9 April 2007
The Lawyer
People
•Exeter-based Stephens & Scown has recruited three associates to its commercial property team. Sophie Rich Degeneve joins from the Environmental Law Foundation charity, Rima Bhattacharya joins from Kitson Hutchings and Nadine Seymoor joins from Edward Harte & Co.
The figures do add up
Mention numbers these days and the talk in the legal market usually turns to 'transparency'. With the rise of the LLP and the trend for firms to report their figures, if only for PR value, the overwhelming sense is that the figures reported in The Lawyer UK 100 Annual Report are more accurate than they've ever been.
2-3 Gray's Inn takes on community care trio
2-3 Gray's Inn Square has appointed Bryan McGuire, Kelvin Rutledge and Sian Davies to work on housing and community care matters. Head of chambers Mark Lowe QC said: "The synergies between our existing members and our new ones will give us extra strength and depth in providing the best possible level of support to our clients."
A&O scoops Alliance-Boots mandate
Allen & Overy (A&O) has clawed back its relationship with high street giant and takeover target Alliance-Boots, advising it on the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) investigation into medicine distribution, which was announced on 4 April.
Ashurst ups partner appointments
Ashurst has joined the flurry of partnership promotions in the City, making up 20 associates firmwide, with the corporate team benefiting the most.
Aussie firm becomes world's first to float
Australian firm Slater & Gordon is set to become the world's first full-service law firm to float on a stock exchange.
Awaking liberties
Italy's government is set on liberalising its economy, but some proposed changes are more welcomed than others, says Leah Dunlop
Banks call on preferred counsel for OFT probe
Competition lawyers are gearing up for round two of the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) investigation into the retail banking sector.
Beringer goes job hunting
Last Friday (6 April) The Daily Telegraph printed what was tantamount to the world's longest job application.
Berrymans promotes seven associates
Berrymans Lace Mawer has promoted seven associates, bringing its partnership total to 115. New partners include Rachael Ainsley, Alexandra Clements, Sarah Hill, Vanessa Latham, Paul McClorey, Juliette Mellman-Jones and Joanna Peters. The firm has also made ...
BLG promotes seven, five in London
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has promoted seven associates to its partnership.
BLP, Nabarro win Hermes panel places
Berwin Leighton Paisner and Nabarro have won places on the Hermes Real Estate panel, joining retained firms Lawrence Graham and Maxwell ...
Camerons comes good as 10 make the grade
CMS Cameron McKenna has made up for a poor showing last year with 10 promotions to its partnership.
Capsticks, Mills & Reeve get their teeth into dental regulator work
London firm Capsticks and Mills & Reeve have won mandates acting for UK dental regulator the General Dental Council (GDC).
Carter-Ruck privacy victory sets precedent
Media law firm Carter-Ruck has won an important case that is expected to have far-reaching repercussions for the UK's press.
CC boosts associate salaries by 15 per cent
Clifford Chance has today announced that it has increased its London lawyers' salaries by around 15 per cent.
CC feels the heat in Moscow
Half the City is still on holiday, but Clifford Chance lawyers in Moscow had an enforced and unexpected break from the office. See story
Chemical reaction
On 1 June new EU laws governing chemical authorisation will come into play, but are EU member states ready?
Civil Justice Council affirms litigation funding regulation
Litigation funding is here to stay after the Civil Justice Council concluded that regulations governing litigation funding must remain as they are "in the interest of justice".
Collas splits over 'differences of opinion'
Collas Day has split into two following an ongoing dispute over the direction of the firm. Litigation partners Mark Ferbrache and Paul Richardson have left to form a rival Guernsey-based firm, which will be known as AFR Advocates. Collas Day managing partner Chris Bound downplayed the split, citing "differences of opinion". Partners Chris Bound, Sean Cheong, Jason Green, Ian Kirk, Richard Ogier and Patrick Palmer have formed a new firm that will continue to operate under the Collas ...
Conyers brings in Cayman partner
Conyers Dill & Pearman has appointed Richard Fear to its corporate and commercial practice in London. Fear, who was formerly a partner at Charles Adams Ritchie & Duckworth in the Cayman Islands, will focus on investment funds, capital markets, banking and structured finance at his new firm. Head of the London office Martin Lane is keen to expand the office's Cayman experience. The London office now has eight lawyers.
Ditched FFW firms rebuild Euro presences
Field Fisher Waterhouse's (FFW) ex-alliance firms in Belgium and Germany have hit back with partner hires and new offices following the collapse of the network.
DLA Piper moves to boost Islamic finance team
DLA Piper has launched a three-pronged raid on its rivals in the Middle East to boost its Islamic finance practice in Dubai.
Egorov chairman handed Rusal board seat
The chairman of Russian firm Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners has been appointed to the board of directors of the world's largest aluminium producer, United Company Rusal (UC Rusal).
Europe profits from latest Skadden round
Skadden round" /New York-headquartered Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom is the latest firm to announce its partnership promotions, making up 29 partners, including two in London.
