Online September 2012
The Lawyer
Samsung wins in regard to Apple ‘over-wide’ patent claims
The UK High Court has ruled that although there is indeed similarity between Samsung’s tablet and Apple’s patents, there is no actual infringement.
3 Paper Buildings appoints new head
3 Paper Buildings has installed Ian Lawrie QC as head of chambers as the set breaks into a new era of development.
A life outside the mega-firms
On The Lawyer today there are two heartwarming stories of firms keen to carve out a space for themselves in the new legal world order.
A&O and CC win roles on landmark Malaysian sukuk amid country push
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Clifford Chance have been called in to advise on Malaysian telecom group Axiata’s issuance of a 2-year RMB1bn sukuk, one of the largest of its type in the South East Asian country.
A&O and Freshfields lead as Maersk sails into Russian cargo market
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Freshfields have taken the lead roles on a strategic partnership between the ports arm of Danish shipping group AP Moller-Maersk and logistics group N-Trans, which owns a controlling stake in Russia’s Global Ports Investments.
A&O increases bank loan facilities
Allen & Overy (A&O) has increased its banking facilities more than 15 per cent while partner capital rose 4 per cent over the course of 2011-12 - an expansive 12 months for the firm.
A&O splits with Indian best friend after liberalisation disappointment
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Indian firm Trilegal have ended their referral agreement, blaming India’s failure to liberalise its legal market for the split.
A&O takes two partners from Freshfields in New York
Allen & Overy (A&O) has hired two energy and infrastructure partners from magic circle rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New York.
A&O, Freshfields and Shearman advise as US exchange ICE goes Dutch
Allen & Overy (A&O), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Shearman & Sterling have won roles advising on IntercontinentalExchange’s (ICE) acquisition of a stake in Dutch energy exchange company APX-Endex’s gas and power derivatives business.
A&O, Linklaters and Slaughters lead as RBS floats Direct Line
Allen & Overy (A&O), Linklaters and Slaughter and May are advising as the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) plans to float Direct Line Insurance in one of the biggest IPOs of the year.
A&O, Shearman advise on $900m Israeli gas field financing
Allen & Overy (A&O) has closed the biggest ever internationally-led project finance deal in Israel, advising Delek Drilling, Avner Oil Exploration and Dor Gas Explorations as sponsors on the US$900m (£562m) financing of the development of the Tamar gas field, first discovered 50 miles off the coast of Israel in January 2009.
A&O's tale of bar-crossed lovers
They wanted desperately for things to work out, but they faced an insurmountable obstacle - the Indian government.
ABI sues over personal injury judgment that changes damages policy
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is preparing to go into battle with the claimant lobby after the Court of Appeal (CoA) said damages should be raised by 10 per cent from April next year.
Addleshaws and Hogan Lovells take roles on rare pharma IPO
Addleshaw Goddard and Hogan Lovells are among the firms to have advised on the £135m Aim listing of pharmaceutical company Clinigen, a rare UK IPO for the industry.
Addleshaws squares up to Freshfields over £5m Berezovsky bill
Addleshaw Goddard is preparing to go into battle with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer over £5m billed by the magic circle firm for the defence of Russian metal magnate Vasily Anisimov in the mammoth Berezovsky v Abramovich case.
Addleshaws, Ashurst and Nabarro off to the races on Sportingbet bids
Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst and Nabarro are the advisers behind William Hill and GVC Holdings’ bids for online betting service Sportingbet.
Akin Gump names new Beijing chief
Akin Gump has named corporate partner William Rosoff as head of its Beijing office, replacing international trade partner Spencer Griffith who will relocated back to the firm’s Washington DC office.
Allen & Overy lawyer killed in Nepal plane crash
A young lawyer from Allen & Overy (A&O) was among those killed in a plane crash in Nepal this morning (28 September).
Allens and Linklaters unveil joint leadership of Asia JV
Linklaters partners Christopher Kelly and Christopher Bradley and Allens partner Nic Tole´ will lead the aligned firms’ alliance joint ventures in Asia.
Allens to close China offices to move in with ally Linklaters
Allens’ Beijing and Shanghai offices are in the process of winding down, with staff from both offices set to move into Linklaters’ Beijing premises.
Another Dewey partner makes claims
Earlier this summer former Dewey & LeBoeuf IP partner Henry Bunsow brought a law suit against the defunct firm’s senior management alleging they had run a Ponzi scheme, securing capital contributions from new joiners that they knew they could not repay.
Appeal court dismisses Clydes whistleblowing claim, allows discrimination case
The Court of Appeal (CoA) has dismissed claims made against Clyde & Co by whistleblower and former partner Krista Bates van Winkelhof but ruled that her pregnancy, sex discrimination employment case against the firm can continue.
Ashurst hearts Blakes
It’s so sweet when a couple is in love and they start mirroring each other’s behaviour.
Ashurst hires Nabarro's Travers in property litigation boost
Ashurst has hired Nabarro real estate litigation head Iain Travers in a move to bulk up its property disputes offering, which was hit by the departure of practice head Michael Madden last year.
Ashurst seeks partner cash injection after Australian merger
Firm boosts capital in bid to synchronise UK, Australian capital structures
Ashurst taps Allen & Overy for Hong Kong disputes partner
Ashurst has hired senior litigation partner Angus Ross from Allen & Overy’s Hong Kong office in a bid to build its Asia dispute resolution practice.
Ashurst turns to Mayer Brown for Frankfurt hire
Ashurst has appointed tax specialist Heiko Penndorf as a partner in its Frankfurt office.
Atkin Chambers appoints first chief executive
Construction and shipping set Atkin Chambers has appointed its first chief executive after a year-long search.
Back to business
Les grandes vacances are over, and in Paris several firms have marked the rentrée - or return to school - by bulking up their presence.
Baker Botts installs new City boss ahead of growth campaign
Baker Botts has appointed a new London head in the shape of Steve Wardlaw, an energy lawyer and the former head of the US firm’s Moscow office.
Bar Council launches third-party client money account
In a move badged as enabling wider access to the bar, the Bar Council has launched a third-party escrow account to handle client payments.
