‘Why don’t parties and their donors pay to run Parliament?’ MoJ pushes ahead with controversial court fees reform

Despite fierce accusations from within the senior echelons of the legal profession that the Government has failed to comprehend the Courts’ standing as an essential institution of the State, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) this week announced it will push ahead with the first stage of its proposals to overhaul court fees in civil claims.

Asia: Latham hires V&E ex China co-head in HK; NRF hires DLA’s Singapore corporate head; Clayton Utz ends HK association

The past week has seen global top three firm Latham & Watkins hire Vinson & Elkins’ former China co-head David Blumental in Hong Kong, as Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) takes on DLA Piper’s Singapore corporate head Sheela Moorthy and big six Australian firm Clayton Utz ends its association in Hong Kong with Haley & Co.

Paul Hastings and Cleary advise on Marriott London Grosvenor sale and £200m buy-in of UK’s Victoria Plumb

The London offices of US firms Paul Hastings and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton are advising on the £125m sale of the Marriott London Grosvenor Square Hotel and the acquisition of a majority stake in British online bathroom retailer Victoria Plumb for around £200m respectively.

Taylor Wessing fills German head of private equity slot with Skadden hire as Bird & Bird bolsters Frankfurt

Taylor Wessing has hired Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom M&A partner Walter Henle to fill the role of German private equity head. The hire comes as separately, former Skadden Arps partner Peter Veranneman joins Bird & Bird’s Frankfurt and Dusseldorf offices from German bond company DGVA

Irwin Mitchell’s departing CEO John Pickering points to ‘the changing legal sector’ as Tucker takes over

Irwin Mitchell’s longstanding head John Pickering has pointed to changes in the legal sector for his decision to step down as group chief executive (CEO), as he prepares to leave the firm and the former CEO of the firm’s personal legal services (PLS) division Andrew Tucker steps into the lead role.