Four more partners have left Squire Patton Boggs’ London office, in the wake of former managing partner Robert Weekes’ move to Crowell & Moring earlier this month. UK litigation head Laurence Winston and restructuring partners Paul Muscutt and Cathryn Williams are to part ways with the firm, while Robin Baillie in the infrastructure practice is […]
Burges Salmon is preparing for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit, with plans to resort to a newly-created Irish partnership structure if Britain cannot agree terms with the EU. The firm is concerned that a no-deal outcome could derail the firm’s IP and trademark work in Europe, a fear that led it to create a […]
Shearman & Sterling’s global turnover increased by 5 per cent over 2018, though the pace of growth has fallen behind some of Shearman’s US peers who have all reported double-digit gains this year. Turnover at Shearman rose to $955.5m in 2018, an increase of 4 per cent. This followed the addition of just $5m to […]
Addleshaw Goddard’s senior partner Charles Penney faces a challenge to his bid for another term, with another contender stepping forward to take on the role. Penney, who is seeking a second term in the top job, will run against contender Michael Leftley, who heads the employment, incentives & immigration group in London. Leftley has been […]
South-West pair Ashfords and Boyes Turner have backed away from a merger that would have created a firm with around £60m in turnover. The firms revealed last December that their tie-up would go live on May 1, trading under the name Ashfords. That firm was by far the bigger party, generating £42.2m in 2017/18. Yesterday […]
With the firm just weeks away from listing on the London Stock Exchange, DWF has revealed its borrowings increased by 43 per cent over 2017/18 to nearly £60m. According to its LLP accounts, DWF’s borrowings rose from £41.5m to £59.2m between April 2017 and April 2018. The figure is understood to be one of the largest […]
Charles Russell Speechlys is launching a new practice aimed at capturing the legal issues surrounding the art market on an international level. The practice, which will advise market players including dealers, collectors, gallery owners and artists themselves, will be spearheaded by partners Tim Maxwell and Rudy Capildeo, who will join the firm in April from London-based […]
Reed Smith’s global revenue has risen for the second consecutive year, exceeding levels recorded in 2015 for the very first time. Despite the 5 per cent uptick, the firm’s revenue continues to be around the $1.1bn mark. Over 2018, Reed Smith’s turnover increased from $1.119bn to $1.175bn. This compares to Reed Smith’s financials four years ago […]
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft’s London office recorded a double-digit decrease in its revenues, after a series of big-billing partners left the firm for Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy at the start of last year. City turnover fell from $50m to $43m, although the firm added that revenues increased overall when discounting the partners who exited. […]
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s City figures jumped 28 per cent over 2018 in the firm’s best set of London results since its deal with Bingham McCutchen in 2015. The London office’s turnover increased from $96.2m (£73.8) to $123.5m (£94.7m) over 2018, outpacing global growth by some margin. Akin Gump’s overall revenue nudged up slightly […]
The battle for UK plastics company RPC is heating up after it was revealed that US giant Berry Global, represented by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, may bid against Apollo for the group. Slaughter and May partners Andy Ryde and Paul Mudie have been advising RPC Group throughout the process. Ryde leads Slaughters corporate practice, while Mudie […]
Flexible legal resources provider Axiom has filed for an IPO after several years of deliberation, in a bid to obtain extra investment for further expansion. The provider has submitted a draft registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in New York, but the filing did not disclose a range for the pricing of shares or […]
Flybmi has become the latest airline to enter into administration, with the company citing Brexit uncertainty as one of the main reasons for its collapse. DWF is acting for the administrators BDO, with a team led by Leeds-based associate partner Matthew Brown. The airline cancelled all flights over the weekend with immediate effect. DWF is understood to […]
Burges Salmon has been summoned to the rescue of scandal-struck café chain Patisserie Valerie, which has been bought by an Irish private equity company. Corporate restructuring partner Andrew Eaton is acting for Causeway Capital Partners, which has rescued Patisserie Valerie from its administrators KPMG for an undisclosed sum. Prior to joining Burges Salmon in 2016, Eaton […]
Burness Paull is acting in the potential sale of landmark department store Liberty, as it is poised to change hands for the first time in nearly a decade. It is understood that private equity firm BlueGem Capital Partners, which bought Liberty for £42m in 2010, has recruited bankers to explore a potential sale. Glasgow-based capital markets […]
A High Court judge has sided with Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) in a dispute with a former partner over remuneration. The case concerns Antonios Backos, a partner at the firm between 2008 and 2012. He was based in the New York and Athens offices, where he advised on natural resources and energy deals. At […]
Clifford Chance claimed victory for the Canary Wharf Group this morning in an important decision over whether corporates can break tenancy agreements early and relocate due to Brexit.