BDO ordered to release Halliwells' Deloitte files
A group of 34 former Halliwells fixed-share partners (FSPs) have won a High Court battle against the failed firm’s liquidators, BDO, after the court ordered the defendant to disclose previously withheld documents concerning the administration.
Berezovsky withdraws raft of chancery claims
Addleshaw Goddard has been left with a slimmed-down legal fight for Boris Berezovsky in the Chancery Court after the billionaire withdrew a raft of his claims against his opponents.
Berwin Leighton Paisner launches Dubai office
Berwin Leighton Paisner has opened an office in Dubai, its second office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following Abu Dhabi.
BLP picks up Norton Rose corporate star Stanier
Norton Rose corporate specialist Julian Stanier has quit the firm to join Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) as a partner.
Bond Pearce and Dickie Dees' artistic symmetry
You couldn’t make it up. Well, actually you could. Just look at the numbers.
Border Agency faces London Met Brick bat
London Metropolitan University has turned to Brick Court Chambers in its fight against the UK Border Agency (UKBA), which has revoked its licence to sponsor international students.
Branding a sweet spot for law firms, research finds
According to research into branding which has compared favourite chocolates with well-known law firms, Berwin Leighton Paisner was compared by a focus panel to Hotel Chocolat because of its high quality, creative image.
Brick Court leads London Metropolitan University's JR bid
Penningtons has instructed Brick Court Chambers’ Richard Gordon QC to represent London Metropolitan University in its battle with the government over its future.
Brits a go go for US firms in London
There’s a lot of rotation going on at US firms in London right now.
Brussels employment boutique launched by Stibbe and FFW trio
A trio of partners from Benelux firm Stibbe and Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) have teamed up to launch a Brussels employment boutique.
Cadwalader ramps up rebuild with Linklaters hire
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has hired one of the City’s best-regarded financial restructuring and insolvency lawyers, Linklaters’ Yushan Ng, as a partner in its London office.
Carnage at LawRocks as Squire Sanders snatches victory
There were ugly scenes at London’s iconic 100 Club last night as LawRocks debutante Squire Sanders snatched an unexpected, and in certain quarters highly unpopular, victory from hot favourites Landmark Chambers and the Practical Law Company.
Cherney v Deripaska: £1bn case settles ahead of court showdown
The £1bn court battle between Rusal chief executive Oleg Deripaska and businessman Michael Cherney has been settled ahead of the resumption of the case at the Rolls Building next week.
China's DeHeng adds Brussels capability with ex-DLA Piper hire
DeHeng Law Offices, one of China’s largest law firms, has appointed Brussels-based competition lawyer Frank Fine as a senior counsel in anticipation of increasing European Commission investigations on Chinese companies.
Clarke Willmott wins HSBC negligence claim in CoA
Clarke Willmott has emerged victorious in the Court of Appeal (CoA) on behalf of a client who lost nearly £200,000 after HSBC advised him to invest in a product which was later closed after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
Cleary and Freshfields win roles as MegaFon plans $4bn London IPO
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have taken advisory roles as Russian telecoms group MegaFon prepares to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in the coming weeks, with an IPO tipped to raise up to $4bn (£2.5bn).
Cleary and Linklaters act as Russia's Sberbank poised for London-Moscow SPO
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Linklaters have landed roles on Sberbank’s long-awaited secondary public offering (SPO), which will see the bank raise $5.4bn in London and Moscow.
Cleary and Sullivan steer Colombian bank's $1bn debt offering
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Sullivan & Cromwell have acted as lead advisers as Colombia’s Bancolombia completed its $1.15bn (£700m) debt offering on the international markets.
Cleary to launch in Abu Dhabi
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has launched in Abu Dhabi, marking the firm’s first outpost on the ground in the Middle East.
Cleary, Linklaters, McDermott and Paul Hastings prepare for Seoul launches
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, McDermott Will & Emery, and Paul Hastings have gained approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Justice to open offices in Seoul, while Linklaters has become the latest UK firm to file an application.
Clifford Chance and Freshfields advise as BAE and EADS mull tie-up
Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have won roles alongside a string of local firms on the potential tie-up of European defence giants EADS and BAE Systems.
Clifford Chance and US duo fuel €750m Turkish power plant financing
Clifford Chance, Paul Hastings and White & Case have led on the signing of a €750m (£600m) loan to finance the construction of a 450MW lignite-fired power plant and related lignite mine and limestone quarries project in Tufanbeyli in Turkey.
Clifford Chance offers voluntary sabbaticals to Singapore lawyers
Clifford Chance has asked capital markets associates in its Singapore office to take voluntary sabbaticals until the end of the year as the firm reacts to a downturn in work in the region.
Clifford Chance takes lead role on Guardian Care Homes case for Barclays
Clifford Chance has taken over the lead role for Barclays in the high-profile Guardian Care Homes Libor and misselling case.
Clifford Chance's Hyde to lead Asia Pac finance team
Clifford Chance is relocating its global head of restructuring and insolvency, Mark Hyde, to Hong Kong to lead its Asia Pacific finance team.
Cloth Fair and Matrix lead defence as Brooks and Coulson face hacking charges
Cloth Fair Chambers’ John Kelsey-Fry QC and Matrix Chambers’ Clare Montgomery QC lined up as defence counsel at the Old Bailey today as Rebekah Brooks and a host of others associated with defunct tabloid News of the World (NoW) and the phone-hacking scandal discovered they would not face court for another year.
CMS launches Beijing office to tap China's life sciences sector
CMS has opened an office in Beijing as part of a joint venture between the firm’s UK member CMS Cameron McKenna and German firm CMS Hasche Sigle.
CMS launches in Dubai for energy focus
CMS has opened its new office in Dubai to take advantage of the growing energy market in the region.
Cobbetts agrees strategic alliance in Saudi Arabia
Cobbetts has agreed a link-up with a Saudi Arabian lawyer in a bid to capture work coming out of the region.
