6 December 2010
The Lawyer
Ate crime: Rod Ainsworth, Food Standards Agency (FSA)
Public bodies are in the firing line and the Food Standards Agency has been affected. But as Matt Byrne reports, legal director Rod Ainsworth is even more focused on food safety
Attorney-general happy to mix politics and law
With responsibility for advising the Government on its legal issues, the attorney-general can be called on to advise on some of the most contentious issues before Parliament.
Beachcroft consolidates volume brand into firm
Beachcroft is to phase out its ringfenced ’B2 from Beachcroft’ brand and roll out the volume business across its real estate and employment practices.
Bear fight
Boris Berezovsky has a number of fights on his hands, not least the next instalment of his epic with fellow Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. Katy Dowell looks ahead to one of the biggest battles the City’s courts are likely to see in 2011
Bric players
Russia stands with Brazil, India and China as an emerging economic giant. Luke McLeod-Roberts looks at how their legal systems compare
Bristows completes co-managing partner post
IP and technology boutique Bristows has appointed corporate specialist Iain Redford as the second of two joint managing partners this year.
Chadbourne’s new chief scotches talk of UK merger
Chadbourne & Parke’s new managing partner Andrew Giaccia last week reaffirmed the US firm’s commitment to London, but ruled out the prospect of a UK merger.
Change at the top for Latham in Moscow as managing partner calls it a day
Latham & Watkins Moscow managing partner Mark Banovich is leaving the firm, to be replaced by M&A partner Christopher Allen.
Coca-Cola European counsel retires
Coca-Cola Europe’s veteran general counsel Christopher Barnard has retired from the company, with Sandra Mori stepping up to replace him.
Courting confidentiality
The question of legal privilege has come up several times in UK courts in recent months. Colin Hutton and Gemma Lampert dissect the decisions.
Derivatives arm on brink as A&O ‘seeks investment’
Allen & Overy (A&O) is seeking investors for financially troubled derivatives risk analysis business docGenix, which the firm set up following its hire of derivatives star Dan Cunningham.
Funds regulation: managers must learn to live in ‘lawyers’ paradise’
Attendees at The Lawyer’s funds summit gear up for reshaped environment. By Joanne Harris
Goodmans Law
Many firms like to say they punch above their weight, but in Goodmans Law’s case it is probably true.
Hammonds wins spot on Sheffield Wednesday buy
Hammonds corporate partner David Hull has landed another major football mandate, advising former Portsmouth and Leicester City owner Milan Mandaric on the purchase of Sheffield Wednesday.
Hands across the Pond as FSA buddies up with SEC on insider trading action
Case against former Deloitte partner sees watchdogs overcome border restrictions.
Ilfa promotes its firsts foremost
At this year’s International Lawyers for Africa (Ilfa) gala dinner, held in the Law Society’s common room on Chancery Lane, the theme was firsts.
Kent’s ABS initiative: brave but risky
News that Kent County Council (KCC) is laying out plans to spin off its legal function into an alternative business structure (ABS) flies in the face of the image of the public sector as follower rather than leader.
Links picks new firmwide, UK property chiefs
Linklaters has named new heads for its firmwide and UK real estate practices.
Links study reveals higher than average ‘out’ LGB staff
Around 20 per cent of gay and lesbian staff at Linklaters are not ’out’ in the workplace, according to a survey the firm has conducted among City staff.
Links, Travers gifted main roles on Peel-CSC Trafford Centre deal
Linklaters and Travers Smith have taken the prize mandates on one of the largest property M&A deals of the year, as Capital Shopping Centres (CSC) has agreed to purchase Manchester’s Trafford Centre from Peel Holdings for £1.6bn.
Mind your own business
Allen & Overy (A&O) rarely puts a foot wrong.
Moving target
Recent cases are changing the landscape of vicarious liability claims but have introduced less, not more, certainty. Rosalind Coe QC and Patricia Leonard report
Musat picks up Garrigues’ Romania team as Spanish giant makes Poland CEE HQ
Garrigues’ Bucharest team is set to join Romanian firm Musat & Asociatii after the Spanish firm announced it would be cutting the office loose at the end of the year.
Nabarro to choose 15 associates for top
Nabarro has tied up with London Business School (LBS) to start providing training for its senior associates to prepare them for partnership.
Norton Rose-Ogilvy merger could be a Canadian snowball
When you talk about countries whose legal professions have raised barriers to foreign entry and discouraged competition, most people think of India.
On the move
Chris Hutchings, co-founder of M Law, has joined specialist West End media firm Hamlins as a partner in its entertainment, media and IP department.
One of a kind
A year on from the creation of Goltsblat BLP, James Swift asks whether other international and local firms can overcome cultural barriers, or if this is destined to be the tie-up nonpareil
Orange alert
Ukraine is in the midst of legislative reform, with outside investment all but drying up. Joanne Harris finds out what effect the uncertainty is having on lawyers in the country
Outer Temple family silk leaves London for Bristol’s St John’s
Leading family silk Robin Tolson QC is to switch chambers, moving from London set Outer Temple to Bristol-based St John’s Chambers.
RJW boosts senior exec unit with adviser
Employment specialist Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) has appointed Julian Roskill as an adviser as the firm looks to broaden the profile of its senior executive unit.
Slaughters, Simpson, Olswang bag Chrysalis gig
Olswang, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Slaughter and May took the lead roles on the £107m buyout of music publisher Chrysalis to BMG, a joint venture established two years ago between German media group Bertelsmann and US private equity house KKR.
Steppes change
Russian lawyers are anticipating an upturn in work as the government seeks to boost the economy. James Swift asks leading practitioners whether the country can offer firms more than just natural resources work
TLT City insolvency team brought in as Barclays calls time on Balls Bros
TLT Solicitors’ London corporate recovery and insolvency practice has won one of its biggest mandates to date after being instructed by the administrators of bar owner Balls Brothers.
Top 10 cases of 2010
In January The Lawyer highlighted the cases to keep an eye on in the litigation sector this year. Here’s what happened…
Treasury picks A&O over Slaughters on Irish bailout
Pressure on Treasury to make procurement process transparent sees go-to firm sidelined
Trowers contemplates alternative career path
Trowers & Hamlins is drawing up plans for next year to introduce an alternative to the partner role as part of a potential restructuring of its career path.
Tulkinghorn: Army retreat
Half of The Lawyer’s editorial team decamped to Brussels last month for a three-day summit on funds, the lucky blighters.
UK-Germany face-off looms at Simmons as Dawkins abdicates
Simmons & Simmons managing partner Mark Dawkins will not be standing for re-election when his term comes to an end next April.
Work Life Quiz: Davina Garrod, Bingham McCutchen
What was your first-ever job? Lifeguard. I developed a quality tan.
