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Linklaters mourns death of high-profile M&A partner Iain Wagstaff after cycling accident

Iain Wagstaff

Linklaters partner Iain Wagstaff, one of the firm’s most prominent deal lawyers, has died at the age of 44.

The City firm confirmed to Legal Business today (6 September) that Wagstaff passed away on the weekend of 31 August following a cycling accident. The corporate and private equity specialist, who was married with two children, was a well-known figure in Linklaters’ flagship corporate practice. Continue reading “Linklaters mourns death of high-profile M&A partner Iain Wagstaff after cycling accident”

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Vannin Capital ends flotation plans after acquisition by private equity house Fortress

High-profile litigation funder Vannin Capital has been acquired by private equity house Fortress almost a year after shelving its planned initial public offering (IPO) due to market volatility.

The buyout sees Fortress acquire 100% of the equity in Vannin from existing shareholders, including majority owner Bramden investments, with private equity backing now preferred over a significant public raising. Continue reading “Vannin Capital ends flotation plans after acquisition by private equity house Fortress”

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In-house: Pinsents replaces Osborne Clarke spot on Siemens UK panel

Pinsent Masons has regained its spot on Siemens’ UK panel in favour of Osborne Clarke after the conglomerate’s latest legal adviser review.

Undertaken by Simone Davina, Siemens’ UK and Ireland general counsel (GC), Pinsents joins Addleshaw Goddard  and Eversheds Sutherland who have both been reappointed advisers for another three years.

Continue reading “In-house: Pinsents replaces Osborne Clarke spot on Siemens UK panel”

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Dentons makes it five mergers in a month with Argentina and Uruguay tie-ups

Joe Andrew

Dentons has capped off an expansive summer, even by its own standards, announcing it is to enter Argentina and Uruguay through its fourth and fifth combinations respectively in just over a month.

The 10,000-lawyer firm announced today (4 September) it will add another 80 to its ranks by absorbing Rattagan Macchiavello Arocena in Buenos Aires and Jiménez de Aréchaga, Viana & Brause in Montevideo. Continue reading “Dentons makes it five mergers in a month with Argentina and Uruguay tie-ups”

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In-house: Eleven firms get workspace on WeWork’s debut EMEA legal panel

Sarah Nelson Smith

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells are among 11 firms to have secured spots on WeWork’s first legal panel for the EMEA region, running for an initial two years.

The firms join Addleshaw Goddard, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Bird & Bird, CMS Cameron Mckenna Nabarro Olswang, DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland, McCann Fitzgerald, Shoosmiths and Simmons & Simmons. Continue reading “In-house: Eleven firms get workspace on WeWork’s debut EMEA legal panel”

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Revolving doors: KPMG and Orrick hire City partners as Ashurst and A&O focus on Germany

Lateral hires in London and Germany were the order of last week, with KPMG  bolstering its City legal services bench, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe hiring a London-based energy and infrastructure partner, while Ashurst and Allen & Overy recruited practice heads in Germany.

Big Four accountancy firm KPMG has hired partners Kate Eades from Greenberg Traurig and Usman Wahid from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in a further boon to its legal services capabilities. Continue reading “Revolving doors: KPMG and Orrick hire City partners as Ashurst and A&O focus on Germany”

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The deal is off: A&O and O’Melveny call an end to transatlantic merger talks

flooded City with American shark swimming in

Allen & Overy has conceded the ‘compelling synergies’ between it and O’Melveny & Myers were not quite enough to seal a long sought-after tie-up, having today (2 September) said they were calling it a day on merger talks.

The news comes after months of market speculation since a possible merger between the Magic Circle giant and the Los Angeles-bred firm first emerged in spring 2018. Continue reading “The deal is off: A&O and O’Melveny call an end to transatlantic merger talks”

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Freshfields denies wrongdoing in tax advice amid €50m settlement payout

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has brought to an end a lawsuit brought against the firm by the liquidator of the insolvent Maple Bank with a €50m settlement payment.

