After weeks of speculation, CMS Cameron McKenna, Nabarro and Olswang have voted to combine, taking on the CMS brand and giving Camerons over 1,000 partners and revenues of around £450m in the UK.
Working the mechanics: Camerons, Nabarro and Olswang’s leaders on finalising the merger
Having announced an audacious union yesterday (10 October) management at CMS Cameron McKenna, Nabarro and Olswang are set to kick off the arduous process of consolidating their respective businesses over the next six months, an exercise which will see potential staff redundancies.
Gibson Dunn and Slaughters act for William Hill in latest gamble for gaming consolidation
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Slaughter and May and Ashurst have all won roles advising William Hill and Canadian online gaming company Amaya through merger talks in a deal worth about £4.5bn.
Revolving doors: European expansion all-around as Simmons and Dentons make key hires
The first week of October brought with it several continental appointments at Simmons & Simmons, Dentons and Bird & Bird, while Clyde & Co and Trowers & Hamlins expanded in London.
Q&A: Julia Chain – RPC Perform’s director on the future of the GC, phone warrants and parties with Richard Branson
Julia Chain (pictured) talks to Matthew Field on her in-house career, setting up RPC’s general counsel (GC) consulting practice and dealing with Richard Branson.
Rigotti set to take sole leadership of HSF as firm phases out dual-CEO model
Herbert Smith Freehills‘ (HSF’s) co-chief executive Mark Rigotti is set to take the helm as sole leader of the Anglo-Australian law firm, Legal Business has learned, with HSF phasing out its dual-CEO model.
Continue reading “Rigotti set to take sole leadership of HSF as firm phases out dual-CEO model”
QBE to review UK claims panel as new general counsel takes charge
Australia’s largest global insurer QBE is to launch a review of its UK claims panel, following the appointment of a new group general counsel (GC) earlier this year.
Continue reading “QBE to review UK claims panel as new general counsel takes charge”
CMA plucks from Freshfields and Hogan Lovells in ongoing restructure
As part of an ongoing restructure, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has made three key appointments to its legal team with hires from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells.
Continue reading “CMA plucks from Freshfields and Hogan Lovells in ongoing restructure”
‘Challenges ahead’: Ashurst litigation veteran Ed Sparrow takes on top CLLS job
Ashurst litigation veteran Ed Sparrow has taken on the chairman post at the City of London of Law Society (CLLS), amid a turbulent time for legal representative bodies.
Continue reading “‘Challenges ahead’: Ashurst litigation veteran Ed Sparrow takes on top CLLS job”
Comment: Winning hearts and minds (but mainly hearts) at Linklaters
The best Freshfields corporate lawyer Silk Street ever produced is now leading Linklaters, with incoming senior partner Charlie Jacobs ushering in a very different style at the City giant to the technocratic revolution pushed through by previous regimes.
Continue reading “Comment: Winning hearts and minds (but mainly hearts) at Linklaters”
Shearman London tax head Priestley quits as exits mount for US firm
Shearman & Sterling‘s London tax head Sarah Priestley has now also quit the firm, closely following in the footsteps of global private equity chief Mark Soundy who confirmed he is leaving the firm earlier this week.
Continue reading “Shearman London tax head Priestley quits as exits mount for US firm”
Hogan Lovells’ Hamburg head resigns amid spying investigation
Hogan Lovells‘ Hamburg office managing partner Eckard Schwarz has resigned over claims of illegal surveillance by an employee of former client EWE Group.
Continue reading “Hogan Lovells’ Hamburg head resigns amid spying investigation”
Pinsents and Linklaters act on latest big pharma deal as Teva sells Allergan generics business for £600m
Pinsent Masons and Linklaters are advising on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ sale of UK and Ireland business Activas Generics for £603m as the Israeli firm seeks to divest assets following last year’s takeover of Allergan.
Ince & Co replenishes Singapore hub with senior appointments
Ince & Co‘s Singapore venture, Ince Law Alliance, has hired three more lawyers and has appointed a new managing director to its Singapore team as it rebuilds its Asia offering. Continue reading “Ince & Co replenishes Singapore hub with senior appointments”
Ashurst refreshes management board as firm faces turbulent period
Beleaguered Ashurst has refreshed its board amid a turbulent time for the LB100 firm with London-based partner Jason Radford and Munich’s Bernd Egbers taking spots.
Continue reading “Ashurst refreshes management board as firm faces turbulent period”
Standing apart – the offshore fallout from the Panama Papers
On April Fool’s Day this year, Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca & Co notified its clients that it had sustained an email hack. It instantly became the world’s best-known law firm following the leak of 11.5 million documents, cherry-picked by global media outlets, that revealed confidential client information. The Panama Papers made news and so did offshore law firms. Again.
But for every offshore firm, regardless of jurisdiction, the Panama Papers leak was no laughing matter: the inevitable public outcry further fuelled the enduring debate over tax and transparency. Continue reading “Standing apart – the offshore fallout from the Panama Papers”
Aftermath – the offshore world post the Brexit vote
‘The morning after the night before, there was stunned silence,’ says David Cadin, managing partner at Bedell Cristin. For offshore law firms, the long-term implications of Brexit are no clearer than for their onshore counterparts and they are equally loath to make predictions when uncertainty continues to surround terms for the UK’s departure from the EU.
As Antonia Hardy, Cayman Islands managing partner of Walkers, puts it: ‘In terms of offshore access for financial services, no-one knows yet – like everything to do with Brexit the answer is possibly and hopefully.’ She offers a very positive take: ‘Offshore centres have always been required to apply for European access independently of the UK and so we do not foresee any negative impact from the Brexit decision.’
Continue reading “Aftermath – the offshore world post the Brexit vote”
Global 100 debate: the view from the top
To mark this year’s Global 100 report, we gathered a group of senior figures at the top of Tower 42 to debate the big issues facing Big Law
Alex Novarese, Legal Business: How are market conditions looking now?
David Bickerton, Clifford Chance: Too early to tell. Clearly there was a pent-up demand leading up to the referendum in June. What is interesting is whether all the optimism that partners are feeling will manifest itself in transactions come the fourth quarter.
Rain men – goodbye Harvard Kool-Aid, hello plain speaking at Linklaters’ c-suite
With high-billing duo Charlie Jacobs and Gideon Moore taking the helm at Linklaters there is renewed swagger on Silk Street. Will it be enough to revive the City leader after a troubled post-Lehman run?
For a young South African who saw law as a stepping stone to business, Charlie Jacobs has had quite a journey. Something of an anomaly at Linklaters in the early 1990s, when even by the standards of the City elite, the firm was ‘stiff and English’, Jacobs found the place ‘a bit intimidating’ in the early years. But if he truly lacked confidence then, he hid it well. Now, after nearly a decade as Linklaters’ unrivalled corporate star, the youthful-looking 50-year old has this month begun his role as the City giant’s new senior partner for a five-year term.
Continue reading “Rain men – goodbye Harvard Kool-Aid, hello plain speaking at Linklaters’ c-suite”
GC Powerlist Summer Reception – Home House truths
Ambition, Millennials, corporate guff – we gathered more than 60 GCs and FT columnist Lucy Kellaway to debate the pleasures and perils of climbing the greasy pole
Should you tweet? How do you relate to the mysterious breed of co-workers called Millennials? How should lawyers navigate the rampant office politics of a major plc when they make the move in-house?
Continue reading “GC Powerlist Summer Reception – Home House truths”