Cobbetts of Arabia
One is the story of a flamboyant and controversial British military figure blazing a path to glory in the Arabian desert.
Competition clash
Claims for competition cases are expected to rocket next year with litigators reporting an renewed interest in follow-on damages claims from corporate clients.
Construction boutique Fenwick Elliott mulls Doha launch
Construction specialist Fenwick Elliott is mulling plans to establish an international footprint with an office launch in Doha.
Co-op goes further so you don't have to
Following Co-operative Legal Services’ (CLS) announcement earlier this year that it was going to start recruiting on a biblical scale by creating some 3,000 jobs, the company has now created a roster of barristers’ chambers to give it access to ‘every court in the ...
Co-op pledges "no nasty surprises" as it launches fixed-fee family law operation
Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) has launched its family law operation offering fixed fees for services such as divorce, child protection, mediation and financial issues.
Cosmetics giant Avon appoints new GC
International cosmetics company Avon has appointed Jeff Benjamin as its new general counsel and senior vice president following the July departure of former general counsel Kim Rucker to Kraft Foods.
Covington hires 2Birds partner for Shanghai launch
Washington DC headquartered Covington & Burling has recruited a partner from Bird & Bird’s Shanghai office as the firm prepares to open its second office in China.
Cuatrecasas chairman called to give evidence against tax fraud allegations
The chair of Iberian firm Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira, Emilio Cuatrecasas, has been called to give evidence on allegations of tax fraud made against him totalling an estimated €3.7m (£2.9bn)
David Allen Green, Head of Media, Preiskel & Co LLP
We asked how will the media legal landscape develop in a post-Leveson environment?
Davis Polk and Shearman lead on Santander's $4.3bn Mexican float
Davis Polk & Wardwell and Shearman & Sterling have taken advisory roles as Banco Santander prepares to list its Mexican subsidiary in New York and Mexico, aiming to raise an estimated $4.3bn (£2.7bn).
Dechert set for China growth after being granted Shanghai licence
Dechert is set for growth in China after the firm secured a licence to launch a Shanghai base, which will be the firm’s third location in Asia.
Defamation cases down due to Leveson and privacy laws
Defamation cases fell by 15 per cent in the past year due to the scrutiny of the media and an increasing use of privacy law, research suggests.
Deripaska shakes up Rusal legal team
Rusal chief legal officer, Igor Makarov, has been promoted to deputy chief executive officer for legal affairs at Basic Element, the holding company owned by Rusal chief executive Oleg Deripaska.
Dewey CFO finds new home at Florida firm Greenspoon
Former Dewey & LeBoeuf CFO Joel Sanders has resurfaced in the same role at Florida law firm Greenspoon Marder.
Dickinson Dees and Bond Pearce in talks to create £92m firm
North East firm Dickinson Dees and South West firm Bond Pearce are discussing a potential merger which would catapult the combined firm into the UK’s top 40.
Divorce star Ward leaves Manches for Stewarts
Manches’ star family partner Helen Ward has quit the firm for rival Stewarts Law.
DLA grows in Paris with 2Birds employment hire
DLA Piper has expanded its employment team in Paris with the hire of partner Philippe Danesi from Bird & Bird.
DLA Piper appoints first female head as co-managing partner
DLA Piper has appointed co-managing partners, including the first woman in the role in the history of the firm, to lead the US side of the business
DLA Piper pulls out the stops in bid to win Levi Strauss work
DLA Piper drafted in some 20-plus partners to wow Levi Strauss & Co’s legal team at a pitch for a Europe-wide mandate earlier this year.
DLA prepares for Seoul launch
DLA Piper is gearing up to open an office in Seoul after beginning its application to South Korea’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
DMH Stallard seals merger with Surrey-based Callaghans
DMH Stallard has announced the completion of its merger with Surrey-based Callaghans, which specialises in property, litigation and private client work.
Doughty Street raids Tooks in double swoop for crime duo
Doughty Street Chambers has made a double raid on Tooks Chambers for star silk Tim Moloney QC and junior Tatyana Eatwell.
DWF plans further Scottish expansion
DWF managing partner Andrew Leaitherland has said the firm is on the lookout for further growth in Scotland.
Eon names new legal head as it unveils results of 'blind' panel tender
Energy giant Eon has named assets and supply chain head Graham Line as its new UK head of legal in a move that is intended to overhaul how the company structures its legal spend across Europe.
European Awards Judging 2012 video
At a judging session in September the European Awards judging panel debated shortlisted entrants and came up with the winning firms. Afterwards judges gave their thoughts on the entrants and the European legal market.
European moves: 20 September 2012
All the latest partner hires and other appointments within Continental European firms and offices.
European moves: 6 September 2012
All the latest partner hires and other appointments within Continental European firms and offices.
Eversheds secures long-awaited Beijing licence
Eversheds has secured a licence from the Chinese government to establish an office in Beijing.
Eversheds takes star competition partner from SJ Berwin
Eversheds has raided SJ Berwin for competition partner Lesley Farrell in a boost for the firm’s EU, competition and regulatory group.
Ex-Dewey partner claims Citibank conspired to lure laterals
A former Dewey & LeBoeuf partner is attempting to block Citibank securing a summary judgment against him by arguing that the bank colluded with the now-defunct firm to entice lateral hires in the run-up to the firm’s collapse this year.
Ex-Hammonds Suddards partner set to be referred to SRA over Hillsborough "cover-up"
Peter Metcalf, the former Hammond Suddards partner implicated in last week’s Hillsborough report, could face a Solicitors Regulation Authority investigation for his conduct following the 1989 tragedy.
Ex-Irwin Mitchell chair Napier joins litigation funder
Irwin Mitchell’s former chair and senior partner Michael Napier QC has joined third-party litigation funder Harbour Litigation Funding as a consultant.
Family court president Sir Nicholas Wall to step down
Sir Nicholas Wall, the president of the High Court’s family division, is to retire from the role on 1 December after two years as England and Wales’s most senior family law judge.
Female judiciary ranks swelled with High Court appointment
The Ministry of Justice has appointed three new High Court judges, including 3 Stone Buildings silk Sarah Asplin.
