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International Women’s Day 2022: May Tai, managing partner, HSF Asia and Kathryn Sanger, Hong Kong

May Tai – a ranked individual for international arbitration

Which woman most inspired you in your career and why?

Sonya Leydecker and Paula Hodges QC were two leading women in the litigation and arbitration practice when I started my career as a junior lawyer. Paula was one of the first QCs specialising in arbitration and the President of the LCIA Court; Sonya was the Head of the Dispute Resolution of Herbert Smith Freehills and then became our first female CEO. They are both giants in the industry and both spent a lot of their personal and professional time mentoring, sponsoring and coaching me. Whenever I come across a tricky issue, I still think about how Sonya and Paula would deal with that issue if they were in my shoes and so even though they are not around so much anymore, I still get strength and inspiration from them. Continue reading “International Women’s Day 2022: May Tai, managing partner, HSF Asia and Kathryn Sanger, Hong Kong”

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International Women’s Day 2022: Kathryn Sanger, Leading Individual, Hong Kong – International Arbitration

Which woman most inspired you in your career and why?

There are a number of people who inspired me, or at least supported me, along the way. My mum was sick for most of my younger life and not around much so I have always sought out female role models. Mums of best friends, my mum’s sister, Aunty Kathryn (and my name’s sake), female professors, fellow lawyers, a whole cohort of strong women from law school who still keep me going. If I had to choose one woman, however, it would be my godmother (Joy). She was my dad’s drama tutor at college, there (almost literally) when I was born 8 weeks early, and a huge influence on me as I grew up. I started to stay with her regularly from when I was 8. She was one of the first women to study at Cambridge, fiercely intelligent, independent (she never married), and loyal to her friends, family and goddaughter. She showed me how hard work and a good mind can save you, how to be confident at Oxford and, as I started my career, that it didn’t matter that I came from a single parent, working class background, that people remember you for what you do, and how you behave towards others. That we should embrace difficult work, and study hard, but also have fun. That the relationships you build in early life will carry you through and sustain you in later life. How to be kind to all. She is 100 this year, I have not seen her for over 2 years, and yet she still inspires me every day (and she still writes to me and keeps me going). I am hoping very much to be able to travel and see her this summer. Luckily I saw lots of her in 2019. It’s been way too long! Writing this remind me how long… Continue reading “International Women’s Day 2022: Kathryn Sanger, Leading Individual, Hong Kong – International Arbitration”

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International Women’s Day 2022: Agnes Rossi – Simmons & Simmons, Paris; Next Generation Partner – Fund Formation

Which woman most inspired you in your legal career and why?

Christine Lagarde. She is not only a very successful lawyer (having been named as chair of an international law firm) but she was also a high-level athlete (she was a member of the French national synchronized swimming team) and she has managed to become a well-known politician (she held various senior ministerial posts in France). She is now the president of the European Central Bank (after having been the managing director of the International Monetary Fund). Meanwhile she also has two children. I don’t know how she does all of these things, how she finds the stamina to do always more. It seems that nothing is impossible for her, which is impressive as well as inspiring. Continue reading “International Women’s Day 2022: Agnes Rossi – Simmons & Simmons, Paris; Next Generation Partner – Fund Formation”

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Ex-Mishcon partner hit with £17,500 SRA fine over conduct breach

Solicitors Regulation Authority

A former Mishcon de Reya partner has accepted a £17,500 penalty for his conduct which contributed to the record £232,500 SRA settlement agreed with the firm in January.

In an agreement published yesterday (7 March), Michael Nouril admitted to serious breaches of money laundering regulations relating to work for two individual clients, and corporate vehicles connected with the same two individual clients. In addition to the settlement, he will also pay  £3,500 in costs. Continue reading “Ex-Mishcon partner hit with £17,500 SRA fine over conduct breach”

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Significant matters – Winter 2022

DWF and Mayer Brown lose out in PPF’s D&I-driven panel review

DWF and Mayer Brown have lost their places on Pension Protection Fund’s (PPF) panel after its latest shakeup, the results of which were announced in February 2022. This is the fund’s first panel review since 2018 when it axed more than 70% of its external legal advisers, reducing its panel from 23 to six firms. This latest extensive procurement process included an emphasis on ‘social values’ and required firms to demonstrate that they were proactively tackling the disability employment gap and workforce inequality. Continue reading “Significant matters – Winter 2022”

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Change is now

It’s fair to say that legal directories have come in for more than their fair share of flack over the years, particularly when it comes to speed of change. But if proof were needed that The Legal 500 is more than capable of setting the pace, then the latest UK gender diversity stats neatly provide it. Continue reading “Change is now”

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Balancing growth and risk

As part of an ongoing series of thought leadership roundtables and webinars we have been hosting with Paul Hastings before, during and after lockdown, we were delighted to finally have an in-person debate at Paul Hastings’ London office in November 2021. We gathered together leading general counsel and Paul Hastings partners to discuss the role the legal team within corporates plays in advising the board on major risks – particularly environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns – without stifling healthy growth. Continue reading “Balancing growth and risk”

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Top of the agenda

Cyber security, environmental and social issues, shareholder activism – corporate governance has never been so high up the business agenda as it is today. And the role GCs play in ensuring proper systems of checks and balances are in place and adhered to at their companies cannot be underestimated. Against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, soaring inflation pushing up the costs of doing business and new pressure on workforce management post pandemic, IHL spoke to some of the leading private practice partners in London, as identified by sibling title The Legal 500, about the issues likely to be at the top of the GC agenda in 2022. Continue reading “Top of the agenda”

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The melting pot

With only a small degree of hindsight available, it is abundantly clear that London is experiencing one of its great disputes booms as the UK emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. One may expect that the unique economic situation, underpinned by unprecedented levels of state financial support, may be the key catalyst for contentious issues. But on closer inspection, the mandates are flying at disputes firms from all directions. Continue reading “The melting pot”

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A&O opens in Boston as Simmons launches in Silicon Valley

UK firms have made significant moves stateside, with Allen & Overy and Simmons & Simmons announcing the opening of new US offices.

