Practice Areas

Davis Polk, Latham take lead as Roche sets sights on Genentech

Two US firms have snared lead roles on Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche’s $43.7bn (£21.88bn) bid for US drug giant Genentech. Davis Polk & Wardwell New York partners Arthur Golden, Chris Mayer and Peter Douglas are advising Roche, which acquired a 55.9 per cent stake in Genentech in 1990. While Latham & Watkins is yet to […]

Addleshaws steers Dutch gas import terminal project

Addleshaw Goddard has bagged the lead role ­acting on the e745m (£591.86m) project financing of a Dutch liquefied ­natural gas import terminal. The firm scored the instruction for Gate terminal – a joint venture of Dutch oil storage firms Vopak and Gasunie – through former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Amsterdam partner Andrew Petry, who joined Addleshaws […]

5 Raymond Buildings quartet don gloves for Ricky Hatton libel fight

Four barristers from 5 Raymond Buildings (5RB) have been fighting it out in the Court of Appeal after Random House sought to defend itself against ­proceedings brought by boxer Ricky Hatton’s former promoter Frank Warren. The publisher had been looking to overturn three previous rulings by the High Court to strengthen its defence before a […]

Pinsents wins William Hill online mandate

Pinsent Masons has scored its first major deal for bookmakers William Hill since a June panel review, ;advising ;the ­company on a deal to upgrade its online betting service. Partner Susan Biddle and a team of three associates acted for the company on a deal with Orbis Technology to improve William Hill’s online betting and […]

Eversheds lures Addleshaws partner

Eversheds has hired Addleshaw Goddard partner Andrew MacCulsh to head the firm’s construction team in Nottingham. MacCulsh, who joined Addleshaws from Hammonds in 2005, said he plans to grow Eversheds’ construction team as well as strengthen his own practice. “The major growth and success of the team over the last 12 months and the calibre […]

Shearman appoints Euro finance head

Shearman & Sterling has appointed structured and ­leveraged finance partner Clifford Atkins to head the firm’s European finance group, taking over from Anthony Ward. Ward will step down from 1 August to focus on his posts as London managing partner and member of the global policy committee.

Mishcon de Reya to put investment before profit

Mishcon de Reya to put investment before profit” />Mishcon de Reya has reported limited growth in 2007-08 as the firm’s ­partners prepare to invest heavily in new offices and growing the litigation arm. Net profit was 10 per cent up on 2006-07’s, rising from £14m to £15.4m. Average profit per equity partner (PEP) improved by […]

Wragge & Co opens Munich IP base

Wragge & Co is to open an IP litigation office in Munich by September, though it will maintain its relationship with German best friend Graf von Westphalen, which also has a Munich presence. Wragges head of IP Gordon Harris said: “The rationale internally has been very clear: it was a market-driven, client-driven IP venture and […]

A&O ousts Clifford Chance on BA/Iberia merger

Allen & Overy (A&O) has edged out magic circle competitor Clifford Chance to win the lead role advising Spanish airline Iberia on its proposed merger with British Airways (BA). A&O Madrid managing partner Inigo Gomez-Jordana is running the team along with London corporate partner Alan Paul. Clifford Chance had worked on a similar mandate for […]

Clifford Chance and Lovells close blueprint SIV restructuring

Clifford Chance and Lovells bagged lead roles on the restructuring of the distressed $6bn (£3bn) Cheyne Finance structured investment vehicle (SIV), as it was formerly known. The restructuring, which completed on 22 July, has been termed a “firesale” by commentators but could act as a blueprint for restructurings of other SIVs that are in similar […]

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Steeles beats Farrers in Mosley orgy case

Norfolk-based firm Steeles Law has won Formula 1 chief Max Mosley £60,000 in damages after suing the News of the World for breach of privacy. Mosley took action against the Sunday newspaper after it secretly filmed him taking part in a sex orgy, which involved a portrayal of sadomasochism. During the five-day trial, 68-year-old Mosley […]

Bakers wins Narnia domain name battle

Baker & McKenzie has prevailed over a Scottish family in a fight over the narnia.mobi domain name, after a decision from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Gillian Ferguson and Richard Saville-Smith bought the narnia.mobi email domain name in 2006, so that their son, an avid fan of the Chronicles of Narnia books by author […]