FFW opens talks with three top 40 firms in bid for City dominance
Field Fisher Waterhouse is in early stage merger talks with three top 40 firms, including Osborne Clarke.
Field Fisher ramps up US focus with launch of Palo Alto base
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has launched a representative office in Silicon Valley in a bid to clinch work originating in the Californian technology hub.
Filings reveal £80m legal fees earned through public takeovers
Takeovers of UK-listed companies generated legal fees totalling almost £80m in the past year, working out as an average of £1.6m per deal, research by The Lawyer reveals.
Fontana appointed as CEO as Cuatrecasas reshuffles board
Iberian firm Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira has appointed new members of its board of directors, which will see the roles of chairman and chief executive separated for the first time.
Forbes Hare launches in London with Walkers hire
Offshore firm Forbes Hare is launching a London office with the hire of former Walkers partner Catherine Ross.
Foreign Office refutes claims of issuing Magnitsky visa sanctions
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has denied claims that it has introduced a blacklist naming 60 Russian officials believed to be involved in the fraud, subsequent detention, torture and death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky
Former Hammonds partner implicated in Hillsborough cover-up
Squire Sanders’ UK legacy firm Hammond Suddards was involved in the process of “review and alteration” of police officers’ recollections about the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, a report into the tragedy has found.
Former Schillings partner Gideon Benaim joins Michael Simkins
Media firm Michael Simkins is to launch a reputation protection practice after hiring former Schillings partner Gideon Benaim.
Former Times legal head interviewed under caution by police
Alastair Brett, the former legal chief at The Times, has been interviewed under caution by police investigating allegations of computer hacking, it has emerged.
France's Lefèvre Pelletier boosts China practice with TransAsia hire
French firm Lefèvre Pelletier & Associés has added its third partner to its Chinese team, bringing on board corporate partner Emmanuel Meril.
Freshfields and Simmons raid Weil Gotshal and Linklaters for Paris partners
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simmons & Simmons have both raided rival Anglo-Saxon firms for partners in Paris.
Freshfields and Willkie Farr secure landmark fine reduction for energy giants
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Willkie Farr & Gallagher have successfully argued a reduction in the fines handed down to energy companies E.ON Ruhrgas and GDF Suez by the European Commission for alleged market sharing.
Freshfields busts Asia lockstep in bid to keep rainmakers
Freshfields has broken its traditional lockstep in Asia in a bid to remain competitive in the region’s tightening legal talent market, with two top performing partners in Hong Kong awarded considerable bonus equity points last year.
Freshfields hires ex-Sullivan partner for US litigation practice
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has hired former Sullivan & Cromwell litigation partner Michael Lacovara for its US litigation practice.
Freshfields relaunches in Singapore with partner relocations
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has reopened in Singapore five years after its 2006 withdrawal from the city state.
Freshfields signs office lease for Singapore comeback
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer first revealed its plans to relaunch in Singapore some months ago. But the firm has now leased a 8,000 sqft office in Singapore, suggesting the reopening is both imminent and serious.
Freshfields signs office lease for Singapore comeback
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, the only magic circle firm currently without a Singapore base, has signed a lease with Ocean Financial Centre, a newly-completed office building in the heart of Singapore’s CBD Raffles Place.
FSA to launch first ever investigatory panel
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is to launch its first ever panel of external advisers to carry out investigations at banks.
Germany's Görg raids rivals for insolvency launches
German firm Görg has raided two of its rival firms for a team of insolvency lawyers to launch in Hamburg and Rostock.
Gide fills London disputes gap with arbitration partner
Gide Loyrette Nouel has relocated arbitration partner Rupert Reece to its London office, six months after losing a disputes team to Brown Rudnick.
Gide rejigs Hungary management
French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel has restructured its Hungarian management team, appointing partner Eszter Kamocsay-Berta and lawyer Ákos Kovách as co-heads of its Budapest office.
Gide turnover slumps below €200m for 2011
French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel has confirmed a further drop in its turnover, with final figures for 2011 8.5 per cent below 2010’s at €192.2m (£154.1m).
Grant Shapps - the legacy
Promoted to Chairman of the Conservative Party, Grant Shapps is now leaving his role as Minister of State for Housing and Local Government.
Growth rockets for French firms
New figures released today show that the top 100 French firms are now collectively turning over almost €3.2bn (£2.5bn), a 412 per cent increase from 20 years ago.
Guohua (Annie) Wu: JT&N Law Firm, Beijing, China
What was your first-ever job? (prior to becoming a lawyer): Immediately after graduating from Jilin Law School I moved to Beijing and worked asa retail sales clerk in a department storewhile waiting for my Beijing residence card. It was a rewarding and fun experience.
Halebury to double in size as it chases ABS
TMT and sports firm Halebury has made a series of major hires in an ongoing recruitment drive ahead of a planned conversion to an ABS model.
Herbert Smith Freehills to eliminate Singapore duplication
Legacy Herbert Smith and Freehills lawyers are set to combine under one roof in Singapore – the only jurisdiction where the merged firm has duplicate offices.
Herbert Smith redeploys Hong Kong associates amid IPO slump
Herbert Smith has been forced to second Hong Kong associates to clients, other practice areas and offices following the cliff-dive in capital markets work in the region.
Herbert Smith snaps up Salans' Moscow disputes head
Herbert Smith has hired Moscow-based disputes partner Alexei Panich from Salans to help fill the gap left by the departure of the firm’s Moscow disputes head in June.
Herbies chief delays management exit to oversee Freehills integration
Firm expects to appoint a single chief executive when David Willis stand down
Hillsborough and SYPs Lawyers
The Independent Panel on the Hillsborough disaster makes for very sorry reading
Hillsborough lawyers face the solicitors' watchdog
Liverpool v Manchester United tomorrow is the first game at Anfield since the Hillsborough Independent Panel (HIP) report was published earlier this month. It is set to bring an element of closure to families of the spectators who died at the stadium tragedy in 1989 - especially if the rumoured tribute by United fans takes place.
