The Law Commission’s attitude to the enforcement of pre-nuptial agreements has been slammed by family lawyers’ association Resolution for its lack of urgency. Resolution believes that by refusing to discuss whether pre-nuptial agreements should be legally enforceable, the commission is stalling a wider examination of divorce laws, which have not been revamped since 1973. The […]
Norton Rose has won a place on the panel of Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Development Bank (CDB) after advising on its investment in Barclays. The firm, which won the position after corporate partner Martin Scott guided CDB through its £1.5bn purchase of Barclays shares (TheLawyer.com, 23 July 2007), joins 10 other firms on the […]
Trowers & Hamlins has bagged Pinsent Masons Birmingham construction head Vijay Bange for its London office as it bids to increase its contentious capability. Bange joins Trowers’ projects and construction team, which is made up of 12 partners and a total of 40 lawyers, split around 2:1 between the contentious and non-contentious sides. Head of […]
#The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is considering proposals regarding chamges to complaints-handling and disciplinary proceedings against barristers. The most controversial recommendation is to expand the range of sentencing options. This includes increasing the maximum fine to £15,000 and giving disciplinary tribunals the power to order barristers to sit a professional ethics test. BSB chair Ruth […]
#Pannone has given one of its independent consultants the role of head of environment after he successfully took work from a major Hammonds client. Pannone had begun advising BASF on corporate work and used Keith Davidson of Environmental Law Consultancy to extend this to environmental work. “I wasn’t looking to come into a partnership role,” […]
#Detailed proposals for the introduction of alternative business structures (ABS) in the Scottish legal market will be drawn up following a Holyrood debate. The Scottish government’s justice secretary Kenny MacAskill introduced a parliamentary debate that will pave the way for legislation on ABS. Last month members of the Law Society of Scotland voted in favour […]
Russian law firm Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners (EPAP) has called for Russia to reform its court system in a bid to entice oligarchs and businesses back to the country. EPAP chairman Dimitry Afanasiev spoke out at the recent St Petersburg International Economic Forum, which was attended by Russia’s president Dmitry Medvedev, and appealed for […]
Scottish-headquartered firm McGrigors has made up three partners across its UK network a week after it emerged that former managing partner Colin Gray is to leave the firm for a fee-earning role at Eversheds. Martin Ewan has been promoted to the corporate practice ;in ;Aberdeen, Rosalie Mackay joins the corporate partnership in Glasgow and David […]
Clifford Chance ramped up its US pro bono credentials last Tuesday (10 June) when the UK-headquartered firm hosted a reception marking the launch of We Will Be Heard – a new book charting the decades-long struggle for constitutional rights in the US. Americas managing partner Craig Medwick introduced the high-profile roster of guests, who included […]
Lovells has scored its first UK patent litigation instructions from US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, scooping the lead role on three disputes set to hit the courts in 2009. Eli Lilly has chosen Lovells to defend it against generic drug manufacturers Hospira, Pliva and ScinoPharm in three separate cases in the High Court. The cases […]
White & Case and Allen & Overy (A&O) have scooped lead roles on the Islamic financing of a Saudi Arabian retail development. White & Case’s Saudi partner Mohammed Al-Sheikh and London partner Chris Langdon led the team advising Arabian Centres on its £1.1bn financing of the construction of a Saudi retail mall. Langdon said: “This […]
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May have been handed places on the £2.2bn merger of market research giants Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) and Germany’s GfK. Freshfields corporate partner Jeff Roberts led the team representing UK-based TNS. GfK was advised by Slaughters partner Simon Nicholls, alongside German ally Hengeler Mueller partners Christof Jaeckle and Bernd […]