A conclusion to the sorry saga which has been the European partnership woes of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) is expected to come to an end this week, while staff have been told they will continue to be paid throughout the process of finding a merger partner. Continue reading “KWM latest: More US firms in play as crunch time approaches for legacy SJ Berwin”
Comment: After shocks of 2016, law leaders may need to start thinking
Well, it is nearly over and few in the profession will mourn the passing of 2016. Not since the banking crisis of 2008/09 have 12 months so drastically recast the environment in which law firms ply their trade, most strikingly, of course, in June’s vote for Britain to quit the EU and November’s election of Donald Trump as the 45th US president. Continue reading “Comment: After shocks of 2016, law leaders may need to start thinking”
Latham continues City hiring spree with HSF energy head Balsdon
Latham & Watkins announced today (13 December) that it has hired Herbert Smith Freehills’s (HSF) global energy co-head John Balsdon, who will join its finance team in the City.
Continue reading “Latham continues City hiring spree with HSF energy head Balsdon”
Turning Japanese: Freshfields and A&O act as Asahi makes €7.3bn play for five AB InBev beer brands
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Allen & Overy (A&O) and Hogan Lovells have all advised as Asahi Group Holdings buys a group of eastern European beer brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) for €7.3bn. Continue reading “Turning Japanese: Freshfields and A&O act as Asahi makes €7.3bn play for five AB InBev beer brands”
Q&A: Baker McKenzie managing partner Chadwick on leadership, the Big Four and law firm consolidation
Having taken on the top London role from popular global chair Paul Rawlinson, Baker & McKenzie London managing partner Alex Chadwick (pictured) talks to Matthew Field on the challenges of leadership.
‘Significant in the post-Brexit market’: Shearman and Latham lead on Thomas Cook €750m high yield offering
Shearman & Sterling and Latham & Watkins have advised Thomas Cook and the underwriting banks in the global travel specialists’ €750m high yield bond offering, guaranteed by various Thomas Cook subsidiaries. The offering comprised of 6.25% senior notes due 2022, and the proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt. Continue reading “‘Significant in the post-Brexit market’: Shearman and Latham lead on Thomas Cook €750m high yield offering”
Revolving Doors: Addleshaws hires in London as Weil, Bakers and Dentons make international appointments
Addleshaw Goddard boosted its London practice with another hire last week as Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Baker & McKenzie, Dentons and Withers all boosted their platforms.
‘Riddled with rogues and corruption’: Quinn Emanuel’s Jagusch on modern arbitration
Arbitration today is full of routine corruption and rogue elements disrupting the process, argued Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s Stephen Jagusch QC (pictured) at Legal Business’s International Arbitration Summit in November.
The second annual arbitration event held at The Brewery saw a panel comprising a quartet of silks, including Jagusch, Boies, Schiller & Flexner’s Wendy Miles QC, Fountain Court Chambers’ Brian Doctor QC and 20 Essex Street’s Duncan Matthews QC. Continue reading “‘Riddled with rogues and corruption’: Quinn Emanuel’s Jagusch on modern arbitration”
Comment: What does Mishcon know that your managing partner doesn’t?
It is often rightly noted that law is a conservative old game, as can be gleaned from the identikit strategies of City law firms. Invest in transactional work and international offices, manage your partnership proactively, half-heartedly corporatise the business and hire a load of non-lawyer professionals with dubious mandates. Continue reading “Comment: What does Mishcon know that your managing partner doesn’t?”
A&O and HSF take lead roles as 21st Century Fox tunes in on anticipated Sky takeover
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) are lead advisers in 21st Century Fox’s takeover bid for Sky, as a ‘possible offer’ valuing the company at £18.5bn was agreed ‘in principle’ on Friday (9 December). Continue reading “A&O and HSF take lead roles as 21st Century Fox tunes in on anticipated Sky takeover”
RPC to hold leadership election as MP Watmough stands down after eight years
City firm RPC has launched an election process for a new managing partner following the recent retirement of longstanding head Jonathan Watmough, who steps down after nearly a decade in the role. Continue reading “RPC to hold leadership election as MP Watmough stands down after eight years”
Google UK legal chief departs for GC role at tech start-up
Signalling the increased variety of opportunity within the in-house community, Google’s longstanding UK and Ireland legal chief Emma Jelley has departed the search engine giant for a role as general counsel (GC) at tech start-up Onfido. Continue reading “Google UK legal chief departs for GC role at tech start-up”
Linklaters, Cleary and White & Case advise as Glencore and Qatar take stake in Rosneft
Linklaters, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and White & Case are advising as Glencore and the Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) offer to take a €10.5bn stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft. Continue reading “Linklaters, Cleary and White & Case advise as Glencore and Qatar take stake in Rosneft”
Morgan Lewis and A&L Goodbody act as Fyffes ripe for Japanese takeover
Advisory roles in Sumitomo Corporation’s €751m takeover of Irish banana firm Fyffes have been split between a raft of US and Irish firms including Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, A&L Goodbody and Arthur Cox. Continue reading “Morgan Lewis and A&L Goodbody act as Fyffes ripe for Japanese takeover”
‘Detailed discussions’: KWM enters formal talks with shortlist of merger suitors
Partners at King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) have been told at a partnership meeting today (9 December) of a shortlist of potential suitors as the European partnership enters deeper discussions for a rescue deal. Continue reading “‘Detailed discussions’: KWM enters formal talks with shortlist of merger suitors”
In-house: RBS loses divisional legal chief to property fund Valad Europe
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has lost a senior member of its in-house legal team, with banking lawyer Robin Macpherson, who headed legal for large corporate and sectors for the UK and Western Europe, leaving the bank. He joins real estate fund Valad Europe as head of risk. Continue reading “In-house: RBS loses divisional legal chief to property fund Valad Europe”
‘Not just blue sky thinking’: Linklaters launches innovation group and pilots coding training
Linklaters has set up a partner-led global innovation team to oversee the firm’s use of technology, including plans to teach its lawyers to code. Continue reading “‘Not just blue sky thinking’: Linklaters launches innovation group and pilots coding training”
King & Spalding accounts for London and France show revenue up 11%, while profit dips 10%
Revenue at the London and Paris outposts of US firm King & Spalding surged 11% in 2015 to £41.9m as the firm continues expanding, but profit dropped by 10%. Continue reading “King & Spalding accounts for London and France show revenue up 11%, while profit dips 10%”
H1 2016/17: Nabarro posts solid financials ahead of 2017 mega merger
Ahead of its three-way tie-up with CMS Cameron McKenna and Olswang, Nabarro has increased its half-year revenues to £57.5m for the first six months of the 2016/17 financial year, up 2% on the same period last year.
Continue reading “H1 2016/17: Nabarro posts solid financials ahead of 2017 mega merger”
‘A competitive auction’: Clifford Chance and CMS advise as consortium buys majority of National Grid
Clifford Chance, CMS Cameron McKenna, Linklaters and Eversheds have advised as National Grid has agreed the sale of its gas pipe network with an enterprise value of approximately £13.8bn to a consortium of bidders. Continue reading “‘A competitive auction’: Clifford Chance and CMS advise as consortium buys majority of National Grid”