HMRC launches task force to target tax-dodging London lawyers
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has launched a task force to crack down on tax dodgers in the legal profession as another barrister faces VAT fraud charges.
Hogan Lovells quits Abu Dhabi to focus on Dubai
Hogan Lovells is to close its Abu Dhabi office before the end of the year and make Dubai its hub for the region.
Holman Fenwick Sydney head quits for Reed Smith's Hong Kong spin-off
Holman Fenwick Willan’s Sydney head David Coogans is moving to Hong Kong to join Howse Williams Bowers, a firm established earlier this year by three of Reed Smith Richards Butler’s founding partners in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong not wrong
This year birds will fly north for the winter, Slaughter and May will look to hire US lawyers in Hong Kong and cats will start barking at cars.
HSBC adds trio of US firms to expanded global panel
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Latham & Watkins and Mayer Brown have won first-time roles on HSBC’s expanded global legal panel after the bank introduced a sub-roster of US firms.
In-house beckons for successful Olympics lawyers
Olympics lawyers are in hot demand for in-house roles due to the success of the London 2012 Games, says the legal head of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Locog).
In-house counsel sign up to Prime
A raft of in-house legal teams at companies including Google and Lloyds Banking Group have partnered with law firms to support Prime, the profession-wide initiative to improve social mobility.
Insurers on the warpath
In the midst of your summer holidays and the Olympic Games, you could be forgiven for having missed the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, the outgoing Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger, and the vice president of the Court of Appeal Sir Anthony May sitting on what appeared to be a bog-standard PI appeal.
Irwin Mitchell and Salans guide Blackstone's Turkish property debut
Irwin Mitchell and Salans took roles advising on Blackstone Group’s first real estate investment in Turkey, where it has acquired a €200m (£160.8m) portfolio from Dutch property company Redevco.
Irwin Mitchell bubble punctured by MMR jab claim
The sigh of relief was audible from Sheffield to London as the ambitious firm finally got its ABS approval at the end of August.
Irwin Mitchell, Hodge Jones & Allen face negligence claim over MMR case
Irwin Mitchell and Hodge Jones & Allen have been hit with a professional negligence claim over how they case managed a group action relating to the measle, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Jeantet picks up Nixon Peabody's de Senilhes for TMT boost
French firm Jeantet Associés has turned to Nixon Peabody for the hire of TMT partner Arnaud de Senilhes.
John Kim, Partner, Lee & Ko (Seoul, Korea)
Name: John KimPosition: Partner, Lee & Ko (Seoul, Korea)
Jones Day looks to Nabarro for employment hire
Jones Day has appointed Nabarro’s employment head Julie Quinn as a partner in its London office, in a rare partner-level hire for the firm’s City employment team.
Jones Day, King & Spalding and Norton Rose lead on sharia-compliant property deal
Jones Day, King & Spalding and Norton Rose all taken roles on the sharia-compliant financing of King’s Reach Tower on London’s South Bank.
K&L Gates hands fifth term to chairman Kalis
K&L Gates has re-elected chairman Peter Kalis for a fifth consecutive term, putting him in the top role until February 2017.
K&L Gates poaches three-partner team from Sidley
The London office of K&L Gates has completed the hire of a three-partner finance team from Sidley Austin as Theresa Kradjian is added to the US firm’s finance practice.
Kelvin MacKenzie ropes in Rosenblatt for Hillsborough police apology bid
Former The Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie has turned to Rosenblatt Solicitors’ senior partner Ian Rosenblatt in a bid to extract an apology from South Yorkshire Police for the vilification he suffered in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster.
Keoghs plans ABS launch with private equity backing
North West firm Keoghs looks set to launch as an alternative business structure (ABS) in 2013 with external investment from a private equity house.
Keystone gets growth plan under way with hires from Salans and Thomas Eggar
Keystone Law has added five lawyers to its ranks, including two partners, as it sets it sights on achieving £25m turnover within the next three years.
Keystone Law lawyer tragically killed in accident in central London
A woman who died after being crushed by falling window frames in central London has been named by police as Amanda Telfer, a lawyer at Keystone Law.
King & Wood joins US and Euro firms on China-German manufacturing deal
King & Wood Mallesons, German firm Hengeler Mueller and Paul Hastings advised Chinese automotive and equipment manufacturing company Weichai Power on its €738m (£584m) investment in German forklift truck maker Kion Group, which was represented by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Gleiss Lutz.
King & Wood Mallesons moves away from pure lockstep in Australia
In a bid to meet the challenges in a more competitive market, King & Wood Mallesons’s Australian partnership has replaced its transitional lockstep remuneration system with a modified one.
Kirkland scoops role on first Chinese Icsid arbitration
Kirkland & Ellis has been instructed by Chinese insurer, Ping An Life Insurance Company, in a landmark arbitration case against the Kingdom of Belgium, believed to be the first such case to be filed by a Chinese company at the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Icsid).
Ladas & Parry IP lawyer put on sex offenders' register for bus grope
An international IP lawyer has been put on the sex offenders’ register for groping a woman on a bus.
Latham among lineup on BP's latest US sell-off
Latham & Watkins has joined Texan firm Gardere Wynne Sewell advising on BP’s $5.5bn (£4.3bn) sale of its interests in a range of oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico to US petroleum rival Plains Exploration & Production.
Lawin pursues EU law with Brussels project
Pan-Baltic firm Lawin has responded to increasing demand for EU advice from its clients by securing a Brussels base.
Lawyers' fees on Barclay brothers case could reach £20m
A number of firms instructed for various defendants in the failed claim brought by Irish property developer Patrick McKillen could be in line for a bumper pay day with total costs estimated at £20m.
Lawyers question the point of HMRC crackdown
Opinion has been split on the merits of a HMRC crackdown on tax-dodging lawyers.
Lee & Priestley and Lupton Fawcett eye Yorkshire merger
Yorkshire firms Lee & Priestley and Lupton Fawcett are in merger talks, with a tie-up potentially marking the latter’s third major consolidation deal in under four years.