Eversheds aims to hog games sector
Eversheds' media team, headed by partner Nick Valner, is targeting a £9m turnover within three years, from £3.5m presently. The group has also declared its intention to double in size in the same period, from its present 20 lawyers to 40. But as Valner himself concedes, "the difficulty will be finding the right people".
Eversheds, Watson Burton win university group work
Eversheds and Newcastle-based Watson Burton have been selected as the first advisers to the newly incorporated Russell Group of 20 top universities.
Farrers doubles partner promotions
Farrer & Co has promoted four associates to its partnership, double the amount of promotions it made last year.
Fire forces CC to evacuate Moscow office
Clifford Chance has been forced to take up alternative accommodation in Moscow due to its office building catching fire.
Firms net more than £1bn from sick miners' claims
The British Coal compensation saga has seen lawyers scoop more than £800m of taxpayers’ money in legal costs by handling the claims of the sick coalminers, The Lawyer can reveal.
Fladgate makes up two associates
Fladgate Fielder has promoted associates Henry Franklin and Alex Kaufmann to the partnership following the promotion of commercial property assistants Kahu Simmonds, Dominic Whelan and Matthew Williams to associate level. Franklin becomes a partner in the tax team, while Kaufmann's promotion bolsters the corporate department. Chairman Paul Leese said: "All of the appointments are made in practice areas ...
Former Sony legal chief bags new role
The former senior vice president of legal and business affairs at Sony BMG, Alasdair George, has joined niche media and entertainment advisory and investment group Edge.
'Greedy' firms slammed as extent of miners' fee scandal is revealed
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract has been leading the campaign to bring to account law firms that have "taken monetary advantage of the coalminers' dire situation".
Hammonds promotes 11 to the partnership
Hammonds has promoted 11 associates to the partnership.
Hammonds to sue former partners
Hammonds is preparing to sue a group of 12 former partners in the next stage of an increasingly bitter dispute over the distribution of firm profits.
HBJ secures London foothold with marine merger
Anglo-Scottish firm HBJ Gateley Wareing has merged with London shipping and transport boutique Shaw & Croft.
High Court judges face increased criticism from senior colleagues
Judges fear nothing – apart from other judges. And quite understandably so, as a personal telling off from a higher-ranking judge can cause public humiliation.
Iona? I own her
Rumours reached Tulkinghorn last week that Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer old boy Tim Emmerson has been on a mission to poach lawyers from his former firm, with Will Lawes' group particularly in his sights.
IRS puts Jenkens out of its misery with demand for the firm's closure
Two lawsuits in the course of five years proved too much for Jenkens & Gilchrist to bear, and the Texan firm closed its doors for the last time on 31 March after 56 years of operation.
Italy
The Italian legal market is set to go through some of the most radical changes in its history, as the government puts in place the Bersani reforms to liberalise the provision of legal services.
Kemp Little has big plans for IP
While some of the bigger firms, such as Linklaters, edge away from IP like jilted lovers, the smaller firms are lining up to pick up the pieces.
Kemp Little launches patent litigation practice
Technology firm Kemp Little has launched an IP litigation practice with the hire of a senior associate from White & Case.
Law Soc lends weight to Nigeria human rights pro bono scheme
The Law Society has been working on a project to promote pro bono legal services to Nigerian state governments.
Lawyer 'does a Yosser'
The launch of The Lawyer's daily news service last year has, of course, been a phenomenal success, keeping the market up to date with the key stories of the moment.
Lawyers digging too deep?
Each year The Lawyer UK 100 Annual Report reports on the UK's largest firms by revenue. And among the wealth of figures, the average profit per equity partner (PEP) figure remains a key indicator.
Linklaters star leaves private equity problems behind
Michel Frieh's impending departure from Linklaters' private equity practice in Paris raises a familiar spectre for the magic circle firm.
Lorna Curry: GE Commercial Finance
As head of legal for CFS Europe, Lorna Curry has a key role to play in the continued development of parent company GE Commercial Finance. By Vanessa Arora
Lovells attacks UBS over split capital trusts debacle
Irish property group Real Estate Opportunities (REO) has instructed Lovells to advise on legal action taken against UBS in relation to the collapse of the split capital trust market.
Lovells fills gaps left by 2006 partner exodus
Lovells has promoted a record number of associates to its partnership with an astounding 31 new partners, making up for the 35 who quit the firm in 2006.
Macfarlanes promotes four in latest round
Macfarlanes is to promote four associates into the partnership, boosting the firm's total number of partners to 72.
Magic circle associates revel in promotion boom
In a bumper haul for magic circle associates, Allen & Overy (A&O) elected 32 associates to the partnership this year, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ...
Make it easy on yourself
With a burdensome regulatory process there is growing concern about the accessibility of Italian IPOs. By Michael Immordino and Sara Pinto
Mediators with no opinions wanted
Consumers prefer mediators who "do not offer an overt opinion" and have good communication skills, according to a new study. Almost half of the respondents questioned preferred mediators who offered no legal or commercial opinion. Only one in 10 said they liked an intermediary who would be willing to offer an opinion and even suggest settlement figures. Author of the study Amanda Bucklow said that mediators have spent more than 15 years trying to establish mediation as the preferred ...
