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Focused on issues facing the most active UK and US law firms in the City of London
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Allen & Overy is on the lookout for space in Dublin, as it seeks regulatory approval to practise from the Republic of Ireland capital. The Lawyer understands the purpose of the outpost is to accommodate the firm’s latest litigation addition David Herlihy, who joined the magic circle firm last month after more than 20 years […]
CMS has decided to introduce beehives across its UK and international offices as part of the firm’s new sustainability programme. The news comes five years after The Lawyer reported that Olswang’s 80,000 bees were looking for a new home ahead of its merger with CMS. CMS’s new initiative to bring in beehives coincides with World Bee […]
Latham & Watkins has dethroned Kirkland & Ellis as London’s largest US firm by revenue after overtaking its closest rival over 2021. Latham’s broad City practice, powered by consistent investment over recent years, sees it reclaim the number one spot in The Lawyer’s exclusive ranking of US firms in the UK by revenue it last […]
Kirkland & Ellis is one of two US firms set to open an office in Miami, recruiting lawyers to bulk out its headcount in the fledgling base. Four existing Kirkland partners will relocate to kickstart operations. They are Chicago trio Jeremy Liss, Matthew Arenson, Jeffrey Swatzell, who work in the firm’s corporate and private equity […]
Linklaters, Slaughter and May and White & Case have scored mandates on the sale of UK repairs company HomeServe to Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management for a deal valued at £4bn. Brookfield said in a statement that HomeServe’s shareholders will acquire £12 a share in cash, which will be financed by equity drawn from funds from […]
Knights has continued its expansion with the acquisition of Coffin Mew. The acquisition will add 102 fee earners to Knights, which has expanded rapidly though mergers in the last few years. Prior acquisitions include Spearing Waite, ASB, Shulmans, Mundays, Keebles, Archers Law and most recently Langleys. Under the terms of the acquisition, Knights will acquire […]
Clifford Chance’s UK shared services centre is to boost its support role to offices across the Americas. The North East England base is doubling down on efforts to support lawyers operating across the Atlantic, including those operating within the magic circle firm’s New York, Washington and São Paulo offices. “We want to replicate what we’ve […]
Four US City firms have topped $10m in revenue per partner
Rising professional indemnity rates threaten to destabilise the market
One firm has set the precedent for a controversial WFH policy
Revenue per lawyer has jumped by 44 per cent in three years at Paul Weiss
All change for partners in the quartet right now
Chambers across the Inns are considering how to publicise judgments after the Master of the Rolls, Mr Justice Vos, warned embargo-breaks could see sets being held in contempt of court. The Lawyer understands that many are actively tightening up their internal and external communication policies following a stern warning from Mr Justice Vos back in […]
When the Conservative MP Bob Seely told the House of Commons that the legal system had become “corrupted” by “amoral” lawyers acting for Russian oligarch clients, it was not surprising that the President of the Law Society launched a robust defence of the profession: “It’s the job of solicitors to represent their clients, whoever they […]
Earlier this year, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton’s London office faced an unexpected and upsetting tragedy: the sudden death of one of its junior lawyers. In reaction to the associate’s passing, whom The Lawyer has chosen not to name, the US firm quickly introduced in-person counselling plus further remote follow-up sessions with an external chartered […]
Introducing a shadow board and the Connectors reverse mentoring programme was not about addressing a specific problem, according to Shakespeare Martineau chief marketing and people officer Ben Buckton. Rather, it was responding to an opportunity to flatten the hierarchy and offer a platform for a greater proportion of the firm to influence its direction. “If […]
A raft of firms have won places advising bidders on the sale of Chelsea FC in a deal worth £4.25bn. The terms of the sale have been agreed and the new ownership group is the Boehly consortium led by US investor Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss. The sale has […]
McColl’s Retail Group is looking to secure a rescue deal to stave off a potential collapse, seeking counsel from long-term advisers at Travers Smith. The Lawyer understands that Travers Smith corporate partner Andrew Gillen is advising client McColl’s, along with restructuring partner Edward Smith. Today (6 May) it was announced that the company’s senior lenders […]
Norton Rose Fulbright and Travers Smith are the two law firms that have scored the mandates Royal Bank of Canada’s offer to purchase Brewin Dolphin for £1.6bn. RBC said in a release that Brewin Dolphin shareholders will be offered 515 pence per share chalking up a premium of 62 per cent to the closing price […]
Kirkland & Ellis advised alongside two Irish firms on Brookfield Asset Management’s latest deal. The deal sees Brookfield’s subsidiary snap up Irish real estate company Hibernia REIT. Benedict Real Estate Bidco Limited (Bidco) was formed as a vehicle for the purposes of the transaction, with Hibernia valued at a total of €1.089bn. The value of the […]
Kirkland & Ellis won the top mandate for EQT on its acquisition of Baring Private Equity Asia for €17.7bn. The US firm was advising EQT on a rare instance of a private equity investment firm purchasing another arm of a rival player. EQT said it wanted to combine with Baring Private Equity Asia to expand […]
Kirkland & Ellis and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are advising on a potential offer from New York-based Sycamore Partners for Ted Baker, The Lawyer understands. The US private equity house said in a statement it was “in the early stages of considering making a possible cash offer for Ted Baker” but added there was “no certainty […]
Norton Rose Fulbright has lost a third partner this year to the magic circle, this time in intellectual property. Paul Joseph joins Linklaters’ global IP practice where he will be based in London. He joined Norton Rose Fulbright in 2020 as partner and before that he was at RPC for over 10 years. He started […]
