Maria joined The Lawyer in November 2021 as a reporter. She primarily covers litigation and the Bar. She tweets @TheLawyerMaria
The UK boss of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has been appointed to the position of global senior partner. Segun Osuntokun will take up the newly-created role from 1 January, supporting the firm’s sole CEO Steve Baumer. Osuntokun joined the firm in 2008 as a partner in the litigation and corporate risk practice, and was […]
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is liaising with law enforcement authorities over allegations made regarding embattled firm Axiom Ince, as the Metropolitan Police Service confirms a referral was passed on by the regulator. In August, the regulator suspended three partners from Axiom Ince, the firm that acquired Ince Group just four months before and was […]
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has lost one of its disputes partners to another US rival in the CIty. Arbitration specialist Melis Acuner has joined Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan after more than five years at Cadwalader. Before that she was at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, which she joined in 2008 as an associate […]
The former managing partner of the Ince Group has relocated to a national firm to oversee its London markets practice. HF Solicitors has hired Jennette Newman as partner and head of London markets. Her new role comes less than a month since she departed Ince’s new owner, Axiom Ince. Newman said in a statement: “I’m […]
Clifford Chance has tried to distance its French office from a professional negligence claim filed by Société Générale (SocGen). At an application hearing today before Mr Justice Henshaw, both parties argued over jurisdictional issues. Clifford Chance has filed a claim that seeks declaration it was its British business that was instructed for the French bank, […]
An application was made today to extend a freezing order imposed on Axiom Ince’s former managing partner, which prevents him from dealing with over £64m that his firm alleges has been “paid away” from its client account. According to documents, Axiom Ince’s legal team applied to extend the freezing order that was imposed last week, […]
The law firm representing the former boss of Axiom Ince has called upon a consultant to work alongside it as it continues to challenge a breach of fiduciary duty claim filed against its client. It was revealed last week that managing director Timur Rustem of Rustem Guardian Solicitors has been instructed to defend Pragnesh Modhwadia, […]
As the UK National Lottery’s licence dispute comes to an end, Lord Justice Coulson ruled today that International Game Technology (IGT) is liable to pay millions of pounds in legal fees. IGT lined up a case against the Gambling Commission in April 2022 year following the decision to award the National Lottery licence to Czech […]
From Ince acquirer to suspended by the regulator – last week it was revealed that the former managing partner of Axiom Ince had been hit with a freezing order from his old firm. What more can be gleaned from this latest development? Pragnesh Modhwadia has found himself at the centre of regulatory scrutiny ever since he […]
A partner from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) was quizzed today as part of the Post Office Horizon Inquiry, specifically over the firm’s document review processes. The inquiry, heard before Sir Wyn Williams, is scrutinising what could be described as one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in British legal history, which resulted in the […]
DAC Beachcroft has formed an association with an independent Singapore firm that had previously worked in tandem with Ince’s international network. DACB has teamed up with Incisive Law, a local firm that was known up until earlier this year as Ince Singapore. Incisive Law had been allied with Ince since 2011, but it cut ties […]
The ex-managing partner of Axiom Ince has instructed solicitors to defend him against a claim filed by his former firm. Axiom Ince called on Devonshires Solicitors partner Philip Barden to issue a breach of fiduciary duty claim against Pragnesh Modhwadia. Modhwadia has instructed Rustem Guardian Solicitors, a City firm based in Holborn that specialises in […]