Online July 2012
The Lawyer
39 Essex Street silk charged with VAT fraud
39 Essex Street silk Rohan Pershad QC has been charged with a £600,000 VAT fraud.
39 Essex Street silk steps down from chambers as he fights VAT charges
A 39 Essex Street silk accused of VAT fraud has withdrawn his membership of the set in the face of criminal charges against him.
4 New Square adds two barristers from 39 Essex Street
Lincoln’s Inn set 4 New Square has expanded its costs practice with the addition of two 39 Essex Street barristers, Robert Marven and Benjamin Williams.
A (Law)Vested interest
DLA Piper chief Sir Nigel Knowles’ personal investment in alternative business structure (ABS) LawVest was a thorny issue at DLA Piper. As The Lawyer revealed earlier this year, pockets within the firm’s partnership were outraged after learning that Knowles and a number of other partners and directors had personally invested in the ABS without declaring ...
Addleshaw Goddard eases path to partnership
Addleshaw Goddard has drastically reduced the number of hurdles that lawyers have to jump before becoming partner as part of a wider scheme to streamline management at the firm.
Addleshaws and Freshfields don gowns as BarCap eyes campus sell-off
Addleshaw Goddard and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have landed roles advising on Barclays Capital’s much-vaunted sale of its stake in University Partnerships Programme (UPP) to Dutch pension fund manager PGGM.
Allen & Overy and Freshfields join raft of firms on Deutsche Annington refinancing
Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have scooped lead roles on a €4.3bn (£3.3bn) debt refinancing deal for Germany property owner Deutsche Annington Immobilien.
Allen & Overy hires US head of criminal enforcement
Allen & Overy has appointed John Terzaken, the director of criminal enforcement for the US Justice Department’s (DOJ) antitrust division, as head of its cartel defense practice in America.
An Olympics special
The late drama, climactic finales and last minute appeals – this is the Olympics, litigation style
Ashfords and Thomas Eggar post double-digit PEP rises
Exeter-based Ashfords and South East firm Thomas Eggar have both had a relatively flat year, in terms of revenues with 2011-12 turnover remaining largely unchanged while average profit per equity partner (PEP) increased by a double-digit figure.
Ashurst wins $700m finance role for Brazil's Petra after taking on legal chief as secondee
Ashurst and SNR Denton have landed UK roles on a finance agreement that sees Citibank provide an affiliate of Brazilian oil and gas group Petra Energia with an estimated $703.6m (£452.6m) credit line to fund its exploration projects.
Baker & McKenzie unveils Casablanca launch in African push
Baker & McKenzie is set to launch an office in Casablanca next month with a four-lawyer team from French firm August & Debouzy.
Barclays snubs Dewey ex-partners' joint attempts to settle debt
Barclays Bank is refusing to consider a group attempt by former partners of Dewey & LeBoeuf to strike a settlement with the UK lender over debt from loans used to fund capital contributions.
BLP and DLA take lead on Blackstone’s £400m student digs sale
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and DLA Piper were the lead firms on Blackstone’s £400m sale of its Nido Student Living business to Round Hill Capital – one of the largest real estate deals so far this year.
BLP, Taylor Wessing ink £80m Oxford Street property refinancing
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Taylor Wessing advised as The Great Victoria Partnership (GVP) secured an £80m refinancing loan on an Oxford Street property from Canada Life Investments.
BoJo's lawyer love-in
London Mayor Boris ‘BoJo’ Johnson is as much of a gift to lawyers as he is to the media. Indeed he has a love-hate relationship with both.
Bristows acts as Google admits Street View data was not deleted
Google is being advised by Bristows over its admission that it did not delete users’ personal data that was gathered during its Street View research.
Bye Bye Herbie
The Stibbe partner who was in charge of Herbert Smith’s now defunct international alliance is leaving the firm to establish his own boutique firm after deciding to seek a new challenge.
Charles Russell gets the London 2012 legal games underway with Paddy Power claim
Charles Russell partners Mary Bagnall and Ian Lynam have been instructed for bookmaker Paddy Power to take action action against London 2012 Olympics organisers LOCOG.
Charles Russell helps Paddy Power secure LOCOG backdown over billboards
Charles Russell has secured a popular victory for Irish bookmakers Paddy Power after Olympics organisers LOCOG backed down over an advert campaign.
