7 March 2011
The Lawyer
All together now
Commercial disputes require a blend of expertise, meaning practitioners cannot work in isolation.
Ashurst NY sets sights on boom in US infrastructure
Ashurst is set to launch a New York project finance practice as the firm targets the burgeoning US infrastructure market.
Bridge McFarland
In 1976, just as the nation was donning its platform heels and shimmying on down beneath a glitter ball, a quiet revolution was taking place in Grimsby.
Camerons loses corporate partner to client
CMS Cameron McKenna corporate partner Mike Jones has left the firm to join one of his clients, becoming general counsel at White Rose Energy Ventures, an oil exploration and production start-up focused on upstream exploration in West Africa.
Canada – a rocky ride?
Canadian lawyers have always itched to be on the world stage.
Clydes takes plunge into merger hotspot Canada
UK firm follows client RSA; DLA Piper to make second attempt
CoA quashes expert shopping as PI claimant is ordered to reveal all
The Court of Appeal (CoA) has ruled unanimously that claimants must disclose to defendants all court-approved medical reports relating to their claims.
Countryside clothing start-up lines up Muckle for Partridge buy
North East outfit Muckle has advised a North East start-up on the acquisition of countryside clothing brand John Partridge.
DLA boss: Canada in the crosshairs as expansion keeps firm ‘relevant’
Drivers that took DLA Piper to Oz will see the world’s biggest firm continue to grow. By Matt Byrne
Egypt’s lawyers face tough year ahead but remain optimistic for a free 2012
International lawyers in Egypt are braced for a tough year in the wake of the recent revolution, but believe the benefits of a freer country will prevail over hardship.
FA blows final whistle on reshaped legal team
English football’s governing body the FA has completed the restructuring of its 11-strong legal function.
Focus: Osborne Clarke, The joy of sectors
Osborne Clarke is at a crossroads. After five years of retrenchment, it is suddenly re-embracing internationalism
Good, clean fund: Rob Graham, Franklin Templeton Investments
Franklin Templeton Investments head of legal Rob Graham and his team have been key to the fund manager winning business. By Gavriel Hollander
Howard Kennedy to lose projects team as trio establish boutique
West End firm Howard Kennedy’s projects team is set to split from the firm just two years after joining it.
Kirkland’s City office secures brace of deals for Bain Capital
Kirkland & Ellis has landed a pair of prime mandates acting for longstanding private equity client Bain Capital.
Leigh Day’s £105m Trafigura costs hit legal brick wall
Leigh Day & Co included charges for giving media briefings in the £105m bill it issued after suing oil company Trafigura on behalf of thousands of Ivory Coast residents.
Lift for trainee barristers as HSBC reinstates BPTC loan
Cash-strapped would-be barristers have been offered a vital lifeline following HSBC’s decision to relaunch its BPTC loan.
Maitland leads the way in LSA reforms
Private client advisory firm Maitland is set to become a Legal Services Act (LSA) pioneer, with plans to turn all of its UK lawyers into employees of the group’s Maltese holding company.
Master artfulness
The ISDA master agreement has come under scrutiny during the ongoing administration of Lehman Brothers. Henry Knox dissects a recent UK judgment
Non-lawyer partners remain a minority trend
When white-collar boutique BCL Burton Copeland made practice director Jonathan Cornwell a partner last week, it became the latest firm to welcome a non-lawyer into the fold.
On the move
Bevan Brittan has hired Olwen Dutton (left) as a partner in its local government group.
Opinion: Compulsory mediation won’t bridge the legal aid gap
Family lawyers could be forgiven for saying they have no time for their day jobs at the moment.
Per ardua ad astra?
Italian firms are emerging from their cloistered market and are now ready to launch a credible challenge in the international arena. Joanne Harris talks to the main contenders
Project finance makes triumphant return after two years in doldrums
A&O sweeps the board in UK and worldwide rankings with $70bn worth of deals. By James Swift
Shearman’s Tata mandate creates 800 North East jobs
Shearman & Sterling has won a major instruction from Tata Steel on a deal that will see the creation of around 800 jobs in the North East of England.
Shred of
The rise in the use of electronically stored information means cases involving deleted or manipulated documents have needed to be addressed. Joseph Carney reports
SJ Berwin outsourcing chief quits for RPC
SJ Berwin head of outsourcing David Meredith has joined Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) as a partner, effectively bringing to a close his former firm’s strategic sourcing practice.
Supreme Court tasked with setting compulsory retirement precedent
What legitimate social policy could justify retiring a partner or employee?
Thomas Eggar hire leads merger hunt
Thomas Eggar has hired CMS Cameron McKenna business development chief Adam Seymour as the firm continues to explore the option of a merger in London.
Tulkinghorn: Roger and check out
Law firm PR can be tough. Firms watch over their images like doting mothers and can be terribly demanding.
Wachtell well-placed to catch the new energy wave
Later this year will see the publication of the annual The Lawyer Transatlantic Elite, with 2011’s instalment focusing on strategic moves being made by top firms to capture the premium end of the energy and natural resources market.
Welsh lawyers join forces in City
At the time of writing a ’yes’ vote was widely anticipated in last week’s referendum on whether to widen the National Assembly of Wales’ legislative powers.
Withers faces court in £700K negligence case
Withers is set to appear in court next week (14 March) to defend claims of professional negligence from former client Alastair Harrison.
Work Life Quiz: Antoine Tchekhoff, Foucaud Tchekhoff Pochet et Associés
If you weren’t a lawyer what would you have been? An art or antiques dealer.