Allen & Overy’s US expansion project appears set to continue. With a new office in Boston set to open following the arrival of a five-partner group from Goodwin. The firm, which has been recruiting across numerous US practice areas since the collapse of the planned merger with O’Melveny & Myers, welcomed the new partners into its intellectual property litigation practice, significantly bolstering its offering in the life sciences industry. Elizabeth Holland will join the New York office and is set to become the head of the US life sciences practice, with Bill James joining the firm in Washington. Continue reading “A&O opens in Boston as Simmons launches in Silicon Valley”

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Revolving doors: OC opens in Warsaw with local hires as US players ramp up in the City

Osborne Clarke has expanded its European footprint through a new office in Poland, securing a team of 30 lawyers from domestic firms to staff the Warsaw hub.

The new team, which comprises six partners, 24 lawyers and four business services staff, features a strong contingent from Polish professional services firm MDDP, with former MDDP Law managing partner and M&A specialist Tomasz Olkiewicz being selected as co-managing partner for OC’s new Polish operations. He will be supported in the top job by Olgierd Świerzewski, previously chief executive and head of the technology transaction group at Kochański & Partners. Continue reading “Revolving doors: OC opens in Warsaw with local hires as US players ramp up in the City”

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New brooms from the Magic Circle: Moore adds new law string to his bow as Braham set to chair M&G

Gideon Moore (pictured), Linklaters’ erstwhile global managing partner, has added a further flourish to his CV to take on the role of non-executive director at new law scale-up nexa. The move follows Moore’s appointment earlier this year as chief legal officer and general counsel of NatWest, an executive role he will start on 1 April 2022.

This is the latest in a string of Magic Circle leaders taking the path less travelled post-partnership. Last Thursday (24 February) M&G plc announced that Edward Braham, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s former senior partner, is to join the listed UK investment manager as its chair on 14 March 2022. Continue reading “New brooms from the Magic Circle: Moore adds new law string to his bow as Braham set to chair M&G”

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Sponsored briefing: Key issues when structuring a BVI joint venture

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a particularly popular jurisdiction for incorporating joint venture vehicles. The principal statute governing the formation and operation of a BVI business company is the Business Companies Act 2004 (the BC Act). The BC Act is a modern and flexible companies statute.

Key Documentation

The principal corporate documents are the joint venture agreement (JVA) and the memorandum and articles of association of the BVI company (M&A). There are particular provisions of the JVA that must be in the M&A under BVI law. These provisions relate to: (i) the rights attaching to the authorised shares of the company; (ii) provisions in respect of company procedures such as notice and quorum requirements for shareholder meetings; (iii) the election of directors; and (iv) restrictions on the powers of the directors to carry on the business of the company (being items requiring super majority director approval or shareholder approval). Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Key issues when structuring a BVI joint venture”

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Lessons in management: Spoiler alert – it doesn’t get easier

‘You can’t appeal to people’s better natures because they don’t have one. Everyone is fundamentally selfish.’ Nihilistic as this remark from a senior corporate partner may sound, on darker days, most law firm leaders would find it hard to argue the point.

While that partner can always be relied upon for a no-holds-barred, often strongly-worded take on the worries that are really keeping law firm leaders awake at night, that is not to say the more diplomatic concerns that people express on the record are any less valid. Continue reading “Lessons in management: Spoiler alert – it doesn’t get easier”

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Africa focus: Rising again?

While the same old story of political volatility continues to pervade in Africa, a bullish M&A market and renewed optimism driven by a pan-Africa trade agreement makes the continent hard to ignore for law firms.

For Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), an ongoing commitment to Africa has played an important role in galvanising its place among global firms. London and Paris offices have targeted the continent for decades, while the launch of a Johannesburg office in 2015 took its ambitions a step further. Nina Bowyer, the Paris-based co-head of HSF’s Africa group is very much alive to the challenges: ‘Obviously, Covid has crippled a number of economies across the world and Africa is no exception. Finding the necessary resources to tackle some of the challenges will continue to be difficult. Continue reading “Africa focus: Rising again?”

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Sponsored briefing: Africa: The land of milk and honey and business as usual

African countries, even with their less advanced healthcare systems and low vaccination rates, have weathered the pandemic well with a low incidence and mortality rate for Covid-19. The impact, therefore, of the pandemic in Africa remains markedly lower compared to the Americas, Europe and Asia. Scientists say it is a paradox and are exploring the hypothesis that Africans have had more exposure to other coronaviruses, which may act as a defence against Covid-19. Another possibility is that regular exposure to malaria or other infectious diseases could prime the immune system to fight new pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. If tens of millions of Africans have already been infected, scientists question whether the continent should try for ‘herd immunity’ without a vaccine, shielding only the most vulnerable, which might be preferable over control measures that cripple economies in the long run.

Further, Africa’s youthful population stands out against the global backdrop of ageing populations. Only in Africa is the size of the working-age population as a portion of the total population still increasing. In short, Africa is open for business as usual. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Africa: The land of milk and honey and business as usual”