China Watch – A foreign lawyer’s view from the inside
As the London Olympics gets into full swing, Robert Lewis reflects on the work that went in to making Beijing 2008 a success
Clifford Chance and Linklaters lead as Lloyds offloads retail branches to Co-op
Clifford Chance and Linklaters have taken lead roles on an agreement that will see Lloyds Banking Group offload 632 of its branches to the Co-operative Group, a move that gives Co-op around 7 per cent of the UK current account market.
Clifford Chance approves plans to scrap 'improvement period' for underperformers
Clifford Chance has approved plans to scrap its period of grace of up to a year for underperforming partners before they are asked to leave.
Clifford Chance elects new Tokyo head
Clifford Chance has named Eiichi Kanda as the new managing partner of its Tokyo office as incumbent Peter Kilner relocates to Hong Kong.
Clifford Chance, Sheppard Mullin and Ropes gain Seoul approval
Clifford Chance, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton and Ropes & Gray have become the first three firms to receive permission from South Korea’s Ministry of Justice to open a foreign legal consultant office in the country.
Clifford Chance, White & Case face off on Ukrainian and Nigerian bond duo
Clifford Chance and White & Case have both fielded London teams to advise opposite each other on two emerging-market bond issues.
Clydes prepares for Tripoli launch with hire of Libyan Investment Authority GC
Clyde & Co is set to become the first international firm to open a base in post-Gaddafi Libya after it hired Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) general counsel Albudery Shariha.
CMS battles 'admin-heavy' roster reviews with new bank panel guru
CMS Cameron McKenna has appointed a bank panel guru to commoditise its applications for client roster places, as the firm responds to the increasingly administration-heavy nature of pitch processes.
CMS considers dropping branding as it homes in on US deal
The CMS network, which includes UK firm CMS Cameron McKenna, is considering dropping the ‘CMS’ identity as part of its hunt for a US member.
CMS, Linklaters lead as HK tycoon buys UK gas company
CMS Cameron McKenna and Linklaters have won roles advising on the acquisition of UK gas company Wales & West Utilities by Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI), part of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s business empire, for £645m.
Collyer Bristow defeats Bob Crow libel claim for Boris
Collyer Bristow partner Rhory Robertson and One Brick Court’s David Glen have successfully defended London mayor Boris Johnson against a libel claim brought by union chief Bob Crow.
Cooley opens up shop in LA with hires from Gibson Dunn, DLA Piper
Cooley has opened an office in Los Angeles with the hire of media, technology and entertainment partners from DLA Piper and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher as well as entertainment firm Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein & Kohner.
Cuatrecasas lawyer questioned in data-trafficking scandal
A lawyer from Iberian firm Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira is one of the latest high-profile figures to be questioned in relation to a data-trafficking scandal that first came to light in Spain last year.
Cuatrecasas loses partner to Spanish firm Abdón Pedrajas & Molero
Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira partner Sonia Cortés has defected to labour boutique Abdón Pedrajas & Molero.
Debevoise, Latham, Weil handle American Airlines merger baggage
Weil Gotshal & Manges has leveraged its relationship with the bankrupt parent company of American Airlines to take the lead role advising on the carrier’s plans to pick a merger partner.
Department of Health slammed for abandoning PropCo tender
Lawyers responding to a Department of Health tender have hit out at the government department after it ditched the process due to underestimating how much the work would cost.
Devereux silk defects to Littleton
Devereux Chambers has been hit with a barrister defection with Suzanne McKie QC quitting the set for Littleton Chambers.
Dewey asks ex-management to top up settlement contributions
Dewey & LeBoeuf’s wind-down chiefs have asked former senior management figures to top up their contributions to the estate as part of the defunct US firm’s bankruptcy settlement.
Dewey creditors begin to line up as Axa business demands lost rent
Creditors of Dewey & LeBoeuf’s London and Paris arm are lining up to claim dues from the defunct firm, with a subsidiary of insurer Axa demanding more than £600,000 from the failed firm’s estate.
Dewey puts bankruptcy settlement on hold as ex-partners wait on amendments
The deadline for partners to opt in to a settlement deal absolving former Dewey & LeBoeuf partners of their liabilities has been delayed after concerns were raised about its contents.
Dewey tries to talk London partners into $103m settlement
Dewey & LeBoeuf’s US bankruptcy chiefs may attempt to sell the defunct firm’s $103m settlement deal to London ex-partners today (13 July), as it emerges that some former City partners are likely to snub the proposal.
DLA Piper non-US business posts revenue boost as UK falls
DLA Piper’s non-US business has released its results for the 2011 calendar year, with turnover rising by just over 13 per cent to £701.6m.
