4 November 2002
The Lawyer
'Don't mess wid da firm'
The number of media lawyers forgetting the most basic rules they advise their clients on is, worryingly for Tulkinghorn, increasing. Just weeks after Farrers was forced to recall a newsletter after publishing details of the settlement in litigation involving The Cook Report and the News of the World, it transpires that Peter Carter-Ruck & Partners has also boobed.Readers may recall that Naomi Campbell's High Court victory against the former assistant who sold stories ...
A&O loses banking star to Simpson Thacher
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's London office has finally made good on its promise to hire a UK partner after snatching Allen & Overy (A&O) banking expert Euan Gorrie
A&O's conscience kicks in
Allen & Overy (A&O) has agreed to sign up to a unique social compact with Tower Hamlets council as part of the deal to make Spitalfields its new home
ABI and TUC paper makes new push for accident victims' rehabilitation
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (Apil) has welcomed a consultation paper which it says has made new efforts to tackle problems with access to rehabilitation by accident victims
Altheimer loses project finance partner to Beachcrofts
Ashok Ghosh becomes latest London departure for Altheimer & Gray
ASB lures Brachers' employment team
ASB law has raided rival South East firm Brachers, taking the entire employment team from the Maidstone office
Asbestos: why are UK courts so hard on its victims?
Two cases, two very different stories. Brendan Malkin finds the US putting the UK to shame
Ashursts plays leading role in Stratford City regeneration project
Ashurst Morris Crisp has closed two of London's most important regeneration projects in the space of a week.The firm has advised developers Chelsfield and Stanhope on the £3.5bn Stratford City regeneration project based around the new Stratford Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Ashursts has also advised Silvertown Quays Ltd on the regeneration of Silvertown, an area west of the capital's ...
Australian firms lure arbitration to Sydney
Six of Australia's 10 largest firms have joined forces to promote Sydney as a prime centre for international arbitration in the Asia-Pacific
Bahamas paves the way for foreigners
The Bahamas is considering opening itself up to foreign lawyers so they can assist the island on major asset transactions and enable it to compete with other offshore jurisdictions
Bar Council elects Irwin as new vice-chairman
Doughty Street Chambers silk Stephen Irwin QC (left) has been elected vice-chairman of the Bar Council for 2003. He will join former vice-chairman, now chairman, Matthias Kelly QC and Clifford Allison, who has been re-elected as treasurer. Irwin was called to the Bar in 1976 and became a QC in 1997. He currently chairs the Bar Council's policy advisory group. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 30 October
Bar Mutual fears claims onslaught
Bar Mutual hikes reserves after solicitors turn to open market
Barlows in shipping firm take over
RD Black & Co joins Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
Brobeck in advanced merger talks with Morgan Lewis
Brobeck Phleger & Harrison is set to enter due diligence with its new potential merger partner Morgan Lewis & Bockius after reaching a resolution on Brobeck's wide-ranging liability problems
CC and Lovells reveal management rejigs
Clifford Chance and Lovells have unveiled their new management teams, with very different approaches
CC associate criticisms spell 'defining moment'
Ex-CC and Andersen Legal head Tony Williams says his former firm must address its problems head-on
CFS bondholders accuse Mayer Brown of negligence
Discovery has just started in a securities fraud and negligence case brought against Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw by bondholders who invested billions of dollars in Commercial Financial Services (CFS), a former US client of the firm.CFS, which bought and sold delinquent credit card debt, filed for bankruptcy in 1998, defaulting on more than $1.6bn (£1bn) of bonds, after it emerged that ...
Charles Russell slims down management
Charles Russell has rationalised its complex management structure in a move to give working partners more time to concentrate on fee-earning
Clarification
In the 28 October issue, it was incorrectly reported that Beachcroft Wansbroughs was guilty of overcharging Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA) and ordered to repay fees. We would like to clarify that the firm accepted that it could not prove compliance with Rule 15 and reached an amicable settlement directly with ISHA.
CMS set to merge Central and Eastern European practices
The CMS network is conducting a merger of its offices in Central and Eastern Europe, which could then be used as a template for global financial integration
Cobbetts raids Addleshaws' secretarial unit
Cobbetts has raided Addleshaw Booth & Co's company secretarial unit in order to set up its own practice. Matthew Baker, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and head of Addleshaws' unit, will join Cobbetts in November. Trainee company secretaries Laura Forbes and Victoria Wilcox will join him. Michael Harris will replace Baker. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 30 October
Companies Act Section 151: the nightmare is nearly over
Buyout lawyers breathe a sigh of relief, but will smaller firms suffer? Dearbail Jordan reports
Corporate deals round-up
Herbert Smith (Anthony Macaulay, Henry Raine, Ben Ward) is advising Carnival on its proposal to form a dual-listed company with P&O Princess. Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison is advising on US corporate securities law and tax and Hogan & Hartson is advising on US antitrust. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is advising P&O.
