Berwin Leighton Paisner has raided Denton Wilde Sapte for its highly rated asset finance head Lisa Marks. A senior equity partner, Marks has been at DWS for almost 20 years and sources describe her as superior client manager and a popular figure at the firm. Clients include RBS Structured Asset Finance and Cenargo.
Regional player Bevan Brittan is accelerating its push into the health sector with the hire of a team from Beachcroft Wansbroughs. Beachcrofts partner Melanie Print is joining Bevan Brittan’s Birmingham office with three assistants. The hires follow the relocation of regulatory partner Richard Annandale and clinical negligence partner Adrian Dagnall to Birmingham to spearhead the […]
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has elected Mark Walker to become its new managing partner. Walker succeeds Peter Karasz, who had been managing partner since 2000. Karasz died on April 30 following a four-year battle with cancer. “Peter was a great friend and a wonderful lawyer,” said Walker. “He led Cleary Gottlieb with courage, energy […]
For many years, senior management teams in law firms have only used one performance indicator when gauging the health of their businesses – financial data. Now this is of course vital, for reasons that do not need rehearsing here. However, if all the clients of a firm were to up sticks and move elsewhere tomorrow, […]
Hammonds has lost its first fixed-share equity partner since the institution of a 14-month lock-in for equity partners. Insolvency specialist Michael Woollard is to join SJ Berwin when a departure date can be agreed with Hammonds. Woollard told The Lawyer he had been in discussions with SJ Berwin for some time. He said his decision […]
Shearman & Sterling has lost its senior partner to US investment bank client Morgan Stanley. David Heleniak has quit the New York firm to become vice chairman, managing director and member of the management committee of Morgan Stanley. John Madden, who is currently co-managing partner will take over from Helenaik as Shearman & Sterling’s acting […]
Equitable Life’s lead counsel Iain Milligan QC today (4 May) rebuffed claims that instructing solicitors Herbert Smith had failed to carry out a full disclosure exercise in preparing for the assurance society’s claim against former auditors Ernst & Young (E&Y). Brick Court Chambers’ Mark Hapgood QC made the claims yesterday on behalf of E&Y. He […]
Herbert Smith yesterday (3 May) found itself on the receiving end of claims that it has not made full disclosure of vital documents in the Equitable Life case. The claims were made by Mark Hapgood QC of Brick Court Chambers, acting for Equitable’s auditors Ernst & Young and instructed by Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG). […]
Forty-partner London firm Russell-Cooke has bolted on a media and entertainment team in the shape of former boutique Harrison Curtis. It is the firm’s second merger this year, following March’s takeover of niche personal injury and clinical negligence practice Evill & Coleman.Harrison Curtis was founded in 1998 by former The Simkins Partnership partners Lawrence Harrison […]
London firm Wedlake Bell has acquired boutique private client outfit Beattie & Co. Beattie & Co’s two partners, Jennifer Beattie and Jeremy Curtis, are both joining Wedlake Bell – Beattie as a consultant and Curtis as a partner. The merger brings the number of private client specialists at Wedlake Bell to 14, including six partners. […]
Clifford Chance has elected banking specialist Jan ter Haar as its new Dutch managing partner. Clifford Chance has elected banking specialist Jan ter Haar as its new Dutch managing partner. Ter Haar, who replaces Tom de Waard as head of the Amsterdam office, began his three-year term on 1 May. He will continue as head […]
Rossotto threatens to split from UK firm; Turin partners demand immediate action on profits Hammonds’ Italian practice has delivered an ultimatum to UK management to slash costs and improve profits or face a final split. Hammonds secured its merger with Turin’s Rossotto in 2002, subject to a three-year ‘transitionary period’, which ended last Friday (29 […]