The settlement came to light on Thursday (29 August) at a creditors’ meeting when the liquidator, Michael Frege of CMS, said he had recovered €50m for creditors to settle a €95m claim against the Magic Circle firm brought in April. Continue reading “Freshfields denies wrongdoing in tax advice amid €50m settlement payout”

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HSF and Mishcon enlisted as legal battle over suspension of Parliament intensifies

Sir John Major (pictured) has instructed litigation heavyweight Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) as the former Prime Minister looks to join investment manager Gina Miller in a legal challenge against the suspension of Parliament.

HSF disputes partner Andrew Lidbetter has been enlisted to instruct The Rt Hon Lord Edward Garnier QC and Tom Cleaver of Blackstone Chambers, with the pair representing Major as he looks to get behind the existing claim brought by Miller, rather than initiating separate proceedings. Continue reading “HSF and Mishcon enlisted as legal battle over suspension of Parliament intensifies”

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‘Satisfied’ Baker McKenzie adds $200m to top line but market volatility slows growth to a crawl

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie grew revenue to $2.92bn while partner profits hit $1.48m as uncertainty made for a more subdued year at the firm.

In constant currency terms revenue grew 4.4% but edged up only 1.2% in dollar terms, and partner profits grew 3% to $1.48m as net income increased 2% to $1bn. The results are markedly more muted than last year’s 10% constant currency growth and 13% hike in partner profits. Continue reading “‘Satisfied’ Baker McKenzie adds $200m to top line but market volatility slows growth to a crawl”

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Wealth of experience: Fieldfisher hires private client duo from Linklaters

Fieldfisher

Fieldfisher has hired Linklaters’ head of trusts Peter Golden to lead up its private client team.

Golden will replace partner Penny Wotton, who will be remain in the team and focus on the firm’s charity client base and building out the private client practice. He will be joined by Alistair Robertson, who will be promoted from managing associate to partner in the move. Continue reading “Wealth of experience: Fieldfisher hires private client duo from Linklaters”

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Allen & Overy loses litigation partner Florent to Baker McKenzie’s City hiring spree

Marc Florent

Allen & Overy (A&O) has lost its second London partner in as many weeks with the defection of Marc Florent (pictured), head of the Magic Circle firm’s UK insolvency litigation practice, to the expansive City office of Baker McKenzie.

The rare London exit nevertheless follows the news last week (19 August) that A&O’s head of fraud Mona Vaswani was leaving after 26 years to join US rival Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. Continue reading “Allen & Overy loses litigation partner Florent to Baker McKenzie’s City hiring spree”

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Revolving doors: US moves for Baker McKenzie and Linklaters as Morgan Lewis makes City play

Silicon Valley

US and City firms have extended their reach in key jurisdictions with Baker McKenzie making a move in Silicon Valley and Linklaters hiring in New York, while Morgan, Lewis & Bockius welcomes infrastructure partner from US rival Latham & Watkins in London.

In London, Morgan Lewis hired infrastructure partner Ayesha Waheed from Latham & Watkins. Waheed focuses on international energy and infrastructure transactions and has experience working through Europe as well as emerging markets in Africa and Asia. She has acted for developers and lenders in oil and gas, power generation, and infrastructure projects around the world and has advised on all aspects of international project financings and privatisations. Continue reading “Revolving doors: US moves for Baker McKenzie and Linklaters as Morgan Lewis makes City play”

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Dealwatch: Paul Hastings and Slaughters react on nuclear sale as Magic Circle duo imbibes Greene King takeover

Greene King pub sign

August has proved to be active with big-ticket deals prompting inbound investment to the UK with the disposal of John Wood Group’s nuclear business to US-based Jacobs Engineering Group, as well as the sale of Greene King to Hong Kong’s CKA Group.

