Microsoft lawyers have slammed the European Commission for charging the conglomerate with failing to comply with its antitrust ruling of 2004, complaining the competition regulator has continued to move the goalposts. EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes found Microsoft had supplied incomplete and inaccurate information about its Windows operating system. A source close to the case […]
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has won instructions from the administrators appointed to off-licence chain Unwins and music retailer MVC. KPMG Corporate Recovery has been appointed to oversee the administration of Unwins by its owners DM Private Equity. All 350 stores have been closed and its is understood the company has debts of around £30m. […]
Osborne Clarke scooped a role advising Carphone Warehouse on its £154m acquisition of OneTel closing the deal in just ten days. The mobile phone retailer bought the fixed line telecoms business from Centrica. The acquisition includes an initial price of £132m with a further £22m depending on new customers signing through the British Gas network. […]
McGrigors and Bevan Brittan are celebrating after winning the high-profile Gadget Shop litigation for entrepeneurs Tom Hunter, Jim McMahon and Chris Gorman. Mr Justice Warren handed down judgment this morning (21 December) in favour of the defendants. Warren J threw out the claim brought by Freeserve founder Peter Wilkinson and UBS banker Jon Wood, represented […]
Allen & Overy (A&O) is this week rolling out its long-awaited proposals to reform London associate career progression after a year when its attrition rate topped 25 per cent. Managing partner David Morley and HR head Genevieve Tennant are making their final presentations today. The proposals include a revamp of training as well as a […]
The advertising industry has slammed the Government’s proposed 2012 London Olympics intellectual property laws “draconian, flawed and unwarranted”. Marina Palomba, legal director at the Institue of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), has written to Department of Culture Media & Sport minister Richard Caborn to lobby for the legislation to be scrapped. Palomba said the laws, due […]
Shearman & Sterling has raided Lovells to bolster its London competition and antitrust practice with the hire of the group’s second partner. Matthew Readings joins the US firm’s London competition practice bolstering the local team seven lawyers. He will work alongside partner Christopher Bright, who moved across from Clifford Chance to launch the group in […]
Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva is to succeed Baroness Usha Prashar as the First Civil Service Commissioner. Paraskeva will take up the part-time role next year, as her work at the Law Society winds down in the wake of its regulatory and representative split in January 2006. The Law Society said that she will […]
Simmons & Simmons senior partner Janet Gaymer has announced she will step down next year to take up a new role as Commissioner for Public Appointments in England and Wales. Gaymer will leave Simmons after completing her first term as senior partner. She has been at the firm for 35 years. The nomination period for […]
Linklaters has poached Allen & Overy (A&O) derivatives partner Chin-Chong Liew for its Hong Kong office. Liew will join Linklaters as its Asia head of derivatives and structured products from A&O, where he has held the position of partner since 2000.The appointment brings considerable experience in over-the-counter derivatives, structured equity and credit, market access and […]
Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS) has advised Rentokil on its landmark decision to freeze its final salary scheme. The move stops future accrual for the benefit of existing members of the scheme. It is the first time a FTSE100 company has taken this step. Previous examples of companies closing final salary schemes have only related to […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has confirmed the appointment of Ted Burke as its new chief executive. The announcement follows the election last week (Thursday 15 December) of Konstantin Mettenheimer and Guy Morton as the magic circle firm’s joint senior partners. Burke is currently managing partner for Freshfields’s US offices. He takes over from current chief executive […]