Asia: CC’s Charlton on high Asian promotion rate; Winston takes on DLA team; BLP enters Indonesia; Wragge LG ends Singapore tie-up

In a fortnight that has so far seen Winston & Strawn hire a four-strong corporate team from DLA Piper in Hong Kong; Berwin Leighton Paisner enter into an association in Indonesia; and Wragge Lawrence Graham end its association in Singapore with PK Wong & Associates, Clifford Chance’s Asia managing partner Peter Charlton also spoke to Legal Business about the firm’s heavy promotion rate in the region.

Partner promotions: Watson Farley; RPC; TLT and McCann FitzGerald unveil numbers

Top 50 UK firms Watson, Farley & Williams (WFW) and RPC have unveiled their latest partner promotions, making up 13 and three lawyers respectively, as top 60 firm TLT and leading Irish firm McCann FitzGerald both announced today (7 May) that they have promoted four lawyers.

Bayer’s $14.2bn acquisition from Merck spins out roles for Sullivan, Fried Frank, Morgan Lewis and Cleary

The $14.2bn acquisition of Merck’s consumer care business by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has spun out roles for a clutch of leading US law firms, as Sullivan & Cromwell advises longstanding client Bayer opposite Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & JacobsonMorgan, Lewis & Bockius; and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton for Merck.

In-house: Sainsbury’s unveils new panel; Lloyds brings in insurance GC; Ladbrokes promotes deputy to GC role

A trio of significant in-house moves and announcements yesterday (6 May) saw King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin and TLT awarded a first-time spot on Sainsbury’s latest panel, as Lloyds Banking Group appointed RSM Tenon’s former group general counsel (GC) Joanne Jolly to lead its insurance group and outgoing Ladbrokes GC Jonathan Adelman handed over the reins to his deputy.

Partner promotions: Osborne Clarke makes up five in the UK after Stephenson Harwood promotes City duo

Osborne Clarke (OC) has made up five new partners in its 2014 promotion round across the UK, constituting the firm’s highest-ever UK figures in three years, following Stephenson Harwood’s announcement last week that it has made up just two City associates to partner this year.