The Clifford Chance partnership has voted for the changes to its compensation structure which will see a fragmentation of its worldwide lockstep for the first time. From the next financial year, the magic circle firm will be able to operate three distinct systems of remuneration, subject to ratification by the management committee. The results were […]
Guy Morton has been elected senior partner at Freshfields after knocking out his two London opponents in the first round. Morton, head of the financial services regulatory practice, beat Philip Richards and Graham Nicholson to the job, meaning that he secured an outright majority in the first round of voting. He will take over the […]
The government today dropped its controversial Judicial Pensions Bill in favour of fresh proposals which will maintain the value of judges’ pensions. The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, made a written statement to Parliament announcing that the Bill was being scrapped. Judicial pensions are also being deregistered from the Finance Act 2004, meaning that they will […]
The Cologne office of German firm Haarmann Hemmelrath is in danger of closing after five partners decided to leave for Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek. Partners Jörg aus der Fünten, Thorsten Kuthe, Mirko Sickinger, Rolf Uecker, Thomas Windhövel and two associates are set to move to Heuking to boost its corporate team. Haarmann Hemmelrath Cologne capital […]
Holman Fenwick & Willan is opening an office in Melbourne, Australia with raids on the transport groups of Middletons and Blake Dawson Waldron. Middletons partners Robert Springall, Gavin Vallely and David Roylance, together with Blake Dawson partner Chris Quennell, will join Holman Fenwick in March 2006. The four are all maritime specialists with experience in […]
Burges Salmon has advised FirstGroup on its double franchise triumph earlier this week which made it Britain’s largest rail company. The transport company won the right to operate the Greater Western and the Thameslink/Great Northern franchises which have a combined revenue of almost £2bn. Burges Salmon’s head of commercial and lead partner on the deal […]
The Law Society has widened its investigation into Freshfields partner Barry O’Brien’s role on the M&S bid to include three other senior figures at the magic circle firm, it has emerged. It is understood that the Society has also been investigating chief executive Hugh Crisp, former corporate head Gavin Darlington and corporate head Tim Jones. […]
GE has lost round two in its protracted battle to merge with Honeywell after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) upheld a controversial decision to block the takeover. Clifford Chance and French niche firm Vogel & Vogel acted for GE in the landmark case, which saw the European Commission ban the merger between the two […]
Slaughter and May is ceding its Paris office to best friend Bredin Prat in a significant coup for the elite French independent. The firms announced this morning (14 December) that they had come to an agreement. Details are still being confirmed, but Slaughters practice partner David Frank said the agreement is likely to see the […]
Transport for London’s (TfL) general counsel Fiona Smith has quit after just over two years in the role. Smith, who joined TfL in autumn 2003 is leaving at the end of the year to join Severn Trent as general counsel and company secretary. She will be replaced temporarily by Peter McGuirk. During her time at […]
SJ Berwin has confirmed the appointment of head of private equity Jonathan Blake as the firm’s new senior partner. The firm’s partnership appointed Blake as successor to outgoing senior partner David Harrel as part of a discrete ballot for a joint-ticket proposal. As part of the join proposal Ralph Cohen will continue as managing partner, […]
The Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer senior partner election kicked off yesterday with partners set to choose German senior partner Konstantin Mettenheimer with either Guy Morton, Graham Nicholson or Philip Richards. Corporate partner Barry O’Brien has withdrawn his candidacy. It is understood that O’Brien withdrew due to the ongoing Law Society investigation into Freshfields’ conflict of interest […]