Pinsent Masons has hired two associates into its partnership to boost the regulatory offering in the firm’s corporate group. Eversheds associate Jacob Ghanty and SJ Berwin associate Tim Dolan will be reporting to head of corporate Gareth Edwards. “As more financial services legislation comes into force, we need to have the expertise to advise our […]
Litigation boutique Loble Solicitors has closed after its founder, Steven Loble, quit the firm to join Collyer Bristow. Loble said the decision to close the firm came as regulation and administration became increasingly burdensome, diverting his attention from legal work. Loble joins Collyer Bristow’s dispute resolution team which he aims to grow in the international […]
Morgan Lewis has snared a corporate finance equity partner from Norton Rose. Iain Wright, who was with Norton Rose for 16 years, joined the London office of Morgan Lewis last week as part of the firm’s focus on this practice group. Wright said: “At Norton Rose I was very much involved in the telecoms sector. […]
Sullivan & Cromwell is the latest firm to be drafted in on the Northern Rock saga, with the New York M&A behemoth advising investment group Olivant on the potential purchase of a minority stake in the beleaguered mortgage lender. Olivant announced a rescue package to the London Stock Exchange this morning (12 November) that would […]
SJ Berwin has appointed partner John Vivian as the new head of the firm’s real estate practice group. SJ Berwin has appointed partner Jon Vivian as the new head of the firm’s real estate practice group. Vivian has replaced former head Bryan Pickup who stood down last month to concentrate on client work and lead […]
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) has strengthened its financial services regulatory team with the hire of a lawyer from the Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) enforcement division. Emily Benson has joined the firm as an associate director, one level below partner, and reports to financial services regulatory head Ian Mason. Mason, who joined BLG in January […]
LG has become the latest London firm to launch an office in Dubai. Office head, LG construction partner, James Foster, said the emphasis will be on corporate, finance and projects and construction. Foster commented: “The launch is very much client driven and we feel we can service clients even better by having a presence in […]
Ashurst , Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), DLA Piper, LG and Norton Rose have dominated Hemscott’s first client league table of top 100 AIM companies. Traditional FTSE players such as Allen & Overy (A&O), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have also started picking up on the bigger-ticket AIM action as the market has matured. Firms outside […]
The Law Society is stepping up its lobbying campaign after unsuccessful talks with the Chinese government failed to change rules that appear to prohibit Chinese companies from listing on AIM. China Law Council chairman Neil Sampson has been instructed by the Lord Mayor of London to pursue the matter and is writing to the Chinese […]
The last age discrimination claim against Freshfields has been withdrawn after the firm’s victory against former partner Peter Bloxham. The last age discrimination claim that Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was due to face this year has been withdrawn after the firm’s victory against former insolvency partner Peter Bloxham. Former Freshfields corporate partner Lois Moore, now at […]
Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has launched an office in Athens to focus on its global renewable energy capabilities. The new office head, dual UK and Greek-qualified energy partner Virginia Murray, will move to Athens with her team, which joined WFW from rival firm IKRP Rokas & Partner in March this year. Murray said: “We’ve […]
As part of its strategic focus on equity capital markets (ECM), Simmons & Simmons has scored one of Lovells’ up-and-coming corporate partners. Chris Horton has particular experience in cross-border ECM work for investment banks and also spent two years in-house with the ECM team at JPMorgan. Horton was made up to partner at Lovells earlier […]