against a High Court ruling that allows the London Development Agency (LDA) to evict residents of the Clays Lane Estate in Stratford, East London, to enable the Olympic Village to be built.
Jones Day energy chief joins Centrica
Energy giant Centrica has hired Jones Day global co-head of oil and gas Peter Roberts as part of a restructuring of its legal team to realign the department with the management of the business.
Judges given option to sack lawyers in high-cost cases
The Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer has outlined plans that will see lawyers who cause delays to court cases replaced, following the collapse of BCCI and Equitable.
Keen to be seen to be green
Lights on, lights off... that's what will be happening across many businesses tonight in an attempt to mark the UN's World Environment Day.
Law Society of Scotland gets new president
Brown & McRae partner John MacKinnon has taken over as president of the Law Society of Scotland. President Ruthven Gemmell, a partner at Murray Beith Murray, handed the leadership to MacKinnon, the former vice--president of the society, on 28 May.
Law Society wins money laundering review
The Law Society has won another battle in its war to change the draft money laundering regulations causing headaches among City lawyers.
Lawyers are being sidelined in local government
The role of the lawyer in local government is under threat. Lawyers are still providing a crucial legal role, but 20 years ago between 70 and 80 per cent of council chief executives came from a legal background. Today that figure languishes somewhere around the 20 per cent mark and is declining.
LCS pushes forward miners' union compensation payback initiative
The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) has cut a deal with one coalminers’ union that is offering refunds to thousands of sick miners embroiled in the British Coal compensation saga.
LeBoeuf goes Wacko
Wacky, or wacko even, is not a word normally associated with insurance and energy powerhouse LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae.
LeBoeuf hires Michael Jackson's lawyer
LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae has launched a New York-based entertainment, media and sports practice under one of Michael Jackson's defence lawyers, L. Londell McMillan.
Linde legal chief Deeming resigns
Chief legal officer at Linde, Nick Deeming, is to step down this September.
Linklaters brings in Unisys for global IT systems overhaul
Linklaters is undergoing an overhaul of its computer systems after it awarded a multimillion-pound contract to IT outsourcing company Unisys.
Linklaters enjoys high life
One of Tulkinghorn's scribes was left in a state of shock and awe after hearing of the luxury that a number of Linklaters' corporate partners enjoy when they travel between the firm's offices in Germany.
Linklaters Germany senior partner wins second term
Linklaters has re-elected Michael Lappe as German senior partner for a second term.
Links scores High Court win for JPMorgan in bonus dispute
Linklaters has scored a landmark High Court ruling for JPMorgan against its former trader Daniel Ridgway, who sued the bank for $3.5m (£1.8m) in an alleged loss of bonus.
London launch for Scottish private client specialists
Scottish private client leader Turcan Connell has confirmed its long-expected plans to open an office in London.
Lovells raids SJ Berwin for finance boost
Lovells' partnership has been given a boost with the hire of SJ Berwin senior associate James McDonald. McDonald, who will join Lovells' financial institutions group in September, leaves SJ Berwin after three years.
Lucre and Lycra
Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS) partners appear to be doing a good job at making each other giggle lately.
M,T gesture
Tulkinghorn has heard that Matrix Chambers' rejig of its administration structure caused quite a stir in the set.
Magic circle joins fight against bill
The senior partners of all five magic circle firms have come together for the first time to warn the Treasury that aspects of the Clementi reforms could threaten £2bn of annual legal services exports.
Mergers spark bumper year for North West
North West firms have announced strong year-end results, with Halliwells smashing its average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure with a record £600,000.
Mohaimin Chowdhury: EIIB
Head of legal at the EIIB Mohaimin Chowdhury is at the forefront of the UK's changing financial landscape, with Islamic finance growing in prominence. Julia Berris reports
New Kirkland trio closes first Terra Firma fund
Kirkland & Ellis new private equity partners have completed their first deal since joining the firm from SJ Berwin.
Norris extradition saga goes to the Lords
White & Case has been given leave to appeal the ongoing extradition saga of businessman Ian Norris to the House of Lords.
Osborne Clarke lands motor industry role
Osborne Clarke has been appointed to provide legal support to the Retail Motor Industry National Franchised Dealers Association.
PartyGaming holds US govt showdown talks
PartyGaming is holding discussions with the US Department of Justice to explore the possibility of a re-entry in to the US in wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which was passed in October last year.
