17 April 2006

CMS bags RBS role on Marriott acquisition

CMS Cameron McKenna and Slaughter and May landed roles on the £951.4m sale of part of the Marriott hotel portfolio. Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed to acquire 46 hotels from a joint venture between Whitbread and Marriott International. Under the terms of today’s deal, Marriott will continue to operate the hotels. Whitbread has also […]

Lovells overhauls partnership council

Lovells has completely overhauled its partnership council adding five new members to its partnership council, following a vote of the partnership yesterday (Thursday). The new members including litigation partners Christopher Grierson (who comes fresh from the collapse of the BCCI case) and Nick Atkins, Rome private equity partner Leah Dunlop, New York litigation partner Marc […]

Law Soc names new chief executive

The Law Society has picked the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland’s chief executive Desmond Hudson as its new chief executive. Hudson replaces current chief executive Janet Paraskeva, who is moving on to a range of other roles including the position of First Civil Service Commissioner. He will lead the Law Society’s representative work, which […]

Co-op prepares to launch post-Clementi law firm

The Co-operative Group is to become the first non-legal organisation to take advantage of forthcoming reforms by launching legal services for its members. The Co-op is bringing on board former RAC Legal Services managing director Eddie Ryan to run the new venture. It will offer services such as conveyancing, will writing, probate and accident management […]

Herbies overhauls tax group to boost disputes practice

Herbert Smith tax partner Neil Warriner has become head of the firm’s tax group following Heather Gething’s decision to step down from the role. Gething, who has led the group since 2001, has taken on the new role as head of tax planning and tax disputes, with a focus on investment banks, financial institutions and […]

CC raids Paul Hastings for US aircraft finance team

Clifford Chance has boosted the ranks of its US finance and restructuring groups with two lawyers from Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker. Paul Hastings partner John Howitt joins the New York office as a partner and he will lead the firm’s US aircraft finance practice. Ray Warman joins as counsel. Howitt’s experience encompasses a whole […]

Irwin Mitchell launches London family team with Kingsley hire

Irwin Mitchell is growing its family law team with the hire of Kingsley Napley partner Elizabeth Hicks. Hicks joins Irwin Mitchell at the start of May and will head up the firm’s London family practice, expanding it from its current presence in Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham. She will be the firm’s fourth dedicated family law […]

CC boosts Dubai Islamic finance function

Clifford Chance has transferred another senior lawyer to its Dubai office as it expands its Islamic finance practice in the Gulf region. Senior associate Qudeer Latif follows structured finance partner Debashis Dey, who will also move to Dubai with a team of two associates in May. Qudeer has extensive experience in structured and project finance […]

Freshfields and Linklaters prepare for Babcock’s Eircom bid

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has cemented its ties with Eircom, acting for the Irish telecoms company, which is the target of a potential EUR2.36bn (£1.63bn) takeover offer from Australian investment group Babcock & Brown. After stalking Ireland’s largest telephone company for almost six months, Babcock & Brown made a formal approach to Eircom last week. Eircom […]

Merger creates Japan’s biggest firm

Japanese powerhouse Nishimura & Partners and Asahi Koma Law Offices are set to form the biggest law firm in the country following the firms’ shock announcement that they are to merge. Nishimura and Asahi Koma last week signed a merger agreement in principle, but the name of the combined firm and the date for completing […]

Blake Lapthorn raids rival to launch travel unit

South East firm Blake Lapthorn Linnell has raided local rival Penningtons for a partner to head up its new travel unit. Personal injury specialist Costas Andrea has been brought on board to lead Blake Lapthorn’s new travel unit which will deal with accident claims arising abroad for individuals and insurers. The new unit is part […]

French independent Ginestie launches recruitment drive

French independent Ginestié Magellan Paley-Vincent & Associés has added six fee-earners to its roster, poaching from domestic rivals and US firms. The firm has hired Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton associate Bruno Bertrand as a corporate partner, as well as promoting Franck Bourgeois. Bourgeois was an associate at Ginestié since 2004, having joined the firm […]