As predicted by The Lawyer last week, Allen & Overy (A&O) lawyers sat on both sides of the negotiating table when WPP, the exclusive bidder for Cordiant, agreed to acquire the majority of Cordiant’s debt. An A&O corporate team led by partner Mark Gearing represented Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP, with a banking team led by […]
Former Shearman insolvency star Ronald DeKoven is used to the finer things in life. Matheu Swallow talks to a man coming to terms with grotty old London. Ronald DeKoven interrupts our interview – which is taking place in a small and slightly gloomy conference room in the basement of his new home at 3/4 South […]
Slaughter and May has sidelined Linklaters and won instructions from American Express (Amex) on its acquisition of Threadneedle Asset Management. Amex is now expected to go on a European spending spree. This is Slaughters’ first corporate deal for the company after years of advising Amex on regulatory issues. Linklaters has previously advised on most corporate […]
Julia Cahill investigates the new-look PFI scheme being introduced across the NHS For any project finance lawyers with an idle moment to fill this summer, a recent report available on the Unison website might make interesting reading. ‘The PFI Experience, Voices from the Frontline’ is a collection of accounts given by staff working in nine […]
David Beckham’s transfer to Real Madrid has been handled by a former Bird & Bird lawyer who is now in-house at the footballer’s agents SFX. Legal counsel Sam Rush told The Lawyer that he is flying out to Madrid with the England captain on 30 June to sign contracts and will formalise his transfer to […]
Travers Smith Braithwaite saw off competition from two rival law firms to scoop the mandate on the public-to-private buyout of toy emporium Hamleys. The management buyout, which values Hamleys at £47.2m, was backed by Iceland’s largest retailer Baugur and headed by the toy shop’s chief operating officer John Watkinson and finance director Ian Parker. Baugur […]
Herbert Smith (Dina Albagli) advised Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) on its issue from its master trust Mound Financing, raising £2.26bn for the bank and an increase in trust property to £7.5bn. Shepherd + Wedderburn acted for HBOS on issues relating to Scottish law. Citigroup acted as sole arranger with Credit Suisse First Boston as […]
After three years of cheap cover on the open market, law firms this year will pay more for their primary-level insurance than they did in the year that the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) collapsed. The total contribution law firms will pay this September for their first £1m of cover is predicted to rise by 20 […]
Niche property firm Forsters has won a beauty parade to act for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on the preparation and negotiation of Section 106 Planning Agreements. Partner and head of planning Michael Cunliffe will lead the Forsters team, supported by Caroline Carter and Eleanor Penn.
DLA (Mark Jackson, Steven Fennell, David Breakell) advised PricewaterhouseCoopers, Barclays Bank and GMAC Commercial Credit on the sale of Daisytek-ISA to ISA Trading for in excess of £30m. Dechert acted for ISA Trading. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom (Robert Sullivan, Cliff Gross, Carole Aciman, Soorun Youn) represented the Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Group in […]
Lawrence Graham and Addleshaw Goddard are continuing to benefit from the woeful financial state of English football, with the two firms sharing the spoils of the Wimbledon FC administration. Lawrence Graham and Addleshaws are advising Grant Thornton, the administrator of the football club. While Wimbledon’s recent problems have not been helped by the management’s decision […]
Lovells has hired Greg Terry, former director and group general counsel of Hong Kong conglomerate Jardine Matheson, as head of the firm’s Asian corporate practice. Terry, who will be based in Lovells’ Hong Kong office from today (16 June), was a director and group general counsel of Jardine Matheson for 10 years. He was responsible […]