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Rolling up the sleeves: Eversheds sets out corporate ambitions with hire of Simmons’ UK corporate head

Eversheds Sutherland is ramping up its City investment plans as the firm looks to become a leading player in the global upper mid-market corporate space.

The firm said today (4 November) it had hired the former head of UK corporate at Simmons & Simmons, Giles Dennison (pictured), in London. Dennison was a Simmons lifer, becoming partner in 2005 before heading the corporate team since 2012. Continue reading “Rolling up the sleeves: Eversheds sets out corporate ambitions with hire of Simmons’ UK corporate head”

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Revolving Doors: Proskauer and TLT hire in the City as Clydes insurance head retires

Proskauer and TLT have added to their funds and banking practices in what was a quiet week generally for City lateral hires.

Proskauer has hired regulatory specialist Kirsten Lapham to its global private funds practice. She joins the firm’s London office as partner from Ropes & Gray where she was counsel in the asset management group. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Proskauer and TLT hire in the City as Clydes insurance head retires”

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‘Not a chance’: Reed Smith rules out a listing as it lands ABS licence approval

Tamara Box

Reed Smith has made good on its plans to secure an alternative business structure (ABS) licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), but has ruled out the move will be part of a process to pursue an initial public offering (IPO).

The change in regulatory status also allows the firm to be owned or managed by those without legal qualifications, with Reed Smith eyeing a widened provision of service beyond conventional law. The change in structure will not change the firm’s limited liability partnership status, which includes a single partnership and profit pool in the UK, France, Greece, UAE and China. Continue reading “‘Not a chance’: Reed Smith rules out a listing as it lands ABS licence approval”

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Sponsored briefing: Israel adopts the UNCITRAL Model Law

Inbar Hakimian-Nahari of Yigal Arnon & Co explains how Israel’s new law provides clarity and makes it easier for foreign companies and investors operating in the country

In September 2019, the Insolvency and Economic Rehabilitation Law, 5778-2018 will come into force in Israel. The new law is a comprehensive insolvency legislation for individuals and corporations, which includes extensive changes to the current insolvency legal framework, while also incorporating customary practice and legal precedents. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Israel adopts the UNCITRAL Model Law”

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Sponsored briefing: Profile – Richard Mann, partner, GKH

Richard Mann heads the firm’s M&A practice. He leads a team of experienced attorneys who focus on representing Israeli and foreign clients in implementing complex cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, public and private debt and equity financings, and secured and unsecured finance transactions. His clients include acquirers and targets, leading international private equity funds, strategic and financial investors, and joint venture partners. Mann also represents issuers and leading underwriters in public offerings in the US and London, and advises Israeli companies on ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission and stock exchange regulatory matters.

According to Chambers & Partners 2018 Global Guide – Capital Markets: ‘Richard Mann is highly regarded for his M&A practice and has additional experience in capital markets. His focus is on international and cross-border mandates and he possesses experience of equity financing and IPOs.’

Chambers 2018 Global Guide – Corporate M&A: ‘Joint head of the group Richard Mann maintains an impressive reputation, with market sources describing him as “thoughtful, imaginative and business-oriented.” He has an active domestic M&A practice and acts as Israeli counsel for large cross-border transactions.’

IFLR1000: ‘The head of M&A at Gross is one of the most liked and respected lawyers in the country and the market has repeatedly referred work to him over the years.’

PLC Which Lawyer?: ‘Gross, Kleinhendler, Hodak & Co. is unquestionably a favourite pick for securities transactions and Richard Mann’s corporate and finance experience provides the ideal platform for his success in this area. Mann is held in high esteem for his international expertise.

‘Highly recommended in Mergers & Acquisitions. Advises on both the buy and sell sides for Israeli firms and for international private equity houses.’
The Legal 500: included in Corporate M&A ‘Leading Individuals’.

Prior to joining Gross, Kleinhendler, Hodak, Halevy, Greenberg, Shenhav & Co in 1996, Mann served from 1988 to 1992 as a corporate and tax associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in New York, and from 1992 to 1995 as legal counsel to the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s United States Mission in New York.

EDUCATION

University of Pennsylvania (BA Political Science, 1985); Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania (BS Finance, 1985); Columbia University, New York (JD, 1988), Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

MEMBER

Israel Bar, 1996; New York Bar, 1989.