DLA Piper's Knowles' personal investment in LawVest revealed by filings
DLA Piper chief Sir Nigel Knowles’ investment in alternative business structure (ABS) LawVest has been revealed by a Companies House filing, showing he holds around a 1 per cent stake in the company.
Don’t think it ends with the banks
The banking scandals have highligted the need for ethics in business. Now’s the time for the Law Society to make its mark, says Mark Brandon
Downing Street confirms appointment of four appeal judges
The Court of Appeal is to welcome four new appellate justices next term after the latest round of promotions by Downing Street.
Dundas delegates; Maclays contemplates
Dundas & Wilson’s new managing partners, who were formally elected last month, have wasted no time getting stuck into their new roles, establishing a pool of paralegals to support the firm’s practice areas by doing drudge work on the cheap.
Dundas posts 'disappointing' results at end of tough year
Profit at Dundas & Wilson dropped by 35 per cent in the 2011-12 financial year, with average profit per equity partner (PEP) also falling by 35 per cent and turnover dipping by 12 per cent.
Dundas to send routine work to low-cost Scotland HQ
Dundas & Wilson has launched a Legal Services Unit (LSU), billed as a ‘firm within a firm’, to do routine work cheaply for clients.
Edwards Hoyle reveals most bizarre personal injury claims
North West personal injury firm Edwards Hoyle has revealed its most bizarre personal injury claims from the last year.
Essex Court silks gear up for Singaporean court battle
Essex Court Chambers’ Toby Landau QC and David Joseph QC will go head-to-head at the Singaporean High Court next week in a mammoth $300m legal battle for Malaysian tycoon Ananda Krishnan and the Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group.
Fenwick & West and Gunderson Dettmer scoop roles on Cisco's acquisition of Virtuata
Fenwick & West and Gunderson Dettmer have landed roles on Cisco’s acquisition of cloud security startup Virtuata.
Finance practice hires put Irwin Mitchell in ABS driving seat
Irwin Mitchell has boosted its national business legal services team as it edges closer to converting to ABS status.
Freehills appoints new Australia chief ahead of Herbert Smith merger
Freehills has named its Perth head Jason Ricketts as its new Australia managing partner, with incumbent Gavin Bell preparing to take on global responsibilities at the merged firm Herbert Smith Freehills as joint CEO.
Freshfields appoints global and London finance chiefs
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed London banking head David Trott as head of its global finance practice, succeeding Alan Newton in the senior role.
Freshfields client Apple ordered to run Samsung ads
Technology giant Apple must run a series of adverts in the national press alerting consumers that its rival, Samsung, did not copy the iPad, the High Court has ordered.
Freshfields picks Rome partner as new Italy chief
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has elected Rome partner Tommaso Salonico as its Italy managing partner, with the competition specialist taking over from Marzio Longo on 1 August.
Freshfields snaps up last ex-Dewey Beijing partner
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed former Dewey & LeBoeuf Beijing partner Yuan Gang as China head of energy and natural resources.
Friends and enemies
Litigation is proving a hot topic in Europe this week with Linklaters announcing that it is poaching litigation partner Alessandro Villani from Italian law firm Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners to spearhead its new Italian litigation practice in Milan.
Gómez-Acebo Pombo to launch New York office
Spanish firm Gómez-Acebo Pombo will launch an office in New York this autumn.
Herbert Smith Freehills' global executive team confirmed
Herbert Smith and Freehills, which will merge on 1 October, have confirmed the full membership of the enlarged firm’s global executive team, which is made up of 13 members with six from Freehills and seven from Herbert Smith.
Herbert Smith, Norton Rose join North American firms on Chinese oil group's $15bn mega-deal
Herbert Smith and Norton Rose joined a raft of Canadian and US firms advising on the $15.1bn (£9.7bn) acquisition of Canadian oil and gas producer Nexen by China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC).
High Court slams SFO over handling of Tchenguiz probe
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been hit with further criticism from the High Court in a judgment handed down today in relation to an investigation into businessmen brothers Vincent and Robert Tchenguiz.
Hill Dickinson looks to Hong Kong for further growth
Hill Dickinson is aiming to open a Hong Kong base by the end of the financial year.
House of Commons launches probe into MoJ interpreting contract
The House of Commons justice select committee has launched an inquiry into how Applied Languages Solutions (ALS) was awarded a contract to act as the sole supplier for court interpreters throughout England and Wales.
Ince & Co opens third Greater China office in Beijing
Ince & Co has expanded its Greater China footprint with the launch of a third office in Beijing.
