Salans has made a dramatic first move into the German legal market by snatching the Berlin office of the beleaguered German independent Haarmann Hemmelrath. The move sees Salans take on 35 fee earners including 13 partners. The Berlin team specialises in tax law and privatisations but also offers advice in corporate, property, insolvency and employment. […]
FRESHFIELDS has been appointed to advice the financiers of the proposed £1.1bn initial public offering (IPO) QinetiQ Group. As first revealed in The Lawyer (August 15, 2005), Herbert Smith is advising QinetiQ on the proposed IPO. The city firm first secured QinetiQ as a client on its sale of a 34 per cent stake to […]
Simmons & Simmons has raided Richards Butler for a new Paris-based real estate team. The four-lawyer team will be led by real estate associate Edouard Vitry, who will be responsible for the real estate practice in Paris. Vitry is a French qualified avocat with fourteen years experience in real estate. He joined the Paris office […]
TEXAS-based firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s San Antonio office has been rocked by the departure of nine real estate lawyers, who have left to launch a local boutique. Partners Steve Golden, Ami Gordon and Andrew Cohen and six associates joined the 14 lawyers at Drenner Stuart Wolff Metcalfe von Kreisler, headed by former […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer litigation partner Ian Terry has taken over as global practice group leader of the firm’s dispute resolution practice. Terry has replaced previous co-heads Josanne Rickard, who was based in London, and Rolf Trittmann from Frankfurt. The appointment comes after new senior partner Guy Morton took the helm earlier this month. He is […]
Field Fisher Waterhouse has snared Olswang information technology partner Simon Briskman, as the firm moves to boost its technology law practice. Briskman will join the firm, bringing the total number of partners in the department up to six. A former in-house lawyer for Fujitsu, Briskman specialises in information and communications technology transactions, outsourcing and advisory […]
SJ Berwin has confirmed corporate partner Steven Davis as the firm’s incoming head of European corporate finance and private equity. Davis will replace Jonathan Blake at the helm of the corporate group from 1 May, when Blake will assume the role of senior partner. Blake will, however, remain an active member of the group. Blake […]
The government will be forced to refund millions of pounds of VAT to companies following a crucial European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision this morning (12 January). Peters & Peters partner Monty Raphael, instructing Blackstone Chambers’ Tom Beazley QC and Robert Englehart QC, acted for electronics companies Optigen and Fulcrum in their claim for VAT […]
Heller Ehrman has poached one of Dorsey & Whitney’s most senior corporate lawyers Wesley Fredericks, who has joined Heller’s New York office. Fredericks is described by the Dorsey website as “a leader among his colleagues”. Fredericks was Dorsey’s deputy managing partner, a member of the firm’s management committee, and has held various management positions in […]
BT is targeting firms with global capabilities for its next legal panel, following a major review of its external legal advisers. The telecommunications giant has shortlisted 26 law firms, which are set to be interviewed in February. BT’s primary advisers Allen & Overy, Linklaters, Bird & Bird, Wragge & Co and Addleshaws have been invited […]
2-3 Gray’s Inn Square has appointed the practice manager of Shell’s in-house legal department as its new chambers director. Lynne Orsborn joined the set on Monday (9 January) after over four years at Shell, where she managed the legal department. Orsborn previously held similar roles at a number of City law firms including Nabarro Nathanson. […]
Olswang, the UK ally of under-fire US firm Greenberg Traurig, has distanced itself from the Greenberg’s difficulties sparked by a former lobbyist who last week pleaded guilty to defrauding clients and bribing government officials. Jonathan Goldstein, Olswang chief executive, said the issue was not one on which it was appropriate for Olswang to comment and […]