Former Linklaters marketing head Frank Mellish has agreed to destroy documents shared between him and the firm, in relation to matters he said would expose “the ongoing struggle [the firm] has with women in the workplace”.
This week, The Lawyer has revealed a number of law firm initiatives targeting the junior end of the industry through innovation and new career opportunities.
It hasn’t been the easiest of weeks for Linklaters. On Tuesday morning The Lawyer broke the news that Mr Justice Warby had granted the magic circle firm a temporary injunction against a former executive committee member, who wanted to publish documents that he claimed would expose “the ongoing struggle [the firm] has with women in the […]
On Tuesday, The Lawyer revealed its Hot 100 for 2019, but that hasn’t stopped alumni from previous years finding their way into the week’s biggest stories.
The glacial pace of change in relation to women’s progress at the Bar is disappointing, writes Outer Temple Chambers’ new CEO.
The arrival of Hodge Malek QC and Hefin Rees QC last year are evidence of a bounceback by 3VB after Sonia Tolaney QC’s high-profile defection
Barristers from sets including Red Lion Chambers, Brick Court and 3 Verulam Buildings are among the 108 new QCs to be announced today, while lawyers have also made silk from Allen & Overy and White & Case. There will be 108 new QCs this year, with the female percentage in this year’s round reaching at […]
Furthering its reach on the West Coast, Taylor Wessing has entered into a non-exclusive joint relationship with California’s Wilson Sonsini.
K&L Gates is considering closing its office in Warsaw, The Lawyer understands, mirroring similar strategic reviews held at other US firms with outposts in the CEE region. A management meeting is understood to have been set up for this week to discuss plans around a potential pull-out from the city. The firm declined to comment on the […]
Squire Patton Boggs has closed its Budapest office following a strategic review that echoes the destiny of a number of international firms in the region. The US firm’s five-strong Budapest office, which officially shut in late January, was helmed by managing partner Akos Mester, who previously co-led the office with M&A lawyer Akos Eros as […]
A four-lawyer private equity team led by partner Daniel Yeh has left Ropes & Gray’s Hong Kong office for White & Case. Yeh, who joined Ropes from Weil Gotshal & Manges in 2015, is to be appointed head of PE for White & Case in Asia Pacific. He is taking a team of three; Ropes […]
Allen & Overy’s (A&O) former Dutch senior partner Sietze Hepkema has been called to appear in court as a witness, in the latest development to a long-running corruption saga involving oil and gas company SBM Offshore. The probe into SBM Offshore has been rumbling on for well over seven years and concerns allegations that bribes […]
Dublin’s real estate market has clawed its way back from the deep financial crisis of 2008.
The Nordic region’s stable legal framework and transparent business environment have helped make it a private equity hotspot.
Technological advances are, at best, patchy in this part of the world, but some practices have plans to make up the ground
The countries are set to become major players on the world stage, with big investments on the horizon. But there are hurdles to overcome.
DAC Beachcroft has hired Kirkland & Ellis partner Chris Wall to head the firm’s banking practice after 18 months in the US firm’s London partnership. Wall – a former Clifford Chance associate – is now tasked with leading the practice, alongside areas of both real estate finance and corporate law. His arrival follows the firm’s […]
Latham & Watkins has hired a new partner from Jones Day, making him the US firm’s latest recruit into its City private equity practice. Neil Ferguson has worked at Jones Day for 22 years, so is something of a lifer. His client list includes Goldman Sachs, China Vanke, Hansteen Holdings, Bain Capital Credit and Davidson Kempner. […]
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang digital and data head Elle Todd has moved to Reed Smith, as the firm looks to expand its tech presence. Todd was a partner at Olswang for 18 years before the merger with CMS. She spent three of those years in the firm’s Singapore office. At CMS, Todd led the Digital Academy, […]
Morgan Lewis & Bockius has completed a multi-office 15-lawyer raid on US rival Squire Patton Boggs, bringing over a seven-lawyer team in Washington DC, and an eight-lawyer team to launch in Abu Dhabi. The office will open at the beginning of March and will be the firm’s 31st office globally. It is the firm’s second UAE-based […]
Latham & Watkins partner Christopher Kandel has left the firm to join Morrison & Foerster. The London-based partner has until now co-chaired the US firm’s global banking practice, acting on leverage finance and restructuring transactions. Throughout his career, he advised European acquisition financing matters, capital markets and structured loans. He recently provided legal advice on […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer head of contentious insurance regulation Chris Chapman has moved across the City to join Mayer Brown as a partner. Chapman will start his new role on 20 March and strengthens the firm’s banking and regulatory disputes practice which was understood to have been identified has been a key part of London strategy. […]
Ex-Jones Day project finance lawyer Myles Mantle is to join Haynes and Boone, having left the partnership at Jones Day at the end of last year. Mantle was one of two Jones Day project finance lawyers to leave the firm in one go. His contemporary, Nick Collins, took a job in the partnership at Baker […]
Baker McKenzie has poached another lawyer from White & Case, its fourth hire from the US firm in the space of under a year, as it seeks to pursue its transactional growth strategy. Peter Lu joins Bakers as a partner and head of the firm’s China group in London. He was previously a counsel in White […]
Following the exit of several notable players in its City office, Weil Gotshal & Manges has begun to rebuild, with the hire of private equity partner Mark Thompson from Sidley Austin. Thompson is a US qualified lawyer, and joins Weil Gotshal off the back of six years at Sidley, where he was a partner in […]
Ashurst has appointed a new London office managing partner, following the departure of current office head Simon Beddow.