Lefèvre Pelletier finds Beijing foothold through TransAsia alliance
French firm Lefèvre Pelletier & Associés has signed an alliance agreement with China’s TransAsia Lawyers, following its hire earlier this month of TransAsia partner Emmanuel Meril.
Legal services – a perfectly designed system...
I am regularly asked to speak at partner conferences and in workshops on the theme of ‘what do clients really want?’. But faced with such a theme it is hard not to dive straight into the deep end of platitudes and banality.
LegalZoom to tie up with QualitySolicitors for British launch
LegalZoom, an online legal services site based in California, is to launch in the UK later this year in an exclusive partnership with high street franchise QualitySolicitors.
Liedekerke picks up tax partner from Dexia
Belgian firm Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick has boosted its tax expertise with the hire of Laurence Pinte, formerly head of tax for Franco-Belgian bank Dexia.
Linklaters in bid to jumpstart real estate group
Linklaters is on the hunt for a partner to join its real estate practice, leading to suggestions that management’s plans to shrink the department have gone too far, The Lawyer understands.
Linklaters joins Dickson Minto as Britvic and AG Barr show thirst for merger
Dickson Minto and Linklaters are advising on merger talks between Scottish Irn-Bru maker AG Barr and Robinsons squash producer Britvic.
Linklaters launches leadership scheme to target female recruitment and retention
Linklaters has launched a Women’s Leadership Programme aimed at attracting and retaining female talent at the firm.
Linklaters pips Freshfields in China Gold pitch amid African Barrick talks
Linklaters has beaten Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in a pitch to win a first-time role for China National Gold on its talks to buy a stake in UK-listed African Barrick Gold (ABG) from Canada’s Barrick Gold.
Linklaters plugs construction gap with DLA hire
Linklaters has re-hired a former trainee who had moved to DLA Piper to fill the gap in its construction practice.
Litigation funder Burford ramps up UK team with Freeth Cartwright hire
US litigation funder Burford Capital has continued its march into the UK market with three senior hires.
Locke Lord hires Salans partner in London
Salans has lost another partner to US firm Locke Lord, with corporate specialist Rob Askew joining the Texan firm’s recently-launched London office.
Locke Lord London team joins Pinsents on motorbike brand sale
Pinsent Masons and a City team from US firm Locke Lord have advised on the sale from administration of the UK subsidiary of motorcycle clothing and accessories retailer Hein Gericke.
London Met granted permission to apply for JR over Border Agency
The London Metropolitan University (LMU) has been granted permission to apply for judicial review of the Border Agency’s decision to revoke its licence to sponsor international students.
Malaysia tightens grip on foreign law firms
Malaysia has amended its Legal Professional Act in a move that some believe will become a double-edged sword on foreign legal practices operating in the country.
Management roles announced for post-merger Howard Kennedy FSI
Howard Kennedy and Finers Stephens Innocent (FSI) have confirmed their post-merger management lineup.
Managing director of Chinese firm faces jail sentence in Hong Kong
Edward Lehman, managing director and founder of Chinese law firm Lehman Lee & Xu, has been found guilty of a second contempt of court by the Hong Kong High Court and has received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Maples boosts offshore presence in Singapore
Maples and Calder has become the latest offshore firm to open a Singapore office, relocating two partners from Hong Kong for the launch.
Matthew Arnold & Baldwin
On 13 September, in an article entitled “Barclays dumps Matthew Arnold & Baldwin for Clifford Chance in mis-selling litigation” it was wrongly stated that Matthew Arnold & Baldwin was removed from the Guardian Care Homes litigation and replaced by Clifford Chance. Matthew Arnold & Baldwin and Clifford Chance had been acting jointly in this case. Clifford Chance has since ...
Mayer Brown launches redundancy round for support staff
Mayer Brown has confirmed that it has begun a redundancy consultation in London among its support staff, four months after announcing separate plans to cut lawyers and staff from the City.
McClures hit with four-partner walkout to Harper Macleod and MacRoberts
Scottish firm Harper Macleod has boosted its public sector, housing and infrastructure team with the addition of two partners from McClure Naismith, as the latter also loses two partners to MacRoberts.
Metzner Associés lawyer instructed by Harbottles over Kate photos
French lawyer Aurélien Hamelle has been instructed for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in ongoing proceedings in Paris over the publication of topless pictures of Kate Middleton in Closer magazine.
Middle East musings for Fenwick Elliot
Stories about US and UK firms in the Middle East have been polarising, of late. On the one hand we saw Herbert Smith cutting support jobs in Dubai in May and Simmons & Simmons cutting lawyers and support staff in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in January. ...
Mishcon and Nabarro prove good fit for £220m Savile Row sale
Mishcon de Reya and Nabarro were drafted in to advise on the first purchase - a trophy property on Savile Row - by a joint venture between LaSalle Investment Management and Quantum Global Real Estate.
MoFo elects three to managing partner
Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has elected three partners to succeed Pamela Reed as managing partner when she steps down next month after 13 years in the role.
Morgan Lewis hires former Latham tax head in Paris
Morgan Lewis & Brockius has hired Christian Nouel, a tax partner at Paris-based STC Partners and former tax head at Latham & Watkins’ Paris office.
Mourant Ozannes launches in BVI with Ogier hires
Offshore firm Mourant Ozannes has launched in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), relocating one partner and hiring two lawyers from Ogier.
Much Abu (Dhabi) about nothing
Law firms’ comings and goings in the Middle East have become as much a trend of 2012 as consolidation and redundancies. Earlier this month Cobbetts announced that it had begun an alliance with a Saudi Arabian firm (20 September 2012) while Cleary Gottlieb unveiled plans for the launch ...
Nabarro's Johnston stepping down early from senior partner role
Nabarro senior partner Simon Johnston is set to stand down from the position roughly three years earlier than planned, the firm has announced.
News Corp shakes up legal team in compliance push
News Corp has appointed five group chief compliance officers, including former Davis Polk & Wardwell and WilmerHale lawyers, as part of its bid to strengthen its compliance structure.
