KENNEDYS OPENS IN SCOTLAND
Last month, Kennedys finally entered the Scottish market with the opening of offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh after talks with Simpson & Marwick fell through at the end of 2013. The firm hired Francis Gill & Co’s founder and director Frank Gill, and Rory Jackson, insurance liability and regulatory partner at McClure Naismith, to co-lead the practice.
LATHAM OPENS NEARSHORING OFFICE IN MANCHESTER
Latham & Watkins announced it is set to open a business services office in Manchester during 2015. In the firm’s second centre (after its first in LA), 25 staff will focus on IT and technology support in Europe and there will also be a financial analysis team to provide practice and regional heads with greater budgetary insight.
BOUTIQUE OPENINGS CONTINUE
The 2014 trend of forming breakaway boutiques continued last month with Covington & Burling’s co-head of EU litigation Damien Geradin and Clifford Chance’s Oliver Bretz both leaving to form their own competition practices. Meanwhile, DLA Piper’s former Middle East managing partner, Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout, also left to establish his own firm in Kuwait.
CCO RAYNOR REPLACES SHAKESPEARES’ CHIEF EXECUTIVE WILSON
Chief client officer Andy Raynor, who trained as an accountant, is set to take over as chief executive of Shakespeares after Paul Wilson announced he is stepping down. Wilson, who has overseen seven mergers and revenue growth from £10m to £50m, is leaving to become managing director of Canadian intellectual property and technology boutique Smart & Biggar.
OSBORNE CLARKE RESTARTS PRIVATE CLIENT PRACTICE
Osborne Clarke (OC) has relaunched a dedicated private wealth practice after having lost three partners and restructured its practice in 2013. OC hired Andrew Goodman and Stuart Janaway, from Taylor Wessing and New Quadrant Partners respectively, to lead the practice.
MOD PICKS TEN FIRMS FOR MAJOR PROJECTS ROSTER
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) appointed ten firms to an expanded major projects panel after the last roster consisted of seven firms. Those gaining a spot were Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Addleshaw Goddard, Burges Salmon, Herbert Smith Freehills, Dentons, Mills & Reeve, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Simmons & Simmons and Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co.
LEARNER MOVES BACK TO KIRKLAND
Kirkland & Ellis has announced that Jim Learner, who established its London office 20 years ago, will return to the firm and the City. Learner departed Kirkland for US private equity house HGGC in 2012 after having led the firm’s European operations and having served as a member of the global management executive committee.
DLA PIPER WINS HEINEKEN UK PRINCIPAL ADVISER MANDATE
DLA Piper beat five other law firms to win a three-year appointment as Heineken UK’s principal legal adviser, though Flint Bishop will continue to cover UK licensing work, while TLT will handle associated recoveries. Heineken UK said it expected to save a seven-figure sum over the period.