US firm McGuireWoods has closed its only base in continental Europe after almost 30 years, with its entire Brussels team joining Benelux firm AKD. The team joining AKD’s Brussels office consists of four partners, one counsel and four associates, as well as five other staff. The four partners are Hubert André-Dumont, Paul Van den Bulck, […]
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has hired its latest new joiner in London, bringing on board its first dedicated fund finance lawyer in the City from Linklaters. The US firm has hired managing associate Kathryn Cecil, who will join as a partner. Her arrival on Monday coincides with that of Milbank Tweed Hadley & […]
A company has outstanding debts and it seems they are struggling financially. What can you do to try and get your debts settled? Is applying to have the company wound up the answer? Here, we take a look at what you will need to consider before a decision is made and we take a look […]
In the recent case of SKYMIST HOLDINGS LIMITED v GRANDLANE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED [2018], the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), considered the principle of “approbation and reprobation” in “satellite litigation” over the jurisdiction of adjudicators. But is challenging the jurisdiction of an adjudicator worth the cost involved? We review the key points in the Skymist decision, and the TCC‘s […]
Public consultations on enhancing retirement security led by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada closed in late 2018. Given the importance and complexity of the subject matter, the one-month consultation period offered by the government was curiously short. Given that 2019 is an election year, the quick completion of the process could […]
Competition matters, and investigations more generally, differ greatly in execution from the approach to eDiscovery taken in litigation. Understanding the potential issues is paramount in developing an eDiscovery model that tackles the regulatory pressures faced by legal teams and their corporate clients. In the first article in this series we compare the different approaches and examine […]
Despite Brexit’s near monopoly of Parliamentary and legislative draftsmen’s time, the Government did find time to publish its ‘Good Work Plan’ in December. The plans set out are more a tweak of employment laws over the next two years rather than a major reform. Nevertheless, it does offer some real improvements aimed at protecting more vulnerable workers. […]
In January 2019, Gowling WLG’s co-head of global Intellectual Property (IP), Gordon Harris, delivered his much anticipated annual review of the year’s UK patent. Gordon gave his usual comprehensive review, backed by a thorough and extensive paper. Gordon commented that there was no lodestar this year, with the Supreme Court decision in Warner Lambert having fallen short of […]
On January 25, 2019, Health Canada sent members of its stakeholder registry a draft “Guide to the Application of the Child Health Protection Act (Bill S-228)” (the “Guide”). Stakeholders have until February 15, 2019 to provide comments. The Guide is still in draft form, and operates on the presumption that Bill S-228 will become law, which is […]
China released a new draft Foreign Investment Law (“Draft Law”) soliciting public comments. The Draft Law further liberalises the Chinese economy to foreign investments and primarily provides broad principles governing foreign investment activities in China. The successful implementation of the Draft Law would depend in part on subsequent supporting regulations, smoothly harmonising existing rules and […]
A lender holding security interests in a borrower’s property may be asked by the borrower or a third party to provide a waiver, no interest letter, estoppel or similar confirmation (each referred to as a “waiver”) that the lender has no security with respect to certain specific property of the borrower. The lender may be […]
In Callidus Capital Corporation v. Her Majesty the Queen, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned a troubling 2017 decision of the Federal Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court held unanimously that the bankruptcy of a debtor extinguishes the deemed trust for unremitted GST and HST created in favour of the Crown (“CRA”) by section 222 of the Excise […]
By Sandip Singh How to assess causation and loss in cases where claimants sue for loss of a chance following a professional’s negligence has long been a tricky area. An earlier decision on that issue in this long-running litigation had also resulted in potentially greater risk of exposure for professionals. In the eagerly awaited judgment in Perry […]
2019 state budget Law No. 2/2019, of 2 February enacted the 2019 State Budget. Revenue and expenditure are forecasted at approximately USD 1,256,000 and USD 1,482,000, respectively. First amendment to the Petroleum Act Law No. 1/2019, of 18 January enacted the first amendment to Law No. 13/2005, of 2 September (Petroleum Act). In essence, this […]
