9 January 2006
The Lawyer
199 Strand members move to pastures new
9 Gough Square has picked up five new tenants from dissolving set 199 Strand in a bid to boost its personal injury team. Another four members have found homes elsewhere. Senior-junior Quintin Tudor-Evans has gone to 12 King's Bench Walk, along with 199's senior clerk Graham Johnson and junior clerk Andrew Hunter. Sara Hargreaves is now practising from Chancery set 11 New Square, while Martin Hutchings has become a tenant at Wilberforce Chambers. Farrah Mauladad is to move to London's ...
2-3 Gray's Inn hires Shell in-houser as chambers director
2-3 Gray’s Inn Square has appointed the practice manager of Shell’s in-house legal department as its new chambers director.
A bunch of doughnuts
Law firms don't half like to trumpet the work they do for charity. And so they should. All those hours spent painting buildings and digging gardens must be good for the soul.
A&O and Haarmann fall prey to Ashurst's New Year hiring spree
Ashurst's New Year hiring spree" /Ashurst has kicked off the New Year by ramping up its German and Italian operations with raids on Allen & Overy (A&O) and Haarmann Hemmelrath .
A&O imports fresh talent from Canada
The hunt for talent has taken Allen & Overy (A&O) to Canada, where the banking and international capital markets (ICM) groups picked up 19 lawyers for the London office in a recruitment drive.
A&O loses Prague finance star to Linklaters
Allen & Overy has been hit with yet another senior finance departure with Linklaters poaching a Prague senior associate.
A&O plans overhaul of associate career path
Allen & Overy (A&O) has rolled out its long-awaited proposals to reform London associate career progression following a year when its attrition rate topped 25 per cent.
Addleshaws raids Hammonds for litigation hire
Hammonds has lost a litigation partner in Manchester to Addleshaw Goddard.
Akerman Senterfitt
A big fish in the Florida pond for some time now, Akerman Senterfitt has set its sights on rapid expansion in a select few areas outside the Sunshine State.
Arnold & Porter global chief steps down for DC bar role
Arnold & Porter's global managing partner James Sandman has stepped down after a decade as head of the Washington DC firm.
Banks appoint Freshfields for £1.1bn Qinetiq IPO
FRESHFIELDS has been appointed to advice the financiers of the proposed £1.1bn initial public offering (IPO) QinetiQ Group.
Blake's election sparks SJ Berwin management shake-up
SJ Berwin has confirmed corporate partner Steven Davis as the firm’s incoming head of European corporate finance and private equity.
BT seeks global advisers for new panel
BT is targeting firms with global capabilities for its next legal panel, following a major review of its external legal advisers.
Buying a bundle
Convergence in the telecoms sector is opening up the market, but operators need to be well positioned. By Emanuela Lecchi
Camerons breaks mould with Norton Rose lateral
Norton Rose lateral" /Norton Rose has lost another partner from its London office as CMS Cameron McKenna makes a rare lateral hire.
Careers: In brief
Mark Muller is to take over as chairman of the Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) during a committee meeting later this month. Muller, of 10-11 Gray's Inn Square, replaces outgoing chairman Peter Carter QC, who spent three years in the role. Muller was elected for a one-year term during an uncontested election in November. His appointment will not take effect until a meeting on 18 January.
Careers: People
Clifford Chance has hired Stanislas Martin as of counsel in its Paris antitrust group. Until recently he was deputy financial adviser at the French Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels.
Cash calls
Private equity investors are taking advantage as technology convergence rises up the European agenda. Ann LaFrance and Mara Babin report
Catch a rising star
John de Forte gives tips on how to stop the talent drain that accompanies assistant attrition
CC banking associates receive time off in lieu
Associates at Clifford Chance are being given days off in lieu as compensation for working into the early hours on deals.
CC transfers London star to lead Dubai corporate team
Clifford Chance has transferred London partner Simon Clinton to the Middle East as head of corporate for its Dubai office after a raid by Linklaters created the vacancy.
Childs tipped to be top dog at CC following Cornell exit
Peter Cornell's decision to stand down as Clifford Chance managing partner has kicked off fevered speculation within the global firm.
