Guy Henderson, commercial litigation partner, Allen & Overy Two recent decisions of our courts, both in relation to privilege, illustrate differing approaches to developing the law. Until very recently, clients have regularly been frustrated by a technical deficiency in the law: it had not expressly permitted them to contract to preserve the privilege that attaches to legal […]
Maria Moruzzi makes a mean bubble and squeak, and her Borough Cafe is a local legend. She caters for customers such as Sean Connery, Lord Lawson and Jamie Oliver. But when Railtrack (now Network Rail) said it was looking to build a railway through her premises, no stars came to her rescue.Moruzzi’s parents owned the […]
Even after the merger, P&O Princess Cruises and Carnival are still separate. Brendan Malkin finds out how P&O counsel Tony Kaufman keeps it all together For a year and a half Tony Kaufman, P&O Princess Cruises head of legal, worked 16 hours a day on one of the most complex transactions imaginable – the merger […]
Being Christian Aid’s sole lawyer is no conventional role. Advocacy officer Matt Hobson is on the front line of the reconstruction of post-war Afghanistan. Husnara Begum reports Even though Matt Hobson, Christian Aid’s advocacy officer for Afghanistan and Central Asia, is the only lawyer at the not-for-profit organisation, he spends very little time drafting documents […]
Allen & Overy‘s (A&O) Brussels office has taken on Jean-Marie Moreels, the general counsel of financial services provider Fortis. Moreels, who has been at Fortis since 1988, will bring rare expertise in dual-listed company (DLC) structures, which are increasingly touted as merger vehicles in Belgium. Moreels will join as an M&A partner in the firm’s […]
The EU is to sign a controversial extradition deal with the US, with the agreement being approved by the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, despite concerns raised by the European Parliament. Its text should be initialled at the EU-US summit on 25 June in Washington DC. It covers mutual legal assistance, including the exchange […]
Publicis, the French advertising company, has ditched Herbert Smith in favour of Clifford Chance in its battle for Cordiant Communications. Publicis’ switch has emerged just as Cordiant’s board confirmed that it has recommended a bid from Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP. Publicis, together with US hedge fund Cerberus, has been trying to push Cordiant into administration. […]
Herbert Smith has set up joint working groups with its alliance firms Gleiss Lutz and Stibbe in areas such as M&A, capital markets, private equity and litigation. The groups will pitch for potential new clients. The firm has seconded its first London partner, corporate lawyer Philip Talboys, to Gleiss to coordinate the joint initiatives. Talboys […]
He may know a lot about wallpaper, but former Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine is no engineer.But having recently resigned, at least Irvine will not have to deal with the possibility that the new Commercial Court, planned to be built on the site of the Queen’s Building in the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ), could fall […]
Ashurst Morris Crisp’s relationship with British Telecom (BT) was bedevilled by a row over fees prior to the firm’s exit from BT’s panel, The Lawyer can reveal. The firm advised BT on its massive £2.3bn property outsourcing in 2001. It is understood that a problem with Scottish stamp duty meant that the deal was not […]
A £1.4m negligence claim against Bircham Dyson Bell brought by Frizzell Financial Services has been dropped just weeks before the case was due to go to court. The case was due to start on 7 July, but three days after witness statements were exchanged earlier this month, Frizzell withdrew its claim. The financial services company […]
Robert Griffiths QC of 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square has beaten off several rivals to become counsel to the inquiry investigating a proposal to make the South Downs one of only two national parks to be established in the past 50 years. Although his title is counsel to the inquiry, Griffiths is officially acting for the […]