Online August 2012

Asian streets not paved with gold

Asia has been a tough market recently, with US firms Blank Rome and Vinson & Elkins pulling out of Hong Kong and Shanghai respectively. But the moves have clearly had no adverse effect on their UK counterparts’ enthusiasm for the Far East. Within a week, Addleshaw Goddard expanded its Hong Kong offering by entering into […]

The week’s Asian movers and shakers

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the only Asian news of the last week was King & Wood Mallesons’ ground-breaking merger with SJ Berwin – and indeed the repercussions of the move will resound for some time. KWM’s growth is also continuing organically, with the firm picking up the former NBA China general counsel, Steven […]

Charlotte Harris

Standard bearer

Whatever comes out of the Leveson Report, it should be remembered that its author only has the power to recommend, says Charlotte Harris There appears to be agreement that the press must be regulated. The question is, should that be self regulation or an independent regulator? As lawyers, we are regulated by the Bar Council […]

Richard Hodge

Seeking redress

Can Leveson provide a credible answer to press regulation or a realistic alternative to the court system?, asks Richard Hodge Leveson LJ’s remit includes providing recommendations for effective regulation to support the integrity and freedom of the press, while encouraging the highest ethical standards. So what should we expect? It is clear that the Press […]

Gill Phillips

History in the making

The Leveson Report should be forward looking and help protect responsible public interest journalism, says Gill Phillips Whatever comes out of this, it’s a big historic opportunity. I don’t expect the report is going to make very comfortable reading in terms of what it has to say about the past ethics and practices of the […]

Gideon Benaim

Independence day

Lord Justice Leveson should recommend a regulator that has teeth under a system that preserves freedom of expression, which will be no small task, says Gideon Benaim It is crystal clear to everyone, including the leaders of the three main political parties, that self-regulation hasn’t worked; so Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendations should be for independent […]

Chadbourne partner exits as Bakers makes capital markets push

Baker & McKenzie has added to its finance and capital markets practice in Moscow with the hire of banking and finance partner Simon Morgan from Chadbourne & Parke. Morgan headed White & Case’s Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) capital markets group before joining Chadbourne & Parke’s Moscow office in 2010. His departure for Baker & […]

William Blair named president on Board of Appeal of ESA’s

William Blair has been named president of the Board of Appeal of the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), the body responsible for ruling on challenges against the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance Occupational and Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Blair, the brother of former UK prime minister Tony […]

SFO loses bribery head to Kirkland & Ellis

The head of the anti-bribery team at the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is leaving to join the London office of Kirkland & Ellis. Santam Tumani, who was with the SFO for 17 years, has been closely involved in some of the UK’s most complex criminal fraud and corruption matters. Most recently he was the […]

Living Social legal chief jumps to King.com

The former international legal chief of deals website Living Social has taken up a new in-house role at online games developer King.com. Rob Miller, who has held top legal jobs at Skype and eBay in the past, joins two other in-house lawyers at King.com where he will report to CEO Riccardo Zacconi as chief legal […]

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Grayling to replace Clarke as justice sec in Cameron’s reshuffle

Employment minister Chris Grayling has been given the job of Justice Secretary as Ken Clarke is moved to minister without portfolio in David Cameron’s first major cabinet reshuffle. Secretary of state for work and pensions Iain Duncan Smith was initially tipped to be Clarke’s replacement but is reported to have argued against the decision and […]

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Herbies FSR chief quits for Linklaters

Herbert Smith’s financial services regulatory (FSR) chief Martyn Hopper is understood to have resigned from the firm and is set to join rival Linklaters.   Hopper is understood to be joining the magic circle firm’s London office as a partner at an unconfirmed date. Herbert Smith, which is understood to have announced Hopper’s resignation internally, […]