3 May 2004

Latham raids White & Case for capital markets push

Latham & Watkins’ London office is strengthening its private placement capability by taking on a partner from White & Case. Rated capital markets partner Ian Clark is expected to begin at Latham on May 17 after resigning from White & Case yesterday (May 6) and which he will leave today. He will join the private […]

Sidley Austin clients round on tax shelter ruling

More than 40 former Sidley Austin Brown & Wood clients are to appeal a ruling by a US federal judge last week, ordering the US firm to turn over clients’ names to the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) in relation to a tax shelter investigation. In November 2003 a Senate subcommittee report revealed that legacy firm […]

Andrew Milne: an apology

On 5 May, The Lawyer.com apologised in court to solicitor Andrew Milne in respect of an article which appeared on its website entitled “Law Firm denies Vaz Payout”. The statement was made in proceedings for libel issued by Mr Milne.We apologised for reporting allegations against him concerning the evidence he gave to the Commissioner for […]

Clifford Chance loses yet another US lawyer

Kirkpatrick & Lockhart is latest recipient of Clifford Chance’s US lawyer exodus, after hiring a securities enforcement and financial services partner. Michael King is moving to Kirkpatrick from the magic circle’s Washington practice. During his career King has held a number of high profile positions including spells in the US Department of Justice and the […]

SJ Berwin sustains more losses to Olswang

Olswang has taken another SJ Berwin lawyer, this time recruiting a film finance expert. SJ Berwin associate James Kay is joining Olswang where he will become a partner. Kay, on moving from Olswang, will be reunited with former SJ Berwin film finance partner Jacqueline Hurt. Since its inception in 1981, a plethora of lawyers have […]

World Trade Center leaseholder fails in bid to increase insurance pay-out

The titanic battle between two of the New York bar’s trial heavyweights is nearing its end after a US federal jury rejected World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein’s bid to effectively double his insurance payments from Swiss Re. As reported by the New York Lawyer, Silverstein’s lead attorney, Herb Wachtell of Wachtell Lipton Rosen & […]

Pillsbury suffers second round of lawyer defections

Pillsbury Winthrop has been hit by its second bout of lawyer loses in over a week, this time in Washington as a life sciences team joins Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw. Partners Mark Paulson and Paul Sharer are joining the Anglo-American firm with a team of four attorneys. The defection arrives just after three West […]

Grapevine

Just when you thought it was safe, along comes yet another Clifford Chance US story. This time the news, as reported in this week’s issue of The Lawyer, is that Jim Benedict, head of the firm’s global litigation and dispute resolution department, is stepping down. On the face of it, Benedict’s move seems perfectly normal. […]

Travers scores first deal for Cazenove

Travers Smith Braithwaite has scooped its first instruction from blue-blood investment bank Cazenove, a longstanding client of Slaughter and May. The City firm has advised Cazenove on its first AIM float when it acted as Nomad, broker and bookrunner for Dealogic Holdings plc on the £154m flotation this week. The deal was led by Travers […]

Davis Polk wins mandate for billion dollar RBS deal

Linklaters’ UK client Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has turned to Davis Polk & Wardwell for its surprise £5.8bn acquisition of US retail bank Charter One. Davis Polk is working with Boston-based firm Goodwin Proctor on the transaction which is being conducted through RBS’ wholly owned subsidiary Citizens Financial Group and is expected to be […]

Spanish accountancy firms hit by underwhelming year

Spain’s past and present accountancy-tied law firms have struggled to shrug off the tough economy during 2003, with all recording scant increases in overall gross for the year. Former Andersen-tied giant Garrigues saw yearly revenue edge up by just 2.5 per cent to €164m, according to the latest figures compiled by Spanish newspaper Expansión. Ernst […]