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is set to lose two partners from its non-contentious construction team to Mishcon de Reya. Duo Marc Hanson and Adriano Amorese are moving to Mishcon de Reya, after both spending over a decade with the firm. Veteran Hanson joined legacy firm Berwin Leighton Paisner in 2011, before which he led Ashurst’s […]
A partner from Kirkland & Ellis’s real estate finance team has moved back to his former firm, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. James Esterkin joined Kirkland in 2017 as an associate from Simpson Thacher, becoming partner just a year later. He now returns to Simpson Thacher as a partner, joining its real estate group and advising […]
Herbert Smith Freehills’ association firm has hired a new corporate partner in Saudi Arabia, while it has also added further heft over in Asia with the appointment of a new head of the practice. The firm has recruited Joza Al-Rasheed in Riyadh, who joins the firm having worked in-house for a five-month stint at chemical […]
Twenty Essex Chambers has recruited a former Jones Day partner and head of Russian firm’s Ivanyan & Partners’ now closed London office. International commercial arbitration and public law specialist Baiju Vasani has accepted tenancy at Twenty Essex, which will begin after he completes a BSB transfer qualification. The move comes months after Vasani left Ivanyan […]
Two partners from Brown Rudnick’s restructuring practice have left to join Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Colin Ashford and Richard Obank are joining BCLP later this year. They moved over to Brown Rudnick in 2019 from DLA Piper, where they were both longstanding partners of its restructuring group. At the time of their hires, Brown Rudnick was […]
This week’s judgment against Dechert and its former partner Neil Gerrard was the latest development in a case that’s been rumbling along for a decade. Here are the key turning points: Origins – 2007 to 2010 The company right at the heart of it is Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), a Kazakh and Central African […]
A High Court judge has warned against “judicial amnesia” over soaring costs generated by major litigation, as interim fees incurred by oligarchs in the long-running PJSC National Bank Trust case exceed £2m. In the latest update to the oligarch court battle brought against PJSC National Bank Trust, Mr Justice Foxton awarded deducted costs to three […]
A High Court judge has issued a retort to law firms and their costs, describing fees submitted on a case as “wasteful of the parties’ and the court’s resources.” In a case brought by Invest Bank against a Lebanese businessman and his family, Justice Andrew Baker noted that costs schedules filed by Stewarts Law, Fladgate, […]
Dechert has said it is evaluating today’s ENRC judgment against the firm and its former white-collar co-head to “see what we should learn from it”. In a judgment released today, former Dechert partner Neil Gerrard has been found to be “the instigator of all three leaks to the press”, which led to the mammoth dispute […]
Litigators from RPC and Matrix Chambers debated with a 5RB silk over the future of libel law yesterday, in an evidence session before the UK Parliament’s Justice Committee. The one-off hearing was held to investigate potential reform concerning strategic lawsuits against public participation – known in the United States as SLAPPs – something that the […]
Leading barristers have taken to Twitter to share their application rejection tales as candidates across the country today find out if they have secured pupillage. Employment, clinical negligence and personal injury barrister Andrew Rhodes revealed that it took “four cycles and about 43 interviews” before landing a pupillage, which he underwent at Cloisters before completing […]
Asides from developing their practices, another priority for the 101 barristers who made silk this year will be inspiring the next generation of advocate stars. Following on from last week’s interview, we spoke to some of the new QCs about the advice they’d give to those looking for a career at the Bar. Victoria Windle […]
Just over three months since the prestigious list of new silks was announced for 2022, the 101 selected QCs were formally sworn in by Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab MP. At 101, this was the smallest batch of new QCs announced since 2014/2015 when 93 were awarded silk. Compared to the previous year, applications were also […]
In a push to build integration, the three constituent firms of European verein Advant have formalised an internal secondment scheme offering junior lawyers and legal professionals the opportunity to work from offices in three countries. Lawyers will be offered the chance to work in six offices across the Advant network with places available in Berlin, […]
Cooley has added its third lateral to the firm’s global competition practice in two weeks, this time hiring a longstanding Linklaters partner. Jonas Koponen is moving to Cooley’s Brussels office after two decades at the magic circle firm. During his time at Linklaters, he served as its global head of competition between 2015 and 2019. […]
Addleshaw Goddard has launched long-awaited offices in Frankfurt and Munich, making a string of partner hires in Germany as it continues its aggressive expansion push into Continental Europe. In total, the firm brought in four new teams in Germany, strengthening its commercial litigation, global investigations, tax and intellectual property offerings in two of Germany’s key […]
White & Case’s Bratislava office is to split away from the US firm becoming an independent legal outfit. The new firm Aldertree legal will be led by Juraj Fuska, a White & Case partner who currently heads the firm’s Bratislava base. The corporate lawyer was promoted to partner in 2017. White & Case’s office, which […]
Changes in legislation are sparking a surge in solar and wind energy projects across central and south-eastern Europe
International firms are making their presence felt in Ireland, undeterred by the twin challenges of Brexit and Covid-19
2020 was an unusual year for firms on the Continent, with revenues hit by the pandemic – but what is the big picture of how they are faring and how does the Euro top 10 compare to that of a decade ago?