Nomura revamps legal function as wholesale legal chief quits
Nomura has restructured its global legal team in the wake of the departure of its wholesale legal head.
Norton Rose boosts City insurance disputes with CMS's O’Connell
CMS Cameron McKenna regulatory and disputes head Liam O’Connell is set to join Norton Rose as a partner in its insurance litigation practice.
Norton Rose loses international arbitration head to Winston
Norton Rose international arbitration head Joseph Tirado has quit the firm to join US outfit Winston & Strawn, with fellow London disputes partner Steve Abraham quitting for Baker & McKenzie.
NSPCC appoints new legal chief
The NSPCC has appointed a new head of legal following the departure of Catherine Dixon, who left earlier this year to become chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority.
Number of partnerships available contracts rapidly
Rapid market consolidation, poor financial performances and the entrance of new players to the sector has had a negative impact on the number of partnership positions available, research by accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy shows.
OC and FFW plus 2 equals what exactly?
Surely it was only ever a matter of time?
Olswang ups TMT offering with hire of tech duo
Olswang has boosted its technology and outsourcing offering with the hire of a technology partner each for its London and Singapore offices.
On the box: The TV tactics of post-Jackson PI firms
Have you suffered an accident that wasn’t your fault? Well, tough, because the case is too risky to take on.
Osborne Clarke eyes Brussels launch ahead of mooted Field Fisher deal
Osborne Clarke is laying the groundwork for a launch in Brussels as the firm continues its European expansion amid merger discussions with Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW).
Paul Hastings raids Clifford Chance for structured finance partner
Clifford Chance structured finance partner Neil Hamilton is set to join US firm Paul Hastings’ London office.
Payday for Stephenson Harwood after firm shares fee risk on two-year deal
Stephenson Harwood is set to receive an uplift after completing a two-year deal for an energy client to which it charged more than half of the fees conditional on the transaction closing.
Pinsents boosts China practice with more Salans hires
Pinsent Masons has followed up its hire of two Salans partners in Shanghai by taking 13 more lawyers and 12 support staff from the European firm.
Portugal's Sérvulo & Associados appoints new managing partner
Portuguese independent Sérvulo & Associados has elected Lino Torgal as the firm’s new managing partner
Powell Gilbert beats Field Fisher Waterhouse in six-year biotech case
Boutique IP firm Powell Gilbert has secured patent validation for its client Human Genome Science (HGS) after six years of litigation.
Property boutiques eye private equity investment after £7m merger
Property specialists Cramer Pelmont and Gilbert Turner Coomber (GTC) are set to merge creating a £7m firm that is eventually looking to attract investments from private equity funds.
Raft of firms act as Mexico's Cemex brings to a close $7.2bn debt restructuring
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Clifford Chance, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Slaughter and May are among the firms that have acted on Cemex’s $7.2bn debt restructuring package.
Reed Smith formalises alliance with Greek firm Papapolitis
Reed Smith has formalised a two-year relationship with Greek firm Papapolitis & Papapolitis, signing a strategic alliance effective from this month.
RJW takes on 100 mis-selling cases against banks
Russell Jones Walker (RJW) has waded in to the interest rate swap mis-selling litigation after agreeing a deal with campaign group Bully Banks.
Salans profits rocket on back of solid year
Salans posted a 21.6 per cent increase in profit between 2011 and 2010, the firm’s LLP accounts have revealed.
Salans, SNR Denton push back merger vote
Salans and SNR Denton have delayed a vote on a merger, with partners now expected to be polled on the potential combination next month at the earliest.
Santander taps Uría for legal head as part of team restructure
Banco Santander has hired Uría Menéndez corporate finance partner Javier Illescas as the Spanish bank restructures its legal department into two separate divisions, business legal affairs and internal legal affairs.
Shakespeares to cut 54 jobs post-merger
Shakespeares looks set to axe 54 jobs following its merger with Harvey Ingram. The firm has announced proposals to make 41 back office redundancies, with a further 13 lawyers shown the door.
Shanghai bar welcomes first group of special foreign lawyer members
The Shanghai Lawyers Association has admitted the first foreign lawyers to its membership in a new initiative.
Show me the client money, says SRA in move to crackdown on abuses
Firms could be obliged to disclose client money levels to the professions’ watchdog more regularly instead of just once a year under plans being developed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Sidley Austin taps Clifford Chance for structured finance partner
Clifford Chance has seen a further exit from its structured finance practice, with partner Matthew Cahill leaving to join US firm Sidley Austin in London.
Silence is, er, aluminium
It was a legal battle that promised to lay bare the skeletons of Russia’s underworld and give the world a fascinating insight into the former Soviet Union’s bloody aluminium wars.
Sim Kwan Kiat, partner, Rajah & Tann
What was your first-ever job? (prior to becoming a lawyer): I started my working life as a lawyer.
Simmons boosts restructuring with double hire
Simmons & Simmons has boosted its restructuring capabilities in London with hires from SNR Denton and Deutsche Bank.
Simmons rehires partner to staff nascent Bristol office
Simmons & Simmons has convinced a former partner to return to the firm for a second time as it looks to bulk up its Bristol office.
Singapore attracts 23 licence applications
Singapore’s Ministry of Law has confirmed that 23 foreign law firms have applied for the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licence following the two-month window for applications, which closed on 31 August.
SJ Berwin and Paul Hastings among eight firms on Patron's €880m fund closing
SJ Berwin and US firm Paul Hastings have joined forces to lead private equity group Patron Capital through the closing of its latest fund.
SJ Berwin hit by double disputes exit to US firms
SJ Berwin is set to lose disputes partners Tim Beale and Justin Michaelson in a double London raid by two US firms.
SJ Berwin sends Paris founder to head Hong Kong office
SJ Berwin has relocated the founder and former managing partner of its Paris office to Hong Kong to head its office there.
SJ Berwin to reshape partnership in response to 'challenging market'
SJ Berwin is set to ask a proportion of its partners to leave in a restructuring aimed at streamlining the City firm.