Mofo wraps up two life sciences buys
The London office of Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has taken advantage of the M&A boom in life sciences, signing off two deals in one week. The firm acted for the buyer in one deal and the seller in the other.
Morgan Cole launches in Bristol
Morgan Cole has opened in Bristol after hiring a corporate partner from regional rival Clarke Willmott.
No room for enthusiastic amateurs in the legal profession
Ask yourself a question. If you had a serious heart problem and needed a bypass operation, who would you get to do it? An orthopaedic surgeon? Your GP? A junior houseman conducting his first heart operation? A consultant cardiologist who has undertaken several similar operations? Or a senior cardiologist eminent in his field? An orthopedic ...
Norton Rose makes record promotions
Norton Rose has made up 23 senior associates to its partnership, breaking its record promotions last year by one.
Orange Business Services' Emea team in three-way split
France Telecom's outsourcing arm Orange Business Services has restructured its legal team for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Emea) following the departure of general counsel David Ross for BT.
Overexposure?
Legal professionals will have to be on their guard as the Legal Services Bill opens more paths for clients to sue their advisers for negligence. Richard Harrison and Fergal Cathie report
Paris rainmaker quits Linklaters
Paris-based Linklaters partner Michel Frieh is gearing up to leave the magic circle firm to set up his own business.
Patent Office fails to secure new IP rights
The UK Patent Office has rebranded itself as the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO), forgetting to get a trademark for its own name in the process.
Pinsents brings in Camerons outsourcing specialist
Pinsent Masons has added a partner to its outsourcing practice, hiring Garfield Smith from CMS Cameron McKenna.
Pinsents' partnership round up by 66 per cent
Pinsent Masons has made up 20 associates to the partnership this year, making 2007 the single largest round of promotions in the firm's history.
Product displacement
Product recalls come at a huge cost, but companies should nevertheless be ready to do so at a moment's notice, says Trevor Davies
Professional negligence
This year Easter provided a perfect example of the potential threat of product liability and professional negligence.
Sainsbury's deal sees Lovells, lmg cosy up
Lovells cemented its relationship with Loyalty Management Group (LMG) by acting on the extension of its contract with supermarket chain J Sainsbury, which is currently the subject of interest from a CVC Capital Partners-led consortium advised by Clifford Chance.
Salans steals Spanish ally from Pinsents
Salans has robbed Pinsent Masons of its Spanish alliance firm Masons Buxeda Menchén to become the latest entrant to the Iberian market.
Senior partner Beringer to quit A&O
Allen & Overy senior partner Guy Beringer has announced his intention to quit the firm when his term at the helm ends next year.
Shell settles first pan-European securities fraud case
US law firm Grant & Eisenhofer (G&E) scored an advisory role on the first-ever pan-European class settlement of securities fraud claims.
Sonnenschein opens in Dallas
Chicago-headquartered Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal has launched a new office in Dallas, Texas.
Students get second stab at Nabarro's 2007 intake
Nabarro's 2007 intake" /Nabarro has launched a new graduate recruitment initiative to target would-be trainees who have missed the application deadline for 2007 entry.
Surgical spirit
Staying with Freshfields, Tulkinghorn hopes for Iona's sake that Sullivan's London office is as well stocked with goodies as her former home appears to be.
The privilege due
Due to the nature of their profession, solicitors may have extra hurdles to overcome when being sued by clients. By Nick Bird and Anna Jenkins
The work-life quiz with Kara Irwin
What was your first-ever job?Reshelving books at the local public library.
Trowers doubles promotions with Middle East flourishing
Trowers & Hamlins has made its biggest promotional round ever, appointing 15 new partners, almost double last year's count.
TwoBirds' flight of fancy
Dramatic news reached Tulkinghorn last week about rumours of a brand new boutique formed by three Bird & Bird partners.
UK's richest lawyer steps into media glare
The wider media have really got stuck into The Lawyer's revelation that Beresfords Solicitors founder Jim Beresford reaped a whopping £16.75m in one year on the back of the miners' compensation scheme. See story
Vinson secures lead role as EMGS float makes a splash in Norway
US firm Vinson & Elkins has acted on one of Norway's most popular IPOs so far this year, the $1.6bn (£809.54m) flotation of innovative oil services company ElectroMagnetic GeoServices (EMGS).
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.
White & Case beats rivals to Arabian telecoms work
White & Case fought off two rivals firms to advise Saudi Arabian telecoms company Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) on the largest-ever syndicated Islamic financing.
Women's schemes are the way forward
In February Herbert Smith launched its women’s network, known as ’Herbert Smith women in business’. It is believed to be one of the first internal women’s networks within a City law firm. Its introduction comes at a time when many other initiatives are being put in place in organisations across the country to make workplaces more flexible ...