DEAL OF THE WEEK - MYTRAVEL
Addleshaws and Slaughters ready to pounce as MyTravel struggles
Dentons wins Bulgarian privatisation job
Denton Wilde Sapte, alongside Deutsche Bank, is advising the Bulgarian government on the privatisation of its telecoms industry. Linklaters is advising the banks involved in the privatisation. CMS Cameron McKenna is advising the industry consortium led by Advent International, which is buying a 65 per cent share of the Bulgarian ...
Finers wins uni loyalty
Finers Stephens Innocent has fought off competition from six other firms to become sole property adviser to the University of East London, and in the process has won two new substantial instructions.The firm is advising on the university's disposal of its existing Barking campus as well as advising on the construction of academic buildings and student accommodation at its Docklands campus.Six firms were asked to pitch for the business, and a short-listed ...
Firefighters strike puts onus on employers to protect staff
Employers will have to take adequate risk assessments to ensure that they do not leave themselves open to personal injury claims if the planned firefighters strike goes ahead
Fixing the system
Fixed costs for lawyers acting on personal injury cases will further tip the scales in favour of negligent companies and their insurers. Thompsons' Rachel Sarfas gives the lawyer's view
Goldman Sachs gets tough on Chinese walls in LBO shake-up
Goldman Sachs is set to bar the use of Chinese walls in complex deals in a bid to stamp out worries over potential conflicts
Hammonds partner quits for Redrow in-house role
FTSE 250 housebuilder Redrow has headhunted a Hammonds partner to head up its legal function
Home Wilkinson joins with McMullin
Melbourne-based Home Wilkinson Lowry has taken on niche practice McMullin & Co, a firm founded in 1978 by the city's former Deputy Lord Mayor Peter McMullin
Human touch
As group legal and personnel director at United Business Media, one word to sum up Jane Stables' role is 'diversity'. Steve Hoare reports on the serious business of law
I should be so unlucky
Tulkinghorn would like to take this opportunity to remind lawyers that sometimes there is more to life than work, as this cautionary tale shows.A certain Denton Wilde Sapte partner was travelling back to London from the US with a client. To meet a pressing deadline in the UK, the pair had to travel on Concorde. With the deadline looming the partner felt it imperative that he discuss the finishing touches of the deal with his client during the course of the flight. But they ...
Independent mediation centre opens at Lloyd's
The Lloyd's building now has its first mediation centre. The Claims Mediation Centre has been set up as a direct response to increasing calls from the Lloyd's insurance market for less costly ways of resolving problem claims and disputes. It has been established by InterMediation and is independent of Lloyd's and all market companies. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 28 October
Kaltons
With its dual-qualified lawyers, Kaltons plans to go international
King's ransom
Herbert Smith must have been a little relieved when it received instructions from longstanding client King's College for the sale of its Block Nine site to Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Trust. The firm would have undoubtedly been worried by the departure of King's alumni Gerald Bland to Wragge & Co. Or would it?Apparently, Herbert Smith's 'longstanding' ...
KLegal International appoints new chief exec
McGrigor Donald senior partner Robert Glennie has been appointed chief executive of KLegal International. The network operates in 65 jurisdictions and had a fee income of more than $500m (£320.2m) in the last financial year. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 30 October
Latham raids Lovells in Singapore
Joint managing partner Paul Supramaniam switches to US firm
Law Soc aids death threat judge in Brazil
The Law Society has intervened in the case of a recently appointed Brazilian judge who has found his life in danger after attempting to combat corruption
Legal spend
Tulkinghorn has become aware of a very strange trend of late. Apparently, numerous lawyers around the City have been found in the toilets singing Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On à la Ally McBeal. On further investigation, Tulkinghorn can now reveal the reason why.On 19 November, three city lawyers are launching a new dating service for lawyers and other city professionals. The service is based on the 40 dates a night concept (as if lawyers weren't exhausted ...
Leigh Day sues Cape for shirked payments to SA
Leigh Day & Co is suing building materials company Cape, the company that it successfully negotiated a £21m settlement with on behalf of South African miners with asbestosis
Lex Mundi gives New Zealander chairman post
Lex Mundi has appointed its first New Zealander to the position of chairman. Greg Trowers is a resources and infrastructure partner at New Zealand firm Simpson Grierson. Four new directors were also elected to the board.