For more information, please contact:Richard Mann, partner, head of M&A

Gross, Kleinhendler, Hodak, Halevy, Greenberg, Shenhav & Co
One Azrieli Center, Round Building
Tel Aviv 6701101
Israel
T: +972 3607 4431
E: [email protected]

www.gkh-law.com

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‘Reflecting the market right now, not several years back’ – The Legal 500 UK launch unveils a new approach

Late last month we published the first Legal 500 UK guide since I took over as editor. While changing something the size of the UK guide is going to take time (for context we include some 1,300 UK and US firms across more than 10,000 individual rankings) readers will have already noticed some improvements.

The legal industry has never had a reputation for being the fastest-moving sector, and the same criticism has at times been levelled against the analysts that assess the profession. As a research business we always start with the quantitative data and tangible evidence as the basis of our research – this means there will inevitably be some time lag between what we are ranking firms on and what is happening within their practice right now. Continue reading “‘Reflecting the market right now, not several years back’ – The Legal 500 UK launch unveils a new approach”

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Comment: Whatever happened to the PR as managing partner consigliere?

PR-related press cuttings

For a pundit often claimed to be dismissive of the PR community, the subject of this leader may surprise. The reputation was never that accurate – I’ve always said skilled comms professionals are an asset to major law firms – but let’s put that to one side for now. The topic is something I’ve been noticing for some time: the slow decline of the PR professional as consigliere to law firm leaders. While the breed was never plentiful, it wasn’t that long ago that there was a sizeable group of battle-hardened comms hands that had judgement, integrity, long contact lists and who were effective as support and sources of information to managing partners. Plenty had worked outside the legal industry – indeed, they were usually more adept if they had in their junior years – but they had built strong knowledge of the dynamics of the profession and the realities of working for partnerships. They could make things happen and tell partners what they didn’t want to hear.

At their best they were a useful bridge to the outside world and there to help the firm push the message outwards, ever outwards, be that to clients, potential clients, or the wider industry. The best were also facilitators, focused on hooking up management and a Praetorian guard of headline-friendly partners with the better, relevant journalists and helping relationships flourish. Continue reading “Comment: Whatever happened to the PR as managing partner consigliere?”

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In-house: GC Risam draws on experience as Lombard International invites tenders for debut panel

Monica Risam

Wealth-structuring company Lombard International is creating its first-ever legal adviser panel under the watch of general counsel (GC) Monica Risam, the former Aviva UK Life GC who moved to the company in January last year.

The panel will cement and deepen relationships the Luxembourg-based company already has with firms such as Allen & Overy, Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper and Linklaters. Continue reading “In-house: GC Risam draws on experience as Lombard International invites tenders for debut panel”

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‘Developing market share’: Weightmans opens shop in Newcastle through Watson Burton acquisition

Newcastle, UK

National player Weightmans has expanded into North East England after acquiring Newcastle-based firm Watson Burton, adding nine partners to the firm’s bench.

In total, 64 employees will join Weightmans’ ranks, with Watson Burton having offices in Newcastle, Leeds and London. Though the cost of the acquisition was not disclosed, Watson Burton turned over £6.9m in the last financial year. Continue reading “‘Developing market share’: Weightmans opens shop in Newcastle through Watson Burton acquisition”

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Partner promotions: Cleary bypasses the City as Ropes again makes up just one in London

US-branded shark fin in a City sea

Despite previously denying claims that the firm is retrenching in London, Ropes & Gray has promoted just one new partner in the City as part of a 16-strong round while Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has neglected its London arm entirely.

The promotion of Elizabeth Todd to partner in Ropes’ City private equity transactions practice is another sign of the firm’s conservative approach to investing in London after last year promoting only one full-time partner, Aditya Khanna in corporate finance. Continue reading “Partner promotions: Cleary bypasses the City as Ropes again makes up just one in London”

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Deal View: A&O’s corporate practice has matured nicely but will O’Melveny fallout take its toll?

Andrew Ballheimer

Habitually viewed as the poor relation to its unparalleled banking and finance practice, Allen & Overy (A&O)’s corporate team has stepped up in recent years, the culmination of a decades-spanning campaign to forge a top-tier name in M&A.

Richard Browne, co-head of corporate, stresses the level of growth the 161-partner practice has seen, having increased its fee income by 50% in the last decade. ‘In the dark ages when I started, A&O’s corporate practice was not the best. It was a banking and finance firm. That is no longer the case at all. Corporate has become the same size as the banking business. It is incredibly profitable, with top-tier work and clients.’ Continue reading “Deal View: A&O’s corporate practice has matured nicely but will O’Melveny fallout take its toll?”