SJ Berwin, Travers Smith and Mayer Brown win roles on Hamleys sale
SJ Berwin, Mayer Brown and Travers Smith have led the work on the sale of iconic London toy shop Hamleys by Icelandic bank Landsbanki to French company Groupe Ludendo.
Slaughter and May mulls launch of US practice in Hong Kong
There have been some mixed messages in Asia over the past week. First came Freshfields’ highly-anticipated relaunch in Singapore, confirming the city state’s importance. Then there was Clifford Chance’s shocking move to ask its Singapore capital markets associates to take voluntary sabbaticals, responding to a drop in demand in the market.
Slaughter and May mulls launch of US practice in Hong Kong
Slaughter and May is considering whether to add US law capability to its Hong Kong base by hiring US-qualified lawyers as part of its regular strategy review.
Slaughter and May to cut 28 secretarial jobs
Slaughter and May is looking to cut some 28 secretarial staff out of a total team of 165 in London with the firm blaming the changing role of secretaries at law firms.
SNR and Salans: Slowly deals it
The global legal market might be consolidating faster than a lawyer can file her travel expenses, but in some quarters at least the brakes have been put on expansion.
SNR Denton heads out to Africa
There are a few bleary eyes at The Lawyer this morning as the tennis fans sleepily relive the early morning glories of Andy Murray’s epic US Open win. Murray is, of course, already minted but last night’s epic five-hour battle with Novak Djokovichas turned him into a living legend.
SNR Denton Qatar partner resurfaces at World Cup committee
The SNR Denton partner who played a key role helping Qatar win its bid to host the 2022 World Cup and who resigned from the firm earlier this year has resurfaced as an adviser at the body responsible for organising the football tournament.
SNR Denton secures second South Africa tie-up
SNR Denton has added another South Africa firm to its alliance network, tying up with Black Economic Empowerment firm KapdiTwala.
SRA launches investigation into "role and conduct" of Hillsborough lawyers
The SRA has launched an investigation into the conduct of solicitors involved in the aftermath of Hillsborough.
SRA to run QLTS pilot in New York next year
The SRA will pilot overseas testing of foreign lawyers wanting to become English solicitors for the first time next year, with a multiple choice test (MCT) to be held in New York in January.
Stehlin & Associés, former Osborne Clarke alliance firm, moves into Shanghai
Stehlin & Associés, until earlier this year the French arm of Osborne Clarke’s European alliance, has moved into Shanghai in cooperation with Belgian firm De Wolf & Partners.
Stephenson Harwood continues arbitration drive with Reed Smith hire
Stephenson Harwood has added to its international arbitration practice with the hire of Reed Smith London partner Shai Wade.
Taylor Wessing hires Paris real estate team from Orrick
Taylor Wessing has added to its property group with the hire of Orrick Rambaud Martel partner Alfred Fink, who will lead the firm’s French real estate team.
Teresa Ko, China chair of Freshfields
Name: Teresa Ko Position: Chairman, China - Freshfields Bruckhaus DeringerLocation: Hong Kong
That Friday feeling
Blame it on a bunch of students if you don’t like your firm’s branding. Today’s story about a comparison between law firms and chocolate bars says as much about the lack of individuality of most firms as it does about the all-encompassing knowledge of law students.
The hunt for Hillsborough truth
The Hillsborough Files are recommended reading for anyone with an interest in justice.
Thrings to ringfence personal injury arm in separate ABS
Bath-headquartered Thrings is seeking to separate its personal injury (PI) business as an ABS but is mulling going down the independent body route first to avoid what it sees as an application “bottleneck” at the SRA.
Topless pictures of Kate Middleton: Harbottle & Lewis instructed
Harbottle & Lewis has picked up its second Royal Family privacy instruction in a matter of weeks amidst a storm over topless pictures of Kate Middleton.
Travers launches associate pay review
Travers Smith has launched a review into its associate pay system as it looks to assess how its rigid lockstep for legal staff compares with the rest of the market.
Travers Smith managing partner Andrew Lilley extends his term
Travers Smith managing partner Andrew Lilley has been appointed to the role for a further two years, with the City firm chief set to return to fee-earning at the end of 2014.
Two more Chinese firms open in Hong Kong
Two Beijing-based firms Fangda & Partners and Jia Yuan Law Offices have launched bases in Hong Kong.
Two-partner firm folds after losing client
A two-partner firm with offices across London and Kent has entered administration after losing a large personal injury claim services contract.
US trio lands roles on $1.15bn Mexichem bond offering
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Ritch Mueller and White & Case have all scooped roles as Mexichem issues a $1.15bn (£700m) two-tranche bond offering.
US venture capital boutique launches into Beijing with DLA Piper duo
Silicon Valley-based Gunderson Dettmer has poached two partners from DLA Piper’s Beijing office to launch its first overseas presence in China’s capital city.
Vinson & Elkins names new Beijing managing partner
Vinson & Elkins has elected Robert Patterson as Beijing managing partner, two years after his relocation from Moscow.
Walker Morris recruits OFT's consumer credit director
Leeds firm Walker Morris has appointed the Office of Fair Trading (OFT)’s former director of consumer credit, Ray Watson, in a boost for its regulatory team.
What price a competition lawyer... $3bn?
Competition lawyers are worth their weight in gold.
White & Case joins European duo on $1.2bn Chinese loan to Telefónica
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Uría Menéndez and White & Case have all landed roles advising the China Development Bank (CDB) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on a $1.2bn (£740m) loan to Telefónica.
Why us? HMRC unleashes crackdown on barrister tax avoidance
Could it be the proverbial ‘boy who cried wolf’ with the HMRC launching a task force to crackdown on tax-dodging London lawyers?
Wilson Sonsini launches Hong Kong law practice
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has become the latest US firm to add Hong Kong law capability to its offerings.
Winston appoints new London head amid wholesale management change
Winston & Strawn has unveiled a raft of management changes including the appointment of a new office managing partner for its London office.
Wolf Theiss launches in Poland with Beiten office
Austrian-headquartered Wolf Theiss is opening in Warsaw through the acquisition of German firm Beiten Burkhardt’s entire local office.
