Top City firms are squaring up in the battle for music publishing group EMI. Three private equity groups have confirmed their interest in the world’s third-largest music publisher, which is a client of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. US-headquartered private equity houses Cerberus, One Equity and Fortress are set to engage in a £3bn takeover battle for […]
West End-based Davenport Lyons has helped saved the UK-produced St Trinian’s remake from the scrapheap with its first foray into film financing. The much anticipated film, an update on 1954’s The Belles of St Trinian’s starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and Richard E Grant, found itself in dire straits after the UK Government banned film […]
Ashurst has advised on the $155m (£77.83m) purchase of two oil assets in the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The firm advised London-based Burren Energy, an existing client, which purchased a 5.5 per cent stake in the M’Boundi oilfield and a 2 per cent interest in the exploration licence for the surrounding Kouilou area. […]
Malcolm Iley, Trowers & Hamlins‘ so-called Godfather of local government lawyering, has stepped down as the firm’s head of public sector. Although remaining with the team in a fee-earning role, he hands over the reins to stalwart and former deputy Helen Randall, a rising star in the local government firmament and a member of The […]
The High Court of Malawi has declared the death sentences on all prisoners on death row unconstitutional in a landmark judgment that spells the end of the automatic death penalty. In a unanimous judgment on 27 April, the High Court ruled that the automatic nature of the death penalty in Malawi for murder and other […]
There is a general consensus within the legal profession that there has been a downturn in commercial litigation, the judiciary claimed otherwise last week, but now it is not so sure. The Commercial and Admiralty Courts’ annual report, released last week (10 May), trumpets the fact that the courts used 1,043 days for trials in […]
Private equity house 3i has turned to Travers Smith in its innovative plan to buy a stake in one of the UK’s most famous architecture practices. Lord Foster, one of the most prominent British architects, has agreed to sell a stake in his Foster & Partners company to 3i in a deal that is reportedly […]
An elite roster of City and Canadian firms have been drafted in to advise on Thomson’s £8.8bn takeover of Reuters. Reuters has turned to its longstanding corporate adviser and panel firm Slaughter and May, which is fielding a team led by veteran corporate partner Nigel Boardman. The combined company, which will be known as Thomson-Reuters, […]
Herbert Smith has worked on a pro bono basis to help Barnardo’s set up a social enterprise arm, enabling the children’s charity to generate revenue independent of donations. Barnardo’s Social Enterprise Ltd (BSEL) will enable the charity to sell services to other organisations to generate funds. BSEL has already completed an IT fit-out project for […]
Trade union and personal injury specialist Thompsons Solicitors has won a battle for a group of dinner ladies in the war over equal pay. Five law lords ruled last week that the 36 dinner ladies were victims of bullying by their employer, St Helens Borough Council, Merseyside, the aim of which was to get them […]
Lovells has acted for health insurance group PruHealth on a deal that will see Boots offer co-branded private medical insurance products in its stores and on its website. The deal represents PruHealth’s largest-ever co-branding agreement and is also its first retail partnership. Lovells, which has an existing relationship with PruHealth parent company Prudential, advised on […]
Allen & Overy (A&O) has advised the lead arrangers on the latest securitisation of the Canary Wharf Estate. The firm advised Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers on the £726m tap issue and the redemption of £574.6m worth of existing bonds that are backed by seven properties on the Canary Wharf Estate. Partner David Shearer led […]