Burges Salmon has appointed employment partner Chris Seaton as senior partner, taking over the role from Alan Barr, who has served as senior partner of the firm for the last six years. Continue reading “Regional leader Burges Salmon appoints new senior partner as Barr steps down after six years”
Hogan Lovells has opted against moving its London headquarters, preferring to stay in its long-term home of Atlantic House instead. However, the firm is persisting in its search for new space for its offices at 21 Holborn Viaduct and Meridian House. Continue reading “Staying put: Hogan Lovells halts London office HQ search”
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has revealed the weakest trainee retention rates for spring so far, with the firm holding on to just 55% of its trainee cohort. Only 11 out of 20 trainees are to join BLP as newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers, after 70% were kept on in spring 2016, 61% in 2015 and 89% in 2014. Continue reading “Trainee retention: BLP keeps on 55% as Clifford Chance’s rate also slips”
Fieldfisher has continued its expansive start to 2017 by opening a five-partner office in Amsterdam. The new office, which will focus on corporate and finance, will open on 1 May.
Two-and- a-half years after joining US dispute specialist Boies, Schiller & Flexner’s nascent City practice, experienced arbitration specialist Wendy Miles QC will move to rival US firm Debevoise & Plimpton from the beginning of March.
In yet another significant Texan transfer, Baker Botts has expanded its Houston offering bringing in a nine partner team from Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF). Continue reading “Texan draw: Baker Botts latest to make major play with nine partner NRF hire”
In a busy week for London appointments, Haynes and Boone, Simmons & Simmons and Jenner & Block have all made hires. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Cleary loses partner to Simmons as Jenner & Block adds from White & Case”
In what would have been the second largest M&A deal in history, Unilever has rejected a $143bn takeover approach from Kraft Heinz as Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Linklaters take opposite sides. Continue reading “Paul Weiss, Linklaters and Freshfields alumni lock horns as Kraft Heinz drops $143bn deal for Unilever”
An FRP Advisory report on the administration of Triton Global has revealed that DWF purchased the claims management firm for 30% of its value when it bought the firm for £1.1m. It also took on pension arrears of £345,000. Continue reading “A good deal: DWF picked up claims firm Triton Global for 30% of its value, report reveals”
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has become the latest firm to announce its London revenues, which rose by nearly $4m to $114.1m in 2016, 4% up on the $110.2m achieved in 2015. Growth in the City has been slower this year for the US firm, which posted a 6% rise last year. Continue reading “London growth slows at Milbank despite 11% global turnover bump”
Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has elected shipping finance partner Nigel Thomas as the firm’s new chairman, taking over from long-serving partner Frank Dunne. Continue reading “WFW fills chair gap with finance partner as Dunne continues New York push”
Slaughter and May announced today (17 February) that it has hired Herbert Smith Freehills‘ head of pensions Dan Schaffer, in the second ever lateral hire in the firm’s history. Continue reading “Slaughters makes surprise pensions play with first ever London lateral hire”
Eversheds Sutherland, fresh from completing a transatlantic tie-up, has finally gained Singapore Ministry of Law approval for its merger with Harry Elias Partnership. Continue reading “Adding in Asia: Eversheds Sutherland gets Ministry of Law approval for Singapore merger”
British investment firm Chrysaor Holdings has appointed BG’s chief counsel for corporate and former Legal Business GC Powerlist rising star Howard Landes as general counsel (GC). Continue reading “Chrysaor Holdings appoints ex-BG lawyer Landes as general counsel”
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has renewed its panel of legal advisers, with Bevan Brittan, Dentons and Jones Day among those being axed. Continue reading “Pension Protection Fund axes Dentons and Jones Day amid panel review”
Observers of Kirkland & Ellis’ patented burn ‘n’ churn approach to talent management are used to a little partnership movement, but even by the US leader’s standards, news today (15 February) that Sidley Austin has secured a seven-partner haul in Munich will catch attention.
With the exception of Clifford Chance recently rearranging its deckchairs in Canary Wharf, it has been years since one of London’s elite law firms signed on for a new office but Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has today (15 February) confirmed its long-awaited departure from Fleet Street for 100 Bishopsgate.
Continue reading “Magic moves – Freshfields signs 20-year lease with Bishopsgate move set for 2021”
Macfarlanes, Reed Smith and Travers Smith have all advised on Xafinity’s £190.3m flotation, in what is the largest premium main market IPO of 2017 to date.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is to punch a major hole in Ashurst’s European private equity practice with the City giant voting on a deal to take on a five-partner buyout team from Ashurst’s Paris arm.
This comes after the Ashurst team had already approached some US firms, including Dechert, within the last six months. Confirmation that Freshfields is to take on the group represents one of the most significant team hires between major City players for years and comes on the same day that Sidley Austin unveiled an audacious move to ship in a seven-partner private equity team from Kirkland & Ellis’s Munich office. Continue reading “Update: Freshfields targets Ashurst for five-partner private team as legal elite tightens grip on premium funds clients”
Raconteur, rainmaker and serial legal entrepreneur Maurice Allen is to phase out his ongoing role with Ropes & Gray to focus on his new post at DLA Piper, after admitting it was ‘difficult’ to work for both firms as a consultant.