Linklaters launches Madrid real estate practice
Linklaters hires Uria lawyer
Looking for change
The role of the coroner has remained the same since the 12th century, and after the Marchioness inquest most would agree it's time for a change. Sallie Booth reports
Lovells ramps up finance with New York hire
Salans’ head of financial institutions Russell DaSilva switches to Lovells
Masons loses third IT partner
Masons has lost its third IT partner in less than 12 months
Matrix builds public law with two appointments
Matrix Chambers has recruited two public law specialists, bringing the tenant count to 40. Sam Grodzinski joins from 39 Essex Street and Charlotte Kilroy from Landmark Chambers, the result of a recent merger between Eldon Chambers and 4 Breams Buildings. Matrix chief executive Nick Martin said: "In addition to expertise in the full range of public law, Sam will bring expertise in commercial law and Charlotte in human rights and European law." Brendan Malkin
Mayer Brown improves government relations
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw has hiked its government relations practice with the US Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform president James Wootton. Wootton previously held positions in the Reagan and Bush administrations. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 28 October
McClure Naismith partner returns from Gap Fund Managers
McClure Naismith hires partners from Gap Fund Managers and Edinburgh firm Skene Edwards
Milbank lures A&O partner
Capital markets partner Andrew Brodie joins Milbank’s London office
Milbank lures A&O partner
Capital markets partner Andrew Brodie joins Milbank’s London office
Mishcons in £84K dispute with client
West End firm Mishcon de Reya is suing client Breasy Medical Equipment for almost £84,000 in a dispute relating to unpaid bills. The Lawyer understands that the London company has allegedly failed to pay the firm a total of £83,926.61 for legal fees in connection with property litigation advice. Mishcons declined to comment. Husnara Begum
Morgan Cole and Fishburn Boxer demerge
Three years after merging, both sides admit that hopes were not realised
Moving the goalposts
After Bruce Grobbelaar’s damages award was reduced to just £1 by the House of Lords, Jon Robins talks to the lawyers involved in one of the UK’s biggest legal farces
Non-lawyers gain right to use CFAs
Advocates of conditional fee arrangements (CFAs) welcomed a resounding victory last week for so-called quasi-experts, who take part in the bulk of commercial litigation and arbitration
Olswang's new Reading office in £15m bank deal
In the same week that it moved to new offices in Reading, Olswang celebrated by closing a £15m deal for new client Handelsbanken
Opinion
The Transfer of Under-takings (Protection of Employment) (Tupe) Regulations 1981 is, in one sense, a neophiliac's dream. But too much can be tiresome
Patentholders to get EU cover
Officials working for the European Commission are developing a proposal for a patent insurance scheme covering the EU, which would be designed to protect smaller patentholders lacking the resources and expertise to mount a legal challenge in cases of infringement abroad.The idea was developed by the Danish government, which holds the EU presidency, and discussed by patent lawyers at a conference in Denmark this week. They agreed that action was needed, although no specific ...
Pushing the right buttons
Tulkinghorn was excited to hear that Scottish firm Shepherd & Wedderburn had commissioned a bunch of university students "to develop a computer game which informs and educates users in a fun way about" - wait for it - "issues such as copyright, patentability, software licences and trademarks". Tulkinghorn is sure that the dope-smoking, Playstation-bashing, Neighbours-watching students were thrilled by their latest assignment.The game is titled Speedy Lawyer, or Hayai ...
PwC Norway slashes 12 per cent of lawyers
The Norwegian law firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has announced it will axe 12 per cent of its lawyers
Redwood rails against EU mediation changes
John Redwood, former cabinet minister and Conservative MP for Wokingham, has warned UK mediators that some of their methods could be criminalised if the EU is successful in implementing its plans to regulate the profession
Rowberry Morris joins the LawNet group
Reading firm Rowberry Morris has joined LawNet, which negotiates preferential rates for professional indemnity insurance for more than 50 firms in the UK and Ireland. Membership is by invitation only and all firms take part in the quality assurance programmes. Husnara Begum
Royal Bank of Scotland brings Dentons in on Alldays insolvency
Denton Wilde Sapte has further strengthened its relationship with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) after winning an instruction to advise the bank in connection with Alldays, which went into receivership last Monday (28 October). The bank is one of several key clients Dentons is targeting in order to boost partnership profits.For decades, legacy firm Wilde Sapte was NatWest's favoured firm, bringing in more than £10m in annual billings. But since the merger with ...
