Freshfields and Gibson Dunn score roles on $5bn Sky Bet sale
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has scored the top role in CVC Capital Partners’ sale of Sky Betting and Gaming to online gaming operator Stars Group for nearly $5bn.
Skadden drives PE growth in Germany with Gleiss Lutz hire
Gleiss Lutz has suffered a rare partner exit, losing its co-head of private equity to Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.
Slaughters and Linklaters lead in bid battle for drug maker Shire
Linklaters is acting for Takeda Pharmaceuticals in the ongoing tussle for Irish drug maker Shire, represented by Slaughter and May.
Guy Norman wins second term as Clifford Chance corporate head
Clifford Chance global head of corporate Guy Norman has been reappointed to a second term in the role, effective from 1 May.
HSF teams up with SullCrom for Weir’s largest-ever acquisition
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Sullivan & Cromwell have teamed up to advise FTSE 250 engineering company Weir on its billion-dollar acquisition of US provider Esco.
Making partner – should firms pick up the pace to promotion?
As the road to partnership gets longer, some law firms are creating alternative career pathways to manage talent retention.
High society: Canada braces for cannabis M&A boom
The recreational drugs trade is rarely thought of as a sector for M&A lawyers to capitalise on, but in Canada that is exactly what is happening. The Canadian government has just introduced laws that will legalise marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes, creating opportunities for lawyers to act on M&A deals for companies looking to […]
In the shadow of Slaughter and May: how is Luminance winning clients?
Last week, South African firm Webber Wentzel announced that it was partnering with AI platform Luminance in order to automate its M&A document review. Herein lie two households, both alike in dignity: Webber Wentzel is in alliance with Linklaters, while one of Linklaters’ biggest corporate rivals, Slaughter and May, has a 5 per cent stake […]
The awkward question of succession at Bird & Bird
Critics insist Bird & Bird is a dictatorship, with CEO David Kerr ensconced at the top. It could make discussing succession a bit tricky
The magic circle’s succession problem
The day of the corporate big beast is over. What can the magic circle do to nurture its next crop of superstars?
The pivotal role GCs can play on Brexit
Boards expect their general counsel to play a pivotal role in Brexit planning. But does reality match expectations? Despite recent Brexit developments, uncertainty remains over the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Large companies are responding to this uncertainty by triggering their contingency plans. According to a survey of 100 large UK listed and unlisted […]
Ciao Mondo: Italian firms’ winning strategies abroad
The launch of BonelliErede in Egypt, Ethopia and Dubai marked a significant shift in the views of Italian firms towards internationalisation.
The four-year leap: Chinese firms’ revenues rocket after 2013
Since 2013, the Top 30 firms in China has taken giant strides forward, with average revenue and headcounts soaring.
Legal tech in Germany: “It’s no secret we’re behind the curve”
Legal tech in Germany is not at such an advanced stage as it is in UK and US law firms. As one IT director at a leading Germany firm admits: “It’s not a secret that we in Germany are a little bit behind developments in the US and UK markets.” They are, however, paying particularly close attention to […]
Personal data protection in Russia 2018
What are the principal laws on data protection? The Constitution of the Russian Federation establishes the right to privacy, including privacy of correspondence and telephone and other communications, for every individual (Art. 23) and prohibits the collection, storage, use and dissemination of the information on an individual’s private life without his/her consent…
Checking the Russian counterparty before the transaction
In Russia, on the participant of legal relations is entrusted serious risks associated with the manifestation of due diligence and prudence, which are often a condition for the subsequent protection of rights before state bodies and courts, including in disputing transactions. When is the collection of actual information on the counterparty necessary?
Luxembourg: Modernisation of the limited partnership regime
The limited partnership legislation in Luxembourg has been modernised by the Luxembourg law dated 10 July 2013 (the Law) in ways that assist the establishment of vehicles suitable for structuring liquid or illiquid funds and unregulated and regulated funds. The Law also transposed Directive 2011/61/EU on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (the AIFMD) into Luxembourg domestic law. […]
Ireland: Reinstatement awarded following summary dismissal
In a recent decision of the Workplace Relations Commission, a bank has been ordered to reinstate a dismissed employee where it was found that the bank had insufficient grounds to uphold the allegations for which the complainant was summarily dismissed…
Why the FAPL TV rights decline was natural and inevitable
By Stephen Hornsby To justify this headline claim, it is necessary to go back a bit. Prior to the creation of FAPL, football’s domestic prime events were not televised much – mainly because clubs wanted to maintain live high attendance levels and feared that live broadcasting of matches would reduce ticket sales. There was a weekly domestic league highlights package (Match […]
Proposal to ban unfair trading practices in the food supply chain
On 12 April 2018, the European Commission published its proposal for a Directive on unfair trading practices (UTP) in business-to-business relationships in the food supply chain. The aim of the proposal is to reduce the occurrence of UTPs in the food supply chain by introducing a minimum common standard of protection across the EU…
Luxembourg introduces VAT grouping regime
Take away: Bill of law: following existing VAT grouping regimes in other EU Member States, the Luxembourg Government has now proposed the adoption of a VAT grouping regime in Luxembourg. The relevant bill of law, still subject to discussions and voting in the Parliament, is expected to enter into force on 31 July 2018. Potential […]
Recent developments in Irish immigration law
By Jennifer O’Neill and Aoife Bradley Jennifer O’Neill’s review of recent changes to Irish immigration law and policy will be of practical assistance to employers based in Ireland or overseas, that wish to engage non-EEA employees, or to relocate employees to Ireland…
Legal issues when funding your venture without a bank loan in Austria, Romania and Slovakia
The global financial crisis of 2008/09 resulted in a shortage of available finance for a wide range of borrowers. Not only were banks forced to de-leverage their balance sheets, but more stringent capital adequacy requirement rules also led to a downturn in bank lending volumes. This urged the need for a new source of liquidity […]
Turkey: Can your salary be paid in Bitcoin?
Bitcoin can be briefly defined as a new virtual payment system. It provides an online payment opportunity for the purchase of goods and services. Transactions in Bitcoin can be made between users without the need of an intermediary, as the system that does not require a central pool or sole manager, making it the first […]
Regulations on decommissioning of oil and gas facilities
Presidential Decree 91/18 of 10 April 2018 (“PD 91/18”) enacted the regulations on abandonment and decommissioning of upstream oil and gas facilities located in Angola. Below you will find an overview of PD 91/18…
Angola: What is new in public procurement
Presidential Decree 88/18 came into force on 6 April and establishes the rules for the organization and operation of the Unidades de Contratação Pública [Public Procurement Units] (“UCP”). These Units will intervene at the stages of formation and management of projects and contracts executed by Entidades Públicas Contratantes [Public Contracting Entities] (“EPC”), i.e., public entities […]