Edin Imsirovic

Blundell

White & Case lands Macfarlanes corporate crime boss

Macfarlanes’ corporate crime and investigations leader is leaving to head up the white collar team at White & Case in London, The Lawyer can reveal. Neill Blundell is making the move, having spent more than five years at Macfarlanes. He joined from Eversheds Sutherland in 2018, having spent more than 10 years at the firm where […]

Day off

Slaughters makes ‘switch-flick’ model permanent

One of the job design pilots for associates at Slaughter and May, which has been trialled since 2021, will be made permanent from January. The “Switch On/Off model” will allow associates to reduce to either a 0.9 or 0.8 full time equivalent with pay and holiday pro-rated accordingly. When Slaughters associates are billing, they will […]

Paul Weiss set to hire Linklaters competition partner

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison is set to hire another Linklaters partner to join its burgeoning London ranks, this time to grow the firm’s competition practice. Nicole Kar is understood to be moving having spent more than 20 years at Linklaters. Joining the magic circle firm in 2001, she was given the nod to […]

22 Bishopsgate

Skadden makes second finance hire this month

Skadden has further bolstered its leveraged finance team with a second hire this month, this time bringing in a high-yield partner from Linklaters. Noel Hughes is a high-yield partner at Linklaters and has spent almost two years at the firm. He previously spent four years at Vinson & Elkins, and has also worked at Sidley […]

KFC

Skadden and Linklaters lead on sale of KFC restaurants

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Linklaters are the two firms that have won roles on the sale of KFC’s 218 restaurants in the UK by EG Group to Yum! brands’ KFC division. Skadden fielded a team for its longstanding client EG Group, spearheaded by corporate co-head George Knighton in the driving seat with […]

Hong Kong

Winston & Strawn to close Hong Kong office

Winston & Strawn is the latest firm preparing to close its office in Hong Kong, though its joint venture in the region will continue. The Lawyer understands the office will close after Chinese New Year. The firm has nine lawyers in Hong Kong, with four of them being partners. The firm will continue to operate […]

liverpool street london

Willkie lures new recruit from Latham

Willkie Farr & Gallagher is set to bolster its London ranks by hiring a high-profile restructuring partner from Latham & Watkins. Simon Baskerville has spent nearly eight years as a partner at Latham & Watkins and served as the global vice chair of restructuring and special situations. He previously trained at Ashurst and was given […]

Heathrow Airport

Clifford Chance and Latham score roles on £3bn Heathrow buyout

Clifford Chance and Latham & Watkins have scored mandates on the acquisition of a stake in Heathrow Airport by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF and Ardian. The Lawyer has learnt that Latham advised its long-standing client, the PIF. The Lawyer understands the relationship manager for the PIF is UAE-based finance partner Harj Rai, who […]

Sumroy-Rob

Slaughters debuts new tech group for clients

Slaughter and May has appointed new co-heads for its financial institutions and technology practices amid an internal practice leadership reshuffle. Highlighting the importance of technology advice across all sectors, the firm has established a technology cross-stream practice, which will be helmed by corporate partner James Cook, competition partner Jordan Ellison and tech expert Rob Sumroy. […]

Hotel Chocolat

Freshfields and HSF seal £534m Hotel Chocolat deal

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Herbert Smith Freehills have been instructed to wrap up the £534m buy-out of boutique chocolatier Hotel Chocolat by confectionary conglomerate Mars. The magic circle firm is advising Mars, fielded by corporate partners Piers Prichard Jones and Victoria Sigeti, senior associate Angus Scott and associate Nikki Willson. Mars is a longstanding client […]

Allen Overy

A&O to expand cyber team with Norton Rose Fulbright hires

Allen & Overy is set to bulk up its data security and litigation team with new hires from Norton Rose Fulbright. Ffion Flockhart is joining the magic circle firm, The Lawyer has learnt, having co-led Norton Rose’s global data protection, privacy and cybersecurity practice. Flockhart is a lifer at Norton Rose and was given the […]