Clifford Chance's £279bn M&A deals steer it to top spot in global rankings
Clifford Chance has claimed first place in the global rankings for M&A league tables for the first time, with $490bn (£279.08bn) worth of completed deals coming from 444 announced transactions.
Clydes and Covington fail to prevent airlines ECJ defeat
Clyde & Co and Covington & Burling suffered disappointment yesterday (10 January) as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against two major airline associations in a landmark case on passenger compensation.
Clydes boosts aviation finance with Freshfields hire
Clyde & Co is strengthening its aviation finance team with the hire of a senior Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer lawyer.
Cornell: the exit interview
After five years as Clifford Chance managing partner, Peter Cornell talks to Catrin Griffiths about his legacy and the death of lockstep
Creche courses
Manchester's Pannone & Partners, a fixture on The Sunday Times' annual list of great places to work, has long promoted itself as such. And the firm certainly appears to be taking the title to heart.
DCA stalls over Law Soc conflict rules proposals
Logjams have bedevilled the Law Society proposals on conflict rules, with the Dep-artment for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) stalling on the consultation process following objections by the Legal Services Consultative Panel.
De Brauw unveils new chiefs
The managing partner of Dutch heavyweight De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek,Jaap de Keijzer, has stood down from the board. He has been succeeded bylitigation head Mark Biesheuvel as managing partner.
Deals round-up
Osborne Clarke advises on Carphone Warehouse buy Osborne Clarke scooped a role advising Carphone Warehouse on its £154m acquisition of OneTel, closing the deal in just 10 days. The mobile phone retailer bought the fixed-line telecoms business from Centrica. The deal includes an initial price of £132m, with a further £22m depending on new customers signing through the British Gas network. The purchase more than doubles Carphone Warehouse's residential telephone customer base and makes ...
DLA Piper loses marine insurance specialist to SH
Stephenson Harwood has raided DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, snaring marine insurance senior associate Alex Davis as a partner in its shipping litigation group.
Dorsey's problems reflect US partnership trend
American firms strike all sorts of pious poses when it comes to career progression. We Brits tend to be cynical about their approach, which from a distance seems to be merely a compliance exercise verging on the robotic. Thankfully, the British way of doing things is less about mouthing HR-speak and more about actually taking your team down the pub.
ECJ delivers VAT blow to government
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).
Eversheds and Sonnenschein come together for Beatles' battle with EMI
Eversheds and Sonnenschein come together for Beatles' battle with EMI" /Eversheds and US firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal have launched a two-pronged attack on record giant EMI on behalf of The Beatles.
Expensive Addleshaws loses NWDA panel place
The North West Development Agency (NWDA) has dumped Addleshaw Goddard from its panel because the firm was too expensive.
FFW boosts IT team with Olswang hire
Field Fisher Waterhouse has snared Olswang information technology partner Simon Briskman, as the firm moves to boost its technology law practice.
Firm profile: Berryman
Managing partner: Andy Matthews Turnover: £6m Total number of partners: 15 Total number of fee-earners: 57 Main practice areas: Commercial property, commercial litigation, corporate finance, insurance, IP and people management Key clients: Biocity, Coral, Leicester City Council, North West Leicestershire ...
Former T-Mobile counsel in race equality move
Julia Chain, the former general counsel of T-Mobile and former managing partner of Garretts, has been appointed chair of the legal committee of the Commission for Racial Equality, which is responsible for enforcing the Race Relations Act. Since leaving T-Mobile, Chain has been a consultant at Jomati, the law firm consultancy started by another former Garretts managing partner, Tony Williams. She has now launched The Kite Consultancy, which focuses on assisting in-house departments and ...
Freshfields completes Unwins acquisition deal for Threshers
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has landed a role advising drinks retailer Thresher Group on its purchase of 200 stores from the collapsed Unwins chain.
Freshfields fights Clifford Chance for Galileo brief
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Clifford Chance have gone head-to-head in a beauty parade for the lucrative role advising the private sector operators of the €3.3bn (£2.27bn) Galileo satellite navigation system.