Irwin Mitchell and Mishcon tap new property clients for £109m Almacantar deal
Irwin Mitchell and Mishcon de Reya have both won lead roles acting for new clients on Almacantar’s £109m purchase of two London midtown properties from Tishman Speyer.
Jones Day faces court action in Chinese branding dispute
A Chinese law firm based in Guangdong province’s manufacturing hub Dongguan has filed a lawsuit against Jones Day alleging that the US firm has damaged its reputation in an ongoing tussle over their Chinese brands.
Kennedys on the menu as Auberge operator files for administration
Kennedys has won a role acting for the administrators of Town Centre Restaurants, the company behind the Café Giardino chain.
Keystone Law vows to take on 50 lawyers as part of £25m-turnover plan
Keystone Law is aiming to more than double its turnover within three years to £25m by attracting 50 new lawyers to its ranks.
King & Wood Mallesons scores departing Herbies Shanghai partner
The former head of Herbert Smith’s China M&A practice Simon Meng will join King & Wood Mallesons in Shanghai as a partner in the coming months.
Kirkland partner and judge hired to tackle Fifa corruption allegations
Football’s world governing organisation Fifa has instructed Kirkland & Ellis partner Michael Garcia to investigate allegations of corruption alongside German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert.
Latham and White & Case lock horns on blockbuster Qatari sukuk
Latham & Watkins and White & Case have landed roles on one of Qatar’s largest-ever dollar-denominated Islamic bond issuances.
Law Society increases practising fees ahead of HQ refurb
The Law Society is looking to renovate its Carey Street offices at the same time as increasing its practising certificate fees for solicitors by nearly 5 per cent.
Lawrence Graham scoops magic circle in BBA Libor probe
Lawrence Graham has scooped the magic circle to lead an independent investigation into Libor for the British Banking Association (BBA).
Lawtech 29th June 2012
I met someone the other day who told me how happy he was with his current law firm, he told me he was was happy with the fees they charged and he was happy with the service they provided -- and then I woke up, I was dreaming.
Lawyers lead where Team GB fail
It’s a good job Pinsent Masons’ head of sport Trevor Watkins is not a Team GB athlete.
Lawyers prepare for court showdown as NotW hacking charges revealed
Kingsley Napley, DLA Piper and Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) have been instructed to represent eight senior journalists and executives charged over the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.
Lewis Silkin, Malik Law and Landmark act as Supreme Court crushes UK immigration policy
The Supreme Court has told the Government that its current immigration practices are unlawful.
LG sees PEP tumble as firm blames 'increased property costs'
Lawrence Graham (LG) has posted its financial results for the 2010-11 financial year, revealing that turnover at the firm has fallen by 5 per cent and profit per equity partner (PEP) has plummeted by 26 per cent.
Linklaters and Slaughters join US trio on £3.2bn Aegis takeover
Linklaters and Slaughter and May have won lead roles advising on Japanese advertising agency Dentsu’s £3.2bn acquisition of UK rival Aegis Group.
Linklaters kicks off Italy disputes practice with hire from ex-ally Gianni
Linklaters is set to launch an Italian litigation practice with the hire of Milan partner Alessandro Villani from former ally-turned-adversary Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners.
Linklaters moots South Africa joint venture in wake of Allens deal
Linklaters is planning to launch in South Africa through a joint venture with a local firm, with domestic leader Webber Wentzel emerging as the lead candidate to enter a tie-up with the magic circle outfit.
Litigation funder Burford hires Time Inc associate GC
Litigation funder Burford has appointed Time Inc associate general counsel Melissa Sobel to help manage the company’s investment portfolio.
Lloyds prepares for change in top legal role as GC retires
Lloyds Banking Group’s company secretary and general counsel Harry Baines is set to retire later this year with the bank’s group general counsel tipped to take on his mantle.
Maclays turns to Deloitte as it eyes City growth
Scotland-headquartered firm Maclay Murray & Spens has called on Deloitte to carry out a strategic review of its operations as it weighs up its options for the future.
Manchester's Kings Chambers to open in Birmingham with No 5 hires
Manchester-headquartered Kings Chambers is set for significant expansion with the launch of a new base in Birmingham.
Mayer Brown secures City role for administrators as Ethel Austin files again
Mayer Brown’s City team has been appointed to advise the administrators of clothing chain Ethel Austin, which has been put into administration for the fourth time since 2008.
Mayer Brown, Olswang broker British Land's £130m Mayfair buy
British Land (BL) has turned to Mayer Brown for the £130m acquisition of a Mayfair estate, with Olswang advising the sellers.