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Life During Law: David Collins

David Collins

I’m London born and bred, never lived anywhere else apart from three years in Manchester at university. Went to City of London School up the road, worked at St Martin’s Le Grand, Aldersgate Street, Fleet Street, Adelaide House in London Bridge and here [Fleet Place]. My wife would say I’m limited in a whole bunch of ways. To be honest, I don’t like to be too far from my family.

My mum was a formidable primary school teacher. I was in her school when she was deputy head at a state primary. Interesting experience. Continue reading “Life During Law: David Collins”

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The Client Profile: Heather Mitchell, The Carlyle Group

Heather Mitchell

‘One reason I’m doing this interview is so I can send it to my parents. They’re really important to me. Ah, suddenly, the hard-woman persona crumbles,’ jokes Heather Mitchell, global general counsel (GC) for investments and head of EMEA at The Carlyle Group.

Mitchell’s 17-year career at the US private equity giant has seen her consistently ranked among the most influential in-house lawyers. However, she says what makes her father the most proud is her sitting on the advisory board of Cornell Law School, where she studied, because ‘as a teacher, he can relate most to that’. Continue reading “The Client Profile: Heather Mitchell, The Carlyle Group”

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Different strokes – Three perspectives in championing diversity in corporate America

paint strokes

Rachel Gonzalez, general counsel, Starbucks

Starbucks has a fundamental business tenet that we are creating a welcoming place for all people, and that means inclusion and diversity is critical to our success. We provide inclusion training and tools to managers to ensure we are preparing all leaders to foster a diverse culture based on merit. Continue reading “Different strokes – Three perspectives in championing diversity in corporate America”

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Letter from… Sydney: After the churn of the foreign influx, Australian legal elite look primed for their golden age

Sydney illustration

Some speak of the dawn of a ‘golden age’ for the market; others of a sugar rush for the country’s top players; while a third group warns of more challenging times to come. Whichever way you look at it, the feeling is that a new era has begun for Australia’s legal industry.

While relatively unscathed following the global financial crisis a decade ago, the country’s top banks found themselves at the centre of unprecedented scrutiny last year off the back of an inquiry by the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. Launched in 2017 after years of political pressure to investigate misconduct in the financial sector, the commission’s reports had by February 2019 led to several serious allegations against major institutions, including charging fees for no service and continuing to bill people who had died. Continue reading “Letter from… Sydney: After the churn of the foreign influx, Australian legal elite look primed for their golden age”

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Cross-border M&A: Asian bidders usher in different mindset

Sonya Rogerson

Alex Novarese, Legal Business: It has been a record period for Asian activity into Europe. How do you see the general trends?

Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, Hinduja Group: China is an issue, because the main difference between the Asian companies, European companies and Chinese companies is that Chinese companies are directly or indirectly state-owned. Continue reading “Cross-border M&A: Asian bidders usher in different mindset”

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New tricks – Can law firms beat New Law disruptors at their own game?

'How it works': New Law book

Lee Ranson was restless. It was late 2018 and Eversheds Sutherland’s co-chief needed something different: a viable plan to double revenue over the next five years.

A few months earlier, he and US-based co-chief executive Mark Wasserman had joked about telling the firm’s partner conference in New York they were floating on the stock exchange. Now Ranson turned his mind to a public offering, or at least the options to attract external investment. But it was not about his law firm. This was about Eversheds’ alternative legal service offerings, covering consulting and flexible lawyering, then generating £29m annually. A tidy sum, and growing rapidly, but just 3% of the firm’s overall revenue. Continue reading “New tricks – Can law firms beat New Law disruptors at their own game?”

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New brooms – Asian coup for Bakers as Clydes, HSF and TLT announce leadership changes

David Pester

Anna Cole-Bailey rounds up the latest management reshuffles at home and abroad

The autumn saw significant c-suite changes announced at Global 100 and Legal Business 100 (LB100) players, with Baker McKenzie voting in Milton Cheng as its new chair in a victory for the Asia partnership, while the figureheads of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), TLT and Clyde & Co will step down to pave the way for successors. Continue reading “New brooms – Asian coup for Bakers as Clydes, HSF and TLT announce leadership changes”