FSA set to launch litigation overhaul
City regulator hits back at critics with new 'stress test' unit to boost hit rate
Granada lands Channel 4 business affairs boss
Granada International, part of ITV International, has appointed Alison Lee as head of business affairs, responsible for overseeing all sales and licensing deals and negotiating co-production and output agreements. Lee joins from Channel Four International and will report to Granada's director of business affairs Helen Fox-Gladwell. Lee previously worked as a lawyer in the business affairs department of BBC Worldwide.
Grapevine
Nobody could accuse Cahill Gordon & Reindel of having a Napoleon complex. The New York high-yield specialist is notorious for keeping its partnership closed to all but a few and has shown a dogged reluctance to expand its operations abroad.
Hardwicke bags 7 New Square IP duo
Hardwicke Building has raided specialist IP set 7 New Square for two barristers to launch its own IP practice.
Heller raid increases Dorsey woes
Heller Ehrman has poached one of Dorsey & Whitney's most senior corporate lawyers Wesley Fredericks, who has joined Heller's New York office.
Holland & Knight implements wholesale management overhaul to boost profits
Holland & Knight is overhauling its management structure as part of a raft of changes aimed at unifying operations and increasing profitability.
Holman Fenwick lands rival commodities team
Holman Fenwick & Willan has poached a highly rated commodities team from rival shipping specialist Hill Taylor Dickinson.
International eye: Spain
Moray McLaren on the month in Spain: Is Spain a no-go zone for US firms? The magic circle: its own worst enemy? Bird & Bird has its work cut out to win a slice of the Spanish telecoms market Spain enjoys PPP boom
Irwin Mitchell considers Manchester office as part of North West strategy
Irwin Mitchell is planning to expand into the North West with a new Manchester office.
IT, IP & Telecoms
There are few things closer to a lawyer’s heart than the laptop, mobile or BlackBerry they have spent the festive season tapping away on. This IT, IP & telecoms special report examines how regulatory intervention has sparked convergence within the technology and telecoms sectors, which has led to these modern wonders. It also debates why the EU rules protecting IP ...
Judge slams Hammonds letter in Gadget Shop ruling
Mr Justice Warren handed a stinging rebuke to Hammonds and its client Peter Wilkinson, the founder of Freeserve, in his judgment of the high-profile Gadget Shop administration case.
Lawyers awarded New Year Honours
Payne Hicks Beach partner Fiona Shackleton (left), who handled Prince Charles's divorce, heads the list of lawyers honoured in the New Year Honours List. Shackleton was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order. Former Chief Crown Prosecutor for South Wales ...
Lawyers desert Dorsey for being too tough at the top
Dorsey & Whitney is not having a happy time in London. A fractious 2005 ended with its hugely successful tax litigation team splitting in half when barrister Simon Airey and a team of three associates quit for DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.
Legal Widow
The rhythm of life slowed to a mournful tango during the last, dog days of the Christmas holidays, and to prevent him dying of boredom I forced the Lawyer to clear out the attic. I found myself with a pile of junk containing (among many, many other things) three wooden tennis rackets belonging to his mother, horrible Congratulations! ornaments given to us upon graduation, piles of thesis notes, around 500 magazines featuring Princess Diana on the cover (I was very, very upset by her death), ...
Lloyds TSB streamlines adviser line-up into first legal panel
FTSE 100 banking giant Lloyds TSB has launched its first-ever law firm panel following a major review of its external legal advisers.
LSC donates legal services for Crisis Open Christmas scheme
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) joined forces with charity Crisis over the festive period to offer homeless people free legal advice to help them make a new start in 2006.
Manzoor welcomes White Paper and challenges vested interests
The Legal Services Ombudsman and Legal Services Complaints Commissioner (LSCC) Zahida Manzoor has warned the government that it needs to push through the reforms proposed in the recent white paper on the future of legal services.
Mayer Brown portfolio lures Addleshaws star
Solid European coverage and access to the securitisation market has helped Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw land a real estate finance partner from Addleshaw Goddard.
Mayer Brown raids White & Case for Berlin push
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw had raided White & Case for two partners for its Berlin Office.