Mishcon targets international strategy in new three-year plan
Mishcon de Reya has launched a root and branch review of its international strategy in preparation for a new three-year growth plan due to be launched next year.
MoFo elects successor for longstanding chair Wetmore
Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has appointed longstanding bankruptcy partner Larren Nashelsky as its elected chair
MoJ told to deliver fight plan in Supreme Court battle over judicial pensions
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) must devise a successful objective justification defence if it is to defeat a discrimination claim being pursued against it by a part-time judge, the Supreme Court has said.
Morgan Lewis ex-Dewey team acts alongside Norton Rose on Kazakh potash purchase
Morgan Lewis & Bockius and Norton Rose have scooped roles on Sprint Capital’s acquisition of a potash business in Kazakhstan.
Nabarro wins gold with marathon role on Olympic Park redevelopment
Nabarro has landed a plum job advising a joint venture between Lend Lease and London & Continental Railways on a £1.3bn project to transform the Olympic Park into a mixed-use development.
Neuberger enters judicial hall of fame
There is no doubting that Lord Neuberger’s appointment as Supreme Court president has been well received, even if it is a job that a few years ago some thought he would never take up.
Neuberger MR appointed as Supreme Court president
The Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger has been named the next Supreme Court president, succeeding Lord Phillips, who will officially step down in September.
Norton Rose adds another magic circle partner with CC ship finance hire
Clifford Chance shipping finance head Simon Lew has left the firm to join Norton Rose after 16 years as a partner at the firm.
Norton Rose Canada launches Arctic group
Norton Rose has launched a 40-lawyer Canadian North and Arctic (CNA) group across its Canadian network.
Norton Rose hikes City crime team with senior Bindmans hire
Norton Rose has recruited its first London criminal law specialist with the hire of longstanding Bindmans partner and crime head Neil O’May.
Novartis unveils panel designed to build 'long-term partnerships'
Novartis has announced the results of its first panel review since the company’s $40bn takeover of Alcon, with three magic circle firms – Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters – securing spots on the global roster along with two US firms.
O’Melveny tightens Coller ties with $5.5bn fund closing
O’Melveny & Myers and offshore firm Ogier have won roles advising private equity group Coller Capital on the closing of its $5.5bn (£3.5m) secondaries fund.
Offshore firm Bedell Cristin opens in Singapore
Offshore firm Bedell Cristin is to launch in Singapore to underpin its operations in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
Preiskel & Co wins Twitter joke trial
Preiskel & Co’s David Allen Green, 25 Bedford Row’s John Cooper QC and 2 Hare Court’s Sarah Przybylska have overturned a conviction in the high-profile Twitter ‘menacing tweet’ case.
Qantas appoints new general counsel from Allens
Global airline Qantas has appointed Allens corporate partner Andrew Finch as general counsel succeeding the long-standing incumbent Brett Johnson who will retire in October.
Redundancies on the horizon for new-look Shakespeares
There are likely to be redundancies at Midlands firm Shakespeares as a result of its £50m merger with Harvey Ingram, the firm’s management has confirmed.
Riverview Chambers bolsters family team with double silk hire
Riverview Law has attracted four new members to its divorce and family team, including silk Christopher Pocock QC of 1 King’s Bench Walk.
SFO appoints former judge and GC in management shake-up
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has appointed former judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC to advise it on bringing cases to court.
Shakespeares is in love as Harvey Ingram merger is made official
The merger of Midlands firm Shakespeares with regional neighbours Harvey Ingram is official, but will go live a month later than planned.
Shearman London team joins Corrs on gold miner's Kenyan buy
A Shearman & Sterling City team has advised alongside Australian firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth on a A$20m (£13.2m) deal under which Tanzanian miner African Barrick Gold (ABG) will buy Aviva Mining’s Kenyan assets.
Shoosmiths axes 86 in restructure plans as turnover falls
Shoosmiths has announced that 86 jobs will go following a redundancy consultation.
Simmons increases board diversity following elections
Simmons & Simmons has increased the number of women on its 12-member board to three when non-executive directors are included following its recent elections.
Singapore top of Simmons' international growth agenda
Simmons & Simmons managing partner Jeremy Hoyland has put a Singapore launch at the top of the firm’s agenda for international expansion.
Singapore's Stamford Law strikes back with hires from DLA and Clydes
Singaporean firm Stamford Law has hired an arbitration partner apiece from international rivals DLA Piper and Clyde & Co, bucking the trend of international firms poaching lawyers from local firms.
