28 June 1999

And tomorrow the world…

With official opposition to the formation of MDPs dissolving in the UK and the US, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ global head of corporate development Paul Downing sets out the accountancy giant’s plan to dominate the world, says Sean Farrell. Paul Downing is a journalist’s nightmare. Not because he is rude or reticent. On the contrary, he is one […]

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Edward Smethurst

Fiona Callister talks to Edward Smethurst, the 30-year-old lawyer and millionaire property developer whose latest challenge is the chairmanship of the the Law Society’s commerce & industry group.

Property

SJ Berwin advised Chelsfield on its recent purchase of the City Gate office complex at Southwark Bridge, London, from Brixton Estate. Complex tenants include Unisys and the Insurance Ombudsman Bureau. The SJ Berwin team was led by John Eldridge, assisted by Tessa Rudnick and Julie Hasselberg. Jackie Newstead of Lovell White Durrant acted for Brixton […]

Quarantine laws challenged

The legality of the UK’s animal quarantine laws are being probed by the High Court. Judgment has been reserved in a case in which the laws have been challenged as breaching EU provisions aimed at allowing people from EU states to travel freely with their belongings. Mr Justice Owen is being asked to rule that […]

Financings

Clifford Chance advised Paragon Finance on a u185m deal involving the public issue of mortgage-backed floating-rate notes. The deal involved both a “true sale” and a “secured loan structure”. The securitised loan was made to a Luxembourg special purchase vehicle. Partners Andrew Forryan (pictured

Property

Richard Pearlman & Co advised Citymain Investments, a company partly owned by Prestbury Group, in its acquisition of 188-213 Old Street, London, EC1. Richard Pearlman and Adam Draper advised on the deal, which is worth u23.2m, while Nabarro Nathanson acted for the vendor, Courtana Investments. Berwin Leighton acted for the purchaser’s funding source, KBC Bank […]

City firms fight to save troubled football clubs

Wilde Sapte, Dibb Lupton Alsop and Lawrence Graham are battling against the clock to try and save three football clubs from going to the wall. Crystal Palace, Luton and Portsmouth have all gone into receivership and any rescue package has to be completed within the next few weeks to beat the 31 July deadline set […]

Watchdog urges Law Soc to clear complaints

The Law Society has a “major credibility problem” and is unlikely to deliver on its promise to clean up its complaints handling record, claims the Legal Services Ombudsman, Ann Abraham. She expressed her doubts at last week’s council meeting, despite members agreeing to give the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) a massive u5.9m […]

Addleshaws raids Garretts

Addleshaw Booth & Co is continuing its raid on Garretts, the associate law firm of Arthur Andersen, by taking two partners, including the head of property in its Leeds office Dean Copley. It is understood that both Copley and property partner Paula Dillon are resigning today (Monday). Dillon will join Addleshaws in October after returning […]

Linklaters doubles Tokyo partners in Japan boom

Linklaters is doubling the size of its Tokyo operation, reflecting the resurgence in the Japanese economy. The firm is moving two partners to Tokyo and has poached a Japanese lawyer and one-time diplomat from rival Slaughter and May. Linklaters’ Hong Kong partner Simon Davies will be moving to Tokyo next month and will be followed […]

Slaughters provides Punch in Allied fight

Slaughter and May is entering a fight on behalf of Punch Taverns to outbid Whitbread on its proposed takeover of Allied Domecq Retailing UK. Clifford Chance is acting for Whitbread on its proposed purchase of Allied Domecq’s retail arm, a deal it thought it had clinched on 25 May with a share offer worth u2.4bn […]

AWB puts gender on the agenda

The incoming chair of the Association of Women Barristers (AWB) is launching a campaign to vet all new legislation for its impact on women. Helene Pines Richman, a tenant at 9 Stone Buildings, was inaugurated as the AWB’s chairwoman last week. The first American to chair the association, she now wants to set up a […]