The continuing fallout from the collapse of US firm Heller Ehrman has gifted Boston-headquartered Goodwin Procter its first UK office. Goodwin is taking US-qualified former Heller partners Bob Asher and Brian Smith and two other fee earners for its London launch. Both lawyers focus on the hospitality sector and real estate finance and have joined […]
Thank crunch it’s Friday 24 October 2008With the pound as weak as water, firms like Halliwells ‘reorganising’ their finances (see story) and banks being nationalised at a rate not seen since revolutionary Cuba, it might be a surprise to hear that a few firms had really quite a nice 2007-08, thank you very much. With […]
Norton Rose advises HSBC on Indonesian bank buyout” />Norton Rose has won an instruction from HSBC over the purchase of Indonesian lender Bank Ekonomi for $608m (£351m). The firm has emerged as HSBC’s preferred corporate adviser in Asia, having also worked on its failed bid for the Korean Exchange Bank last month. Lovells was also […]
Skadden90.jpg” alt=”Skadden breaks exclusive tie-up with Chiomenti” />Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Italian firm Chiomenti Studio Legale have terminated their exclusive relationship. A statement from Skadden said that the firms “have decided to modify their alliance” but will continue to work together “on a non-exclusive basis”. The statement added: “The change to the […]
Your statutory minimum entitlement is easy to establish. But can you improve on it? Do you have any leverage? The answer to both questions is “yes” – provided you do some clever negotiating. The inconceivable is happening all around us. Now, inconceivably, it’s your turn. The redundancy spotlight is on you. In the consultation process […]
Halliwells is “reorganising its borrowings” following its move into new headquarters in Manchester. In response to enquiries concerning the firm’s financial situation, a Halliwells spokesperson said: “The firm had always intended to reorganise its financial structure once all aspects of the move to Spinningfields [the Manchester headquarters] had been completed. However, the firm refused to […]
Law Society members are voting on a fundamental overhaul of the Society’s charter which could see non-lawyers become fee-paying, non-voting “associate members”. The ballot is set to conclude tomorrow but a number of solicitors are heavily opposed to the reforms, which they fear could dilute the body’s ability to represent solicitors’ best interests. The postal […]
Big Brother producer Endemol has hired ITV’s group director of legal and regulatory compliance as global head of legal. Andy Griffiths, who has spent eight years as ITV’s compliance chief, will join Endemol at the start of 2009. He will oversee legal advice on all corporate matters including IP licensing and M&A, reporting to chief […]
With the increasing number of real estate lawyers losing their jobs, you’d think that recruiters would be banging on every law firm door saying “I’ve got just the person you’re looking for”. But apparently the phone isn’t ringing at Dewey & LeBoeuf, according to one real estate partner there. “I’ve got a good relationship with […]
Allen & Overy and Addleshaw Goddard were the main legal advisers in the merger of Barnsley Building Society with regional rival Yorkshire Building Society. Barnsley, which turned to Addleshaws partners Adam Bennett (pictured), with Neil Woolhouse and Nick Hopper, sought a merger after being forced to write off up to £10m of money held in […]
Fifteen months ago Charlotte, North Carolina was the hot spot for US firms hoping to thrive in structured finance.Times have changed. Dewey & LeBoeuf has just become the latest casualty of the structured finance malaise. Yesterday the firm announced it is to close its 11-lawyer Charlotte office (TheLawyer.com, 20 October). “Charlotte is booming in corporate, […]
When Simmons & Simmons revealed in June that it had boosted its average profit per equity partner (PEP) by 20 per cent, smashing its £600,000 target by £47,000, we all wondered just how the firm had done it (TheLawyer.com, 30 June). This week’s announcement goes some way to answering that question. As managing partner Mark […]