Separated at birth
If you've ever wondered what Capital FM's larger-than-life breakfast show host and the man with all the answers on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? gets up to in his spare time, look no further: multi-talented Chris Tarrant practises law at US firm Dorsey & Whitney. Tulkinghorn understands that Mr Tarrant joined the firm's corporate practice after spending 25 years at troubled Norwegian construction company Kvaerner. Poor Mr Tarrant, no wonder he was forced into a spot ...
Shoosmiths hires five for corporate push
Shoosmiths has bolstered corporate with the arrival five new recruits. Nicola Blair of Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft will join as a partner; associates Rosemary Klein (intellectual property) of Tite & Lewis, Lindsay Millar (tax) from Hammonds, Katy Jarrah-Layegh (corporate) of Nabarro Nathanson and Emma Gibson (corporate) ...
Singapore creates double panels for energy market
A number of high-profile Singapore lawyers have scored top spots on two new panels created by the Singapore government
Slaughters and Hengeler set for client integration
Best friends to explore joint conflict-checking in bid to present united front to international clients
Speak no evil
Enthusiastic one minute and prickly the next, Davies Arnold Cooper's Daniel Gowan doesn't like to talk about the past. Julia Cahill reports
Speed test
In July 2001, the Government announced its intention to reform the system of compensation for clinical errors and set up a review committee chaired by Sir Liam Donaldson, which is expected to report by the end of this year
Stamford takes on Minters partner
Singapore firm Stamford, Shearman & Sterling's former joint venture partner, has hired a new partner, Paul Fitzgerald, from Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, a New Zealand firm that is part of Australia's Minter Ellison Group.
Stephenson Harwood Paris partner quits for Simmons
Stephenson Harwood's post-merger international strategy has suffered yet another blow with the departure of one of the two partners staffing its fledgling Paris office
Success for small claims pilot scheme
The pilot scheme launched last December by the Department of Health to deal with small medical negligence claims of less than £15,000 within six months has been successful in cutting the time taken to settle claims
Taylor Woodrow opens bidding for panel places
Housing and development group Taylor Woodrow is to overhaul its property legal services in the first review since its acquisition of Bryant 18 months ago
The CC memo row: how to make a white shoe shine
CC associates at the centre of 'padding' row talk to The Lawyer: 'The firm couldn't go on like this'
The Leader Column
The Clifford Chance New York associates at the centre of Paddinggate are probably horrified at the way their memo has been played across the world's media. But by God, it's a great discussion point. In fact, as a snapshot of the systemic problems of current law firm management, it's unparalleled.The problem of how to integrate US and UK billing cultures has been a constant ...
The writing on the wall
Linklaters doesn't seem to be very popular at the moment. Not only has it been restructuring its IP department to the detriment of a number of jobs, but the firm has fallen victim to vandalism. Linklaters was obviously reluctant to reveal what had been sprayed across the front of its Silk Street office, so it strategically stuck up four sheets of paper to hide the atrocity. One can only guess what ...
Theodore Goddard sues Finital for £300K
Theodore Goddard is suing Italian financial services company Finital for nearly £300,000 in legal fees allegedly owed to it by its associated companies
Thompsons slams CJC for biased fixed costs study
Insurance companies accused of using 'selective data' to prove personal injury costs are on the rise
Too rich to bitch
Obviously, those partners at Clifford Chance are earning far too much money (unlike their poor, overworked, underappreciated associates, apparently).Tulkinghorn hears that a certain partner, who shall remain double-barrelled nameless, had to take the Range Rover into the garage because the air-con had broken. He received a call from the garage later that afternoon, and the conversation ...
Union blues
If anyone deserves to survive the economic downturn with jobs and reputations intact it is trade union lawyers, says Keith Miles, as for much less money, they do much more good
US in-housers slam firms' inflexibility over fees
A US survey of 300 in-house counsel has criticised law firms' inflexibility when billing clients. The survey suggests that law firms offering alternative billing arrangements will benefit by setting themselves apart. Those in-house lawyers interviewed are unhappy that firms fail to share their concerns about billing and are stubborn when asked to be flexible. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 30 October
Watson Burton targets employment growth
New partner to strengthen employment team and build up advocacy practice for employment tribunals
Watson Burton wins St James Homes
Newcastle firm Watson Burton has bagged a new construction client
White & Case in litigation hiring spree
Three new partners in New York join from Dewey Ballantine
