SLAUGHTERS TAKES LEAD ON PHARMA MEGA DEAL
Slaughter and May has acted opposite Cravath, Swaine & Moore as Johnson & Johnson made a $30bn offer to buy Swiss-based biopharma company Actelion Pharmaceuticals earlier this year. Slaughters advised along with Zürich-based Niederer Kraft & Frey and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz for the takeover target, as Cravath advised Johnson.
Continue reading “Deal watch: Corporate activity in March 2017”
Madeleine Farman and Victoria Young sit down with Europe chair David Evans (pictured) to discuss laterals, integration and the next steps in the region
After its recent haul of new hires, it is hard to believe Goodwin Procter’s 119-lawyer offering in Europe began in 2011 with one partner, a telephone and a desk in London. Europe chair David Evans joined Goodwin after a 26-year stint at Ashurst, where he had served as a board member. One month later he was followed by colleague Samantha Lake Coghlan, a real estate funds partner. It was nearly a year before they gained their next lateral partner, Linklaters’ global co-head of real estate Joe Conder.
‘When I initiated discussions on our culture at partners’ meetings, I could see the faces of many of my former partners light up, not for the reasons I hoped, but from the reflected glow of their BlackBerrys. They saw an excellent opportunity to catch up on more pressing issues, while I, to their minds, embarked on some abstruse philosophical and largely meaningless examination of our corporate soul.’
David Harrel, senior partner of SJ Berwin between 1992 and 2006, writing in Legal Business, 2013
Continue reading “Shattered – The final days of ‘SJ Berwin’”
A year ago, Spanish leader Garrigues unveiled its fifth office in Latin America, adding Chilean firm Avendaño Merino to its existing outposts in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. And, as the most expansive Iberian practice in the region, there is undoubtedly pressure to prove the strategy effective. Fortunately, Garrigues has seen startling 81% revenue growth to €18.6m in the region in the last 12 months and expects to generate €30m from Latin America in 2017.
Managing partner Fernando Vives Ruiz says the turning point was a tactical switch to offer a fully-integrated practice in Latin America rather than relying on best-friend alliances. It decided to go it alone in 2013 when it pulled the plug on its Latin American alliance, Affinitas, which it set up in 2004. Continue reading “Hunting El Dorado – Iberian firms keep their eyes on prizes at home and abroad”
The collapse of KWM, cyber threats and Brexit have all come together to cause unease among City law firms. Our annual risk survey asks if risk managers can help avoid a domino effect.
There is little debate about what is dominating discussion among law firm managers right now. Not article 50 and not Donald Trump’s latest whim. The subject gripping law firm risk for our tenth annual risk management survey with broker Marsh is the events leading up to 4.40pm on 17 January 2017 – the moment the European and Middle East operation of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) went into administration. Continue reading “All fall down? – The 2017 Risk Survey”
DLA Piper‘s finance partners are being encouraged to participate in cross-office and cross-practice collaboration within a new framework called Project Connect, led by Martin Bartlam, who takes over as the firm’s international finance head on 1 May.
Continue reading “Project Connect: New DLA finance head to push collaboration pay incentives”
Linklaters has launched a pair of artificial intelligence (AI) products in the latest innovation push for the Magic Circle firm, including a tool to navigate ring-fencing reforms for core banking clients. Continue reading “Deus ex machina: Linklaters signs up Lloyds and RBS to ring-fencing software”
A $210m claim against Burness Paull will go to a full Scottish civil trial after Edinburgh’s Court of Session found last month that legacy firm Paull & Williamsons had acted in breach of conflict of interest rules. While the court found that the firm did not act fraudulently, the case is now likely to move to a full hearing in early 2018. Continue reading “Lawyers in Burness Paull conflict trial face professional complaints as case moves to full hearing”
Switzerland is changing. Among the country’s traditionally-minded law firms, conservatism is in decline, fuelled by a greater appetite for domestic mergers, increased lawyer mobility between firms and a belated focus on alternative legal service provision. Accordingly, Swiss lawyers are much like the swans on Lake Geneva: smooth and serene on the surface, all the while paddling furiously underneath. An energetic response to the fresh demands of an evolving legal services landscape is paying dividends for some.
The wider economy presents a mixed picture, as Urs Klöti, managing partner of Pestalozzi, outlines: ‘Challenging times remain. The Swiss franc is still very strong, which means that export services are extremely expensive compared with previously. That’s an issue for bigger law firms, because many of our invoice payers are non-Swiss counterparts: in relative terms, we’re certainly more expensive than two or three years ago. We often hear it when we talk about fees.’ Continue reading “Making ripples – Turbulent times ahead for the Swiss legal market”
After 27 years at the Magic Circle firm, former senior partner Robert Elliott has been appointed chairman at Irish bank Permanent TSB Group Holdings. Continue reading “To the bank: Linklaters’ Elliott takes chair role at Permanent TSB”
With business rates relief and tax rises for the self-employed stealing the limelight in today’s budget, government documents also reveal deeper cuts to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with its spending slashed by 15% over the next three years. Continue reading “Spring budget 2017: Chancellor offers business rates relief as MoJ cuts continue”
Navigant’s Peter Brooker on how London retains its leading position in international construction dispute resolution
Whether for commercial litigation or arbitration, London has established a position as one of the leading centres for international construction dispute resolution. The UK Bar and judiciary are generally held in high regard around the world, upholding the highest standards of integrity and independence. English common law is widely used throughout the world and written into many construction contracts. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: London calling”
Barclays global litigation head Stephanie Pagni has been appointed general counsel (GC) for Barclays UK, replacing Mark Chapman. Continue reading “In-house: Barclays litigator Pagni takes UK GC spot as Chapman steps down”
In what could be the end of its 18 month old general counsel consultancy group, RPC has seen the exit of in-house guru Julia Chain, who moves to join eDiscovery provider Millnet.
Wells Fargo has ended its search for a new legal chief with the appointment of Cravath, Swaine & Moore veteran Allen Parker, the firm’s former head of corporate. Continue reading “Wells Fargo picks Cravath senior partner Parker as new general counsel”
DLA Piper has announced it is integrating Portuguese firm ABBC into its global network, a move effective from today (7 March). Widely regarded as Portugal’s leading aviation law firm, ABBC has 50 lawyers in its Lisbon headquarters. Continue reading “‘Natural evolution’: DLA Piper swoops into Lisbon with new tie-up”
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Ropes & Gray, Linklaters and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett have all won roles advising on the €1.8bn sale of Allfunds Bank to private equity house Hellman & Friedman and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC. Continue reading “Freshfields and Linklaters take spots as GIC and Hellman win bid for Allfunds Bank”
Network Rail general counsel (GC) Suzanne Wise has resigned after five years at the company, leaving to join Japan Tobacco International (JTI) as senior vice president for corporate development. Continue reading “From trains to tobacco: Network Rail GC joins Japanese cigarette firm”
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Slaughter and May and Maclay Murray & Spens have won roles on Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management’s £3.8bn merger. Continue reading “Freshfields, Slaughters and Maclays act as Standard Life absorbs rival for £3.8bn”
As the US Department of Justice (DoJ) sees further exits as the Trump administration moves in, Linklaters has hired former principal associate deputy attorney general Matt Axelrod as a partner in its Washington DC office. Continue reading “Linklaters ups the ante in Washington with veteran hire amid Trump DoJ shakeup”
