City white-collar crime specialists have been drafted in as the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today (20 June) charged Barclays and four former executives with conspiracy to commit fraud, false representation and unlawful financial assistance in arranging a £7.3bn Qatar funding deal at the height of the financial crisis – the first such prosecution of a bank.
Stephenson Harwood has posted another year of growth with revenues up 11% to £176m. The firm, however, saw a drop of 9% in its profits per equity partner (PEP), the number dipping to £708,000, partly due to the effect of the Brexit vote last June.
Continue reading “Financials 2016/17: Stephenson Harwood revenues climb 11% as PEP falls 9%”
Pinsent Masons has hired Scottish rival Maclay Murray & Spens’ financial services head David Young (pictured) to Pinsents’ Edinburgh and London offices, as it grows its funds and finance offering.
Continue reading “Pinsent Masons hires rival Maclays’ financial services head Young”
Sullivan & Cromwell and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz lead a host of elite US law firms advising Amazon on its $13.7bn purchase of Whole Foods Market, as the online retailer expands into the bricks and mortar food market.
Continue reading “S&C and Wachtell lead on Amazon’s $13.7bn Whole Foods buyout”
The European Commission’s (EC) probe of Google’s online shopping practices is reported to be closing in coming months with a potential €1bn (£875m) fine, in a case in which Clifford Chance (CC), Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Covington & Burling all act.
King & Spalding and Sullivan & Cromwell are leading one online food-delivery service Delivery Hero’s planned initial public offering (IPO) €1bn target, with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advising the underwriters.
As Magic Circle firms strive to bolster their US operations, Clifford Chance (CC) has announced today (19 June) that it has recruited two senior corporate lawyers in its New York arm. Continue reading “‘Areas of strategic importance’: CC strengthens NY arm with two corporate veterans as US hiring push continues”
In a series of banking, finance and tax appointments across the globe, international firms are hiring to boost their financial capacities.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) this week opened to tender its search for an assessment provider to deliver the new Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE), also known as the ‘super-exam.’
Continue reading “SRA opens tender for ‘super-exam’ provider with 1 September deadline”
Mishcon de Reya has appointed Withers’ co-head of European wealth planning Filippo Noseda, who joins Mishcon Private on Monday (19 June).
Continue reading “‘Fantastic addition’: Mishcon hires Withers’ wealth planning co-head”
Compiling our second annual Euro Elite report this month reminded me of when the late Rodrigo Uría, then managing partner of Spanish leader Uría Menéndez, recounted how he ended a heated meeting with Linklaters’ irascible former managing partner Terence Kyle by pointing out the armed guards at the entrance to his firm’s Madrid office. Back in the late 1990s, the UK elite was desperate to get into Europe. Continue reading “Comment: Royaume-Uni, nil points – why the true Eurovision is independence”
Vinson & Elkins (V&E) has hired London Clifford Chance (CC) finance partner John Dawson, as the US firm strengthens its push into the City.
Continue reading “Clifford Chance loses City finance partner to Vinson & Elkins”
Slater and Gordon (S&G)’s UK subsidiary has served a £637m claim form on Watchstone Group in London’s High Court, for fraudulently misrepresenting the company on its 2015 buyout.
While there is a body of writing on how to run an in-house legal team, much of it is dominated by US authors. Aiming to fill the void, Bjarne Tellmann, the outspoken general counsel (GC) of FTSE 100 publishing empire Pearson, has just published Building an Outstanding Legal Team. Tellmann discusses the book with Tom Baker.
Hogan Lovells is to merge with Boston-based litigation and investigations firm Collora on 1 September, taking on all of its 15 partners in a move to bolster the firm’s life sciences offering in the US.
Continue reading “Hogan Lovells to open new Boston office in Collora buyout”
Merger talks between Addleshaw Goddard and German outfit Luther have ended after Luther called off the deal, Legal Business understands.
Continue reading “It’s over: German firm Luther calls off Addleshaws merger talks”
Pay rises continue to ripple through the top-end legal services market despite the uncertain outlook for the City. The latest to go is London giant Linklaters, which has nudged up its base rate for junior lawyers by £1,000, handing newly-qualified (NQ) solicitors £82,000.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has secured full funding from Therium Capital for its £3.9bn competition damages class action against truck manufacturers fined the highest-ever sum for a price-fixing cartel, as it seeks more UK claimants to join the case.
Continue reading “RHA secures Therium funding for claimants in £3.9bn trucks cartel class action”
Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) has delayed its US merger with New York firm Chadbourne & Parke due to a ‘few material conflicts’.
Continue reading “Norton Rose Fulbright delays Chadbourne merger due to a ‘few material conflicts’”
Solicitors’ bulging code of conduct looks set to be drastically slashed in length and further liberalisation of legal services ushered in under proposals from the UK’s largest legal watchdog.
Continue reading “Key law watchdog slashes rulebook and pushes for more market liberalisation”