Paul Hastings advised Jacobs Engineering Group on its acquisition of John Wood Group’s nuclear business in the UK, Europe and the Far East for a cash consideration of roughly £250m. Continue reading “Dealwatch: Paul Hastings and Slaughters react on nuclear sale as Magic Circle duo imbibes Greene King takeover”

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Controversy surrounds Burford as executive is accused of trading documents for sex tape

Royal Courts of Justice, London

An executive at under-fire Burford Capital has been accused of unlawfully exchanging confidential documents for a sex tape in a lawsuit filed at the High Court in London, adding another battle for the litigation funder.

In the lawsuit, the company’s co-head of its global corporate intelligence, asset tracing and enforcement business, Daniel Hall, is alleged to have provided sensitive documents obtained while working for a shipping client. Hall allegedly swapped the documents for video material of a sexual nature, relating to American billionaire Harry Sargeant III, whose assets he was investigating on behalf of another client. Continue reading “Controversy surrounds Burford as executive is accused of trading documents for sex tape”

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SRA drops sexual harassment inquiry into former Reed Smith partner

Solicitors Regulation Authority

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has dropped an investigation into a former Reed Smith partner who was dismissed from the firm over a complaint of sexual harassment.

The allegation came to light last November, with the matter reported to have involved the sexual harassment of a junior female trainee, while the unnamed London-based partner was dismissed from the firm in late 2017. Continue reading “SRA drops sexual harassment inquiry into former Reed Smith partner”

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In-house: Trustpilot bags former Skyscanner legal chief as Gowling scores sole Commonwealth Games mandate

Adding to recent high-profile in-house appointments, former Skyscanner legal chief Carolyn Jameson (pictured) has been appointed chief legal and policy officer at consumer review website Trustpilot, while Gowling WLG has become sole legal adviser to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

GC Powerlist-regular Jameson, who earlier in the year announced her departure from high-profile travel metasearch engine Skyscanner after six years, will oversee global legal and public affairs at Trustpilot from the UK and Denmark. Continue reading “In-house: Trustpilot bags former Skyscanner legal chief as Gowling scores sole Commonwealth Games mandate”

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Kennedys looks to ensure next stage of growth with first managing partner

Kennedys has appointed its first global managing partner following a sustained period of growth which has seen turnover increase 70% in the last five years on the back of expansion into 37 international offices.

Suzanne Liversidge (pictured), who joined the insurance and shipping specialist as the head of its Sheffield office in 2010, was today (20 August) appointed the firm’s first managing partner. She will work alongside the firm’s senior partner of more than 20 years, Nick Thomas, who was re-elected to a fifth term in 2017. Continue reading “Kennedys looks to ensure next stage of growth with first managing partner”

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Revolving doors: Expansive Goodwin makes another City tech play as Dechert and Quinn hire further afield

Following a string of hires to expand its London office this year, Goodwin Procter has again added to its City technology and life sciences practice with the hire of partner Ali Ramadan from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Ramadan has experience in venture capital, cross-border M&A and private equity transactions for technology businesses. He acts for start-ups, high-growth companies and investors operating in the technology, fintech, proptech and digital media industries. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Expansive Goodwin makes another City tech play as Dechert and Quinn hire further afield”

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In-house: Skyscanner lands former Deliveroo legal chief as GC and company secretary

Recently departed Deliveroo legal chief Rob Miller has been named Skyscanner’s general counsel (GC) and company secretary following Carolyn Jameson’s departure from the high-profile travel metasearch company earlier this year.

Miller (pictured) will oversee Skyscanner’s global legal, regulatory and public affairs function, leading a team of 12 lawyers, and comes as the Scotland-based company embarks on a strategic shift. GC Powerlist-regular Jameson was at the company for six years and was involved in the company’s £1.4bn acquisition by Chinese online travel giant ctrip.com in 2016. Continue reading “In-house: Skyscanner lands former Deliveroo legal chief as GC and company secretary”