Milbank grows in London and Frankfurt with new premises
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy's European offices are on the move, with the London and Frankfurt teams relocating to bigger premises in 2006.
Miranda launches in Texas
Portuguese independent Miranda Correia Amendoeira e Associados has become the first European independent to open in Texas, with the establishment of an office in Houston.
Morgan Lewis raids US rival for recruits
Morgan Lewis & Bockius has ramped up its English law capability by raiding the London office of US competitor Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) to launch its first UK employment capability.
Morton begins management reshuffle at Freshfields
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer litigation partner Ian Terry has taken over as global practice group leader of the firm’s dispute resolution practice.
Nayeem Syed: MTV
With nine channels in the UK alone and convergence on the horizon, the MTV empire's legal function is instrumental to the company's continued success. David Middleton reports
Nine Akin Gump lawyers quit to launch real estate boutique
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.
NYSE appoints regulatory GC ahead of listing
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has rejigged its legal team ahead of its merger with publicly-listed company Archipelago Holdings.
Olswang distances itself from Greenberg's Abramoff scandal
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.
Opinion
The CFI has backed the Commission’s decision on the GE-Honeywell merger, but not to the hilt
Party off dudes
The Christmas cheer was distinctly lacking in DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary's corporate recovery group last year. The team won instructions to act for KPMG and Kroll in the respective Unwins and MVC administrations, but the timing of the work meant long hours had to be put in over the festive period. Even the departmental Christmas party had to be cancelled.
Salans takes Haarmann Berlin for German launch
Salans has made a dramatic first move into the German legal market by snatching the Berlin office of the beleaguered German independent Haarmann Hemmelrath.
Separated at birth
No wonder Reed Smith found it too hard to pull off its merger with Chicago firm Wildman Harrold last year. The Pittsburgh-based outfit is headed by none other than legendary King of Comedy Jerry Lewis, albeit in the guise of managing partner Greg Jordan. Lewis, readers will recall, ...
Simmons in hunt for senior partner
Simmons & Simmons is set to begin its nomination process for senior partner this month, after Janet Gaymer announced her resignation in December.
Simmons raids RB for Paris real estate team
Simmons & Simmons has raided Richards Butler for a new Paris-based real estate team.
Sinclair Roche brings suit against insurance brokers
Sinclair Roche & Temperley is suing its insurance brokers, alleging it was not paid the full amount of compensation owed after the firm lost a professional negligence claim against former client Somatra.
Skadden and Linklaters top European rainmakers list
Corporate partners from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Linklaters have emerged as the top European rainmakers.
Slaughter and May sparks P&O bidding war
Slaughter and May has bagged an instruction to advise PSA the rival bidder that moved to trump DP World’s £3.33bn offer for P&O.
Slaughters firms up Hilton link with reunification deal
Slaughter and May has strengthened its relationship with Hilton Group, acting on the company's agreement with Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) to acquire Hilton International for £3.3bn.
Taylor Wessing continues French growth with former LeBoeuf Paris head
Taylor Wessing has boosted its French corporate offering with the hire of LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae’s former Paris managing partner Alain de Foucaud.
The top trials of 2005 and 2006
Is litigation on the rise? Joanne Harris brings together the most significant cases of 2005 and what promise to be the ones to watch in the year ahead
The work-life quiz
Simon Loy, partner, Eversheds
Thompsons faces threat of strike action as staff reject two pay offers
Fee-earners and staff at trade union firm Thompsons are to vote on strike action after rejecting two pay offers from the firm.
Trade sharks
IP infringement is rife and EU protection rules are failing to live up to expectations. By Giles Crown and Thomas Hays
Two men in a cow
Over the years, Tulkinghorn has written about many bold ventures undertaken by lawyers in the name of charity. But rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in a 23-foot boat is perhaps going a bit far.
UK Roundup: In-house
David Middleton on the month in the in-house market: Get an insider's view on moving to an in-house role Moves highlight the fickle world of pharmaceuticals Are law firms involved with the Olympics going to be the also-rans? ABN combats in-houser shortage with legal training US firms pull up their advising socks Monthly column Coming up: Management: 16 Jan The bar: 23 Jan Regional: 30 Jan In-house: ...