Powell Gilbert grows by 200 per cent with associate hiring frenzy
IP boutique Powell Gilbert is in the midst of an associate hiring spree, bringing in 11 new lawyers since its launch in March.
Reed Smith snaps up Akin Gump duo
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has lost its entire restructuring capability after Reed Smith Richards Butler snapped up the team in preparation for an expected downturn.
Reuters brings in assistant Emea counsel
Reuters has hired Eni's Darragh Fagan as its new assistant general counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Robert Muckle benefits from raids on local rivals
Newcastle-based Robert Muckle has beefed up its practice with the appointment of two commercial partners.
Shoosmiths results reveal mixed fortunes
Shoosmiths' average profit per equity partner (PEP) rose by just 3 per cent last year, to £407,000, as the firm bore the added salary costs of a major recruitment drive.
Simmons joins £500k PEP club
Simmons & Simmons has broken the £500,000 average profit per equity partner (PEP) barrier for the first time with an increase of nearly 13 per cent, the firm's year-end results have revealed.
Skadden wins Chinese govt's Blackstone bid
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom advised the Chinese government on its investment in private equity house Blackstone Group.
Skadden, Cederquist lead Nasdaq's OMX BID
US firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Swedish outfit Cederquist have been appointed to advise Nasdaq on its $3.7bn (£1.86bn) offer for Nordic and Baltic bourse OMX. The -Stockholm-based bourse is being advised by US firm Cleary -Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, while Swedish firm Vinge has been engaged to advise on the local issues. Although OMX has accepted the part ...
Small chambers in massive spat over horsebox
It's the usual story: you launch a chambers, you want to tell people about it, you have a great marketing idea. In the case of Surrey-based Casalier Chambers, which specialises in sports and equine law, the idea was a horsebox. See story.
SRA delays launch of abridged LPC
Alternative routes to qualifying as a solicitor will not be piloted this year as planned, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed.
SRA makes 36,000 apologies for massive fees blunder
More than 36,000 solicitors were overcharged by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on their contributions to the compensation fund, it was revealed today (7 June).
Stephenson Harwood partner lands part-time Nirah GC role
Leisure company Nirah Holdings has appointed Stephenson Harwood’s Ian Fletcher as the organisation's new company secretary and general counsel.
Stephenson Harwood takes AIM IPO crown
Stephenson Harwood has emerged as the number one firm for AIM flotations off the back of its booming Asia practice.
The Lawyer wants you
Today's news agenda on www.thelawyer.com is dominated by lobbying efforts. The magic circle, in the shape of senior partners Guy Beringer, David Cheyne, Tim Clark, Guy Morton and Stuart Popham, is wading in to debate the problematic Legal Services Bill here - although it's pretty late in the day.
The private equity market: how to win friends and influence people
Winning work is as much to do with how lawyers are perceived by peers as by clients. By Catrin Griffiths
The work-life quiz Marc Israel
What was your first-ever job?Filing in my dad's office. It was before the minimum wage - I think I earned £1 a day.
Tide changes on US coasts as IP market swells
The US IP market is heating up on both coasts, with two key partners moving firms last week.
TLT gains Piraeus base with Constant merger
Bristol-based TLT Solicitors has swallowed £4m-turnover London shipping firm Constant & Constant, increasing TLT's partnership by 25 per cent and giving the firm its first office outside the UK.
Trowers launches in Saudi with new alliance
Trowers & Hamlins has established a new partnership in Saudi Arabia following the breakdown of its association with local firm Hassan Mahassni.
Turnover at emw Law grows by a quarter
Midlands-based emw Law has reported a standout year, with turnover up by 25 per cent to £8.8m.
UK firms step in as Italian banks join forces
International law firms in Italy are bracing themselves for a boost in finance work after a series of mergers has left the country with a more aggressive banking sector.
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 raids Druces & Attlee for property hires
Weightmans has boosted its London-based property team with the hire of a partner from Druces & Attlee.
Wiggin hits online cd retailer with £41m fine
Media boutique Wiggin has -crippled pirate CD importers CD WOW after winning £41m in -damages in the High Court for UK record industry group the British -Phonographic Industry (BPI). CD WOW is based in Hong Kong and sells CDs to the UK -market, a -practice which breaks UK IP rules on -parallel importing. -Clifford ...
Yahoo!'s Chinese kowtow lands it in court
Yahoo! has come under fire in a lawsuit from a man -imprisoned for 10 years after the internet giant revealed his identity to the Chinese government.