Switzerland is fighting off rivals as it bids to remain the jurisdiction of choice
Analysis of recent fines suggests that environmental prosecutions are resulting in more substantial fines, especially for ‘very large organisations’.
On September 22, 2021, the Quebec government adopted Bill 64, An Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information, enacting significant changes to the requirements governing the use and protection of personal information under various statutes, including notably the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector and the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information.
The Data Protection Authority in Hungary (Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság), recently published its annual report which included details of a fine of €670,000 (HUF 250,000,000) being imposed on a bank. To date, this fine is the highest imposed by the Hungarian Authority.
Environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) alongside sustainability are hot topics in business right now. Employees are increasingly scrutinising what employers are doing to promote sustainability, not least in the benefits they offer.
In this podcast, Gowling joins leading global infrastructure and renewables market analysts Inspiratia to discuss innovation in the UK power purchase agreement (PPA) market, and whether the prices we see today are transitionary and if so, how PPAs can make such prices sustainable and meet the ever-changing needs of both offtakers and sellers.
Angolan Central Bank (Banco Nacional de Angola) Notice no. 9/22 of 6 April was recently published to establish special schemes for mortgage credit and construction credit.
After a challenging year, UK cities are gaining foreign investment and developing their presence on the global stage. How has the pandemic, COP-26 and officially leaving the EU impacted the value of investment in the UK from a global standpoint?
On April 7, 2022, Ontario released its first-ever Hydrogen Strategy (the Ontario Strategy), making it the latest province to address Canadian hydrogen sector growth through policy.
Ferry company P&O hit the headlines last month when it made 800 workers redundant via an online video call and with almost no notice.
Build to rent is a rapidly growing sector – and one with a lot of potential for developers and investors.
The European Commission has proposed a Unitary SPC and/or a unified procedure for granting national Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) in the EU, which if adopted, will materially change the SPC regime in Europe. The current mechanism for applying for an SPC is decentralised, and national SPCs must be applied for in each EU Member State.
The new Notice establishes (i) the terms and conditions applicable to the this type of credit, (ii) the minimum requirements in terms of number and total value and (iii) the treatment in the calculation of the reserve requirements.
I have often written about the need to find your natural voice in meetings, pitches and presentations. However, there are some occasions which are not about taking a leading speaking role and so this article considers the importance of being present even if you don’t have the lion’s share of the script. In business, aptitude […]
I am fairly confident in claiming that all of my readers will have engaged in some form of online performance whether that be via conference calls, Zoom/Teams/Meet pitches or comprehensive presentations to clients and wider audiences. This month I’ll look at that ever-present fear of engaging an audience we can’t see – or to put […]
Hands up if you know what your client does? Yes it may sound like an obvious question. Of course you know what your client does. You’ve got an inbox full of correspondence and work briefs to attest to the fact. You’ve been working with them for X amount of years and you’ve always got along […]
It wasn’t too long ago that the mention of the term ‘hybrid event’ would have caused the majority of people to either a) stare blankly b) wrinkle their nose up at the concept or c) head for Google. It’s funny how predictions of the future can suddenly arrive into your life with a bang rather […]
My path to law started off well – I completed my LLB at SOAS University and the LPC at the College of Law. I started applying for training contracts during my second year of university. After the LPC, I worked in law firms local to me securing three years of experience, with three promises of […]
Remember back in the early days of the pandemic when remote working suddenly became ‘a thing’ and how we embraced the change or struggled to adapt (and more likely a bit of both). Two years on, screen meetings are very much the norm, but have we become too used to them, resulting in increasingly sloppy […]
