Allen & Overy (A&O), Linklaters and SJ Berwin have bagged the key mandates on the Central Bank of Iceland’s (CBI) purchase of e938m (£808.44m) in bonds issued by Dutch company Avens in a bid to reduce the country’s external debt. SJ Berwin structured finance partner Vanessa Therrode, who took over as head of the team last year following the departure of […]
Taylor Wessing has named Alcatel-Lucent corporate counsel Patrick Clark as its new head of telecoms, replacing Ted Mercer who joined Edwin Coe earlier this year. Clark is rejoining the City firm following a five-year hiatus at the French telecoms giant. He trained at the firm before moving up to senior associate over the course of a 10-year career. Clark, who […]
Fox Williams has launched a £194,000 claim against dialysis product manufacturers Renal Services Holdings for unpaid fees. Renal Services instructed Fox Williams in June last year to advise it on a reverse takeover and subsequent listing on AIM. In September 2009 the takeover was discontinued and the company opted instead to list on the market in its own right. According to a […]
Insurance and litigation firm Kennedys has reported a 31 per cent rise in turnover to £88.25m at the 2009-10 year-end. It is the second consecutive year of strong growth for the firm, which last year reported turnover of £67.3m, up 30.7 per cent from £51.5m at the 2007-08 year-end. The firm’s UK offices contributed the […]
Fladgate has settled a fraud claim brought against it by collapsed dot com Izodia, agreeing to pay it £7.8m. The claim, which was launched in August 2008 by Jones Day partner Craig Shuttleworth on behalf of Izodia, alleged dishonest breach of fiduciary duty and breach of retainer. In 2006 Izodia director Gerald Smith pleaded guilty […]
Despite the fact that equality of pay for men and women was enshrined in law 35 years ago, it’s still a long way from being a reality. Richard Leiper asks whether we have any reason to be optimistic for the future Equal pay has hit the headlines. Following a judgment on liability against Birmingham City Council, it has been […]
Allen & Overy spin-off Maurice Turnor Gardner (MTG) has hired two pensions partners. Jenny McKeown and Helena Berman both join from pensions and HR consultancy Mercer. Their arrival brings the number of partners at the private client boutique to eight. The pair will handle trust and probate litigation and partnership-related disputes. MTG senior partner Clare […]
A lawyer who instructed Carter Ruck to launch a libel claim against a website that claimed to ’name and shame’ underperforming lawyers has settled his dispute. Lawyer Scott Eason pursued Rick Kordowski, the owner of website solicitorsfromhell.co.uk, for damages after two consumers posted negative comments about his ethics (5 April 2010). A statement released by Carter Ruck said […]
Specialist family set QEB has been instructed to act on both sides of the celbrity divorce of pop star Cheryl Cole and her footballer husband Ashley. QEB silk Lucy Stone QC has been instructed by Joyce Smyth of Smyth Barkham to represent Cheryl. Cheryl’s soon-to-be ex-husband has brought in Berwin Leighton Paisner partner Graham Shear, […]
Hogan Lovells has made its first lateral hires since its merger went live on 1 May. Partner Suyong Kim will join the firm’s antitrust, competition and economic regulation practice within the next few weeks from Wilmer Hale. She joins along with counsel Karman Gordon and Christopher Hutton. Kim, who focuses on UK and EU competition […]
Olswang has taken on the co-head of Pinsent Masons’ London restructuring practice as a partner. Seamas Gray advised on several high-profile restructurings during his time at Pinsents, including the emergency restructuring of JJB Sports. Other clients have included MFI and Ernstone. He joined Pinsents from DLA Piper in 2006. Olswang head of restructuring and insolvency […]
Lord Justice Jacob has spoken out against the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) ruling in high-profile ’smell-alike’ case, L’Oréal v Bellure. However, the Court of Appeal was forced to comply with EU law when delivering its judgment in the case, stating that the defendants’ use of well know trademarks to advertise smell-alike products was in […]