SJ Berwin scraps plans to rent space left vacant by Goodwin Procter
SJ Berwin has ditched plans to let out office space in its City headquarters after initially trying to find a tenant to occupy the unused floorspace.
Slaughters joins US duo on Samsung deal with UK's CSR
Paul Hastings, Slaughter and May and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati have secured roles for longstanding clients on Samsung Electronics’ $310m (£198m) acquisition of UK chipmaker CSR’s mobile technology development business.
Slaughters targets Aussie quartet as it abandons sole best friend strategy
Slaughter and May has drawn up a list of four preferred local firms to work with in Australia in the wake of Linklaters’ alliance deal with Allens.
Spain's Cuatrecasas looks to trim partnership in wake of all-equity move
Iberian firm Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira has put 28 non-equity partners on notice that they must improve their performance or leave the firm, just months after announcing plans to to move to an all-equity partnership.
Speechly Bircham revenue drop shows impact of RBS loss
Speechly Bircham has posted a fall in revenue for the 2011-12 financial year, with total fee income down by 3 per cent from £59.5m to £57.6m.
Stephenson Harwood turnover nudges up 3 per cent as PEP falls
Stephenson Harwood has announced a 3 per cent turnover hike for the 2011-12 financial year, with the rise coming amid an 18 per cent drop in the firm’s average profit per equity partner (PEP).
Stewarts Law sets up litigation funding vehicle
Stewarts Law has established a corporate investment vehicle to allow its equity partners to invest in litigation in a tax-efficient manner.
Stibbe partner seeks new challenge in wake of collapse of Herbert Smith alliance
The Stibbe partner who was in charge of managing Herbert Smith’s international alliance before it disbanded in 2011 is leaving the firm to establish a boutique.
Stone King focuses on education with partner addition
Bath firm Stone King has hired education specialist John Clarke from Maitland Walker, making him the firm’s second high-profile hire in this sector in a matter of months.
Sullivan & Cromwell wins epic antitrust battle for Microsoft
Seven years of litigation came to an end last week when a US District Court judge dismissed Novell’s antitrust case against longstanding Sullivan & Cromwell client Microsoft.
Summer slog for sports and IP lawyers
Sports lawyers are in demand this summer with London hosting the Olympic Games. Yesterday’s High Court ruling in Leeds United FC v West Yorkshire Police over who should pick up the tab for policing matches is expected to keep the footballing lawyers busy this summer.
Texture
Brecher managing partner Nicky Richmond is somewhat underwhelmed by the food-as-art at Texture
The bar's revolution
The bar has always relied on solicitor contacts for work referrals, but that tide is turning, says Katy Dowell
The Dewey dilemma: pay up or risk it
What a choice: pay the Dewey & LeBoeuf estate up to $3m (£1.9m) each or risk years of litigation as creditors seek payment.
Theo Paphitis hires Reed Smith as BLP and CMS win roles on Robert Dyas buy
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), CMS Cameron McKenna and Reed Smith snatched roles on the acquisition of hardware chain Robert Dyas by Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis.
Travers Smith sees PEP soar by 24 per cent at end of strong 2011-12
Travers Smith has posted a 16 per cent increase in turnover for the 2011-12 financial year, with average profit per equity partner (PEP) jumping 24 per cent despite a static equity partner count.
Treasury Committee instructs Devereux Chambers' Jonathan Fisher QC on Libor investigation
The Treasury Committee has turned to Devereux Chambers corporate and financial crime silk Jonathan Fisher QC to advise it on an investigation into the ongoing fallout from the Libor scandal.
Trowers senior partner-elect set to refresh the brand
Trowers & Hamlins’incoming senior partner has vowed to refresh the firm’s brand when she takes office next year.
Turnover rises 9 per cent for Anthony Collins
Birmingham-based firm Anthony Collins Solicitors has posted a nine per cent increase in turnover for 2011-12.
Unsecured Dewey UK creditors to miss out on £5.2m in payments
Dewey & LeBoeuf’s London and Paris operations had unsecured creditors who were owed a total of £5.2m, with almost none of this amount set to be paid, according to a report by the defunct US firm’s UK administrator.
Weil adds further City restructuring partner with Hogan Lovells hire
Weil Gotshal & Manges has continued the expansion of its London restructuring team with the hire of Hogan Lovells partner Alexander Wood.
Withers promotes five as turnover rises by 12 per cent
Withers has announced a bumper round of partner promotions, with five added to its partnership.
