As class actions look to take off in the UK it’s worth considering the role they can play for claimants. By Vincent Smith A great deal has been said recently about the growing threat of a US class action culture in the UK. Even the more thoughtful commentators (for example Simon Kamstra in the The […]
Solicitors must be given greater freedom to take their clients’ cases all the way to the High Court. By Simon Davis Restrictions are unreasonably imposed on the freedom of clients to choose a solicitor to act as their advocate in court. Those restrictions should be removed. A litigation solicitor can appear at employment tribunals where […]
Mediation may require slightly different skills to litigation but barristers can still put their all into the work. By Beverly-Ann Rogers Standing on a draughty railway station late one evening after a fraught but ultimately successful mediation, the barristers for the parties and I fell to discussing the challenges and satisfaction of representing parties in […]
Addleshaw Goddard has advised Tiscali UK Holdings for the first time, working on its £210m acquisition of Pipex Communications’ broadband and phone businesses. Tiscali is a new client for Addleshaws, with the firm winning the instruction following a tender. Addleshaws’ corporate partner James Dawson led the team acting for Tiscali, the first major deal he […]
Five UK firms have scooped key roles on the Metronet administration, which was launched earlier today. Five UK firms have scooped key roles on the Metronet administration, which was launched earlier today. Allen & Overy (A&O) has a scooped a key role on the administration, advising accounting firm Ernst & Young as the administrators. The […]
US firms Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Shearman & Sterling have landed major roles on the latest bid for Sainsbury’s. London Skadden Arps partner Adrian Knight is leading the team advising Qatari investment company Delta Two on its £12bn bid for the food retailer just three months after Sainsbury’s rejected the CVC Capital […]
Mishcon de Reya has been appointed to handle the divorce of former Arsenal star Thierry Henry in what could be the biggest divorce payout by a footballer, with Henry’s fortune estimated at £25m. Mishcon partner and head of the family group Sandra Davis will be working on the case with assistant Ruth Abrams. Davis has […]
A recent Lords decision will see more shipping disputes go to arbitration when charterparty agreements are reneged upon. Nigel Wagland and Kevin Oram report The House of Lords’ decision in Golden Strait Corporation v Nippon Yusen Kubishka Kaisha (2007) in May has important practical implications for the charter market and for London shipping litigators in […]
Lawyers at Hammonds’ London office have issued a call to arms on behalf of Paddington Law Centre in West London, which faces imminent closure unless donations are forthcoming. For almost 35 years Paddington Law Centre has provided free, specialist legal advice and representation to Westminster’s poorest citizens in the practice areas of immigration, benefits, housing […]
Yorkshire law firm Keeble Hawson has scored a deal advising independent financial adviser (IFA) support network 2plan on its start up. Leeds-based 2plan, which will provide a back-office system for IFAs across the country, has been set up by directors Chris Smallwood and Chris Davies with life office giant Standard Life taking a minority stake. […]
Allen & Overy (A&O) has secured its third deal in two months for banking group Unicredit, advising on Bank Austria Creditanstalt’s (BA-CA) acquisition of Ukrainian bank Ukrsotsbank. BA-CA, which is part of the Unicredit Group, acquired 95 per cent of Ukrsotsbank from Interpipe Group for E1.52bn (£1.03bn). A&O partner Pervez Akhtar, who led the team […]
Scottish firm Semple Fraser has scored a key ruling at the Court of Appeal on the legal definition of waste. The firm, acting for OSS Group, a collector and recycler of waste oils, sought to clear up the definition of waste after the Government and the Environment Agency failed to agree on the official interpretation […]