Clifford Chance (CC) has tapped King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) for its highly-regarded Germany head of funds Sonya Pauls.
Continue reading “Top KWM funds partner exits for Clifford Chance in Germany”
Shanghai savings: HSF first Western firm to open alternative legal services hub in China
With international law firms intent on carving up pricey mandates so that chunks can be processed more mechanically by cheaper teams, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has become the first Western firm to open an alternative legal services hub in China. Continue reading “Shanghai savings: HSF first Western firm to open alternative legal services hub in China”
Client profile: Michael Shaw, The Royal Bank of Scotland
The veteran corporate lawyer on memorable moments in deal making and untangling himself from Barclays
‘It was ambition that made me decide to leave Barclays,’ declares self-confessed deal junkie Michael Shaw, who resigned from his role as the bank’s deputy general counsel (GC) in the summer of 2015.
Continue reading “Client profile: Michael Shaw, The Royal Bank of Scotland”
Ireland: Will there be greener grass for booming Dublin in the post-Brexit world?
As a nation well versed in referenda, Ireland is in tune with the times. Since 1937 and the creation of Bunreacht na hÉireann as the fundamental law of Ireland, there have been 35 referenda on everything from a change in the country’s single transferable vote system to the controversial right to life of the unborn.
Ireland has had its own problems with votes on the European Union (EU), throwing Europe into chaos when the country held a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in 2008 and it was rejected by 53% of voters. A vote was held again in 2009, and the Irish had a change of heart – the treaty was then backed by 67% of the population. Continue reading “Ireland: Will there be greener grass for booming Dublin in the post-Brexit world?”
In-house: New Merlin Entertainments GC launches first-ever formal panel
Leisure company Merlin Entertainments has kicked off its first ever formal panel review in a process overseen by new general counsel Matt Jowett.
Continue reading “In-house: New Merlin Entertainments GC launches first-ever formal panel”
Akin Gump and Proskauer pick apart Dentons’ City private equity team
Two leaders in Dentons‘ private equity practice in the City have quit the firm, with Igor Krivoshekov departing for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Eleanor Shanks set to join Proskauer Rose.
Continue reading “Akin Gump and Proskauer pick apart Dentons’ City private equity team”
The new order – the first response for GCs to the post-Brexit environment
A post-Brexit landscape poses many legal hurdles for corporates operating within the UK. Legal Business asks senior in-house counsel how they plan to navigate the uncertainty
Having seen Legal & General’s shares initially tumble on the Friday morning immediately after the UK’s vote to leave the EU – like so many financial services businesses – general counsel (GC) Geoffrey Timms is concerned that the business impact of Brexit could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. ‘Markets are emotional rather than factual. We can talk ourselves into trouble. There’s this end-of-the-world view online. Britain is still in a good place. Yes, the government has to fight uncertainty, but so does Europe. One hopes common sense will prevail.’
Continue reading “The new order – the first response for GCs to the post-Brexit environment”
Revolving doors: Gibson Dunn adds New York PE strength while Bakers hires two in tax
US hires were on the cards for Baker & McKenzie and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, while Withers added in Hong Kong and telecoms firm Altice USA turned to Shearman & Sterling for its new general counsel.
Q&A: Allen & Overy’s Scott Zemser talks leveraged finance, lockstep and competing in the US
Legal Business caught up with Allen & Overy’s (A&O) new global co-head of leveraged finance, Scott Zemser. Continue reading “Q&A: Allen & Overy’s Scott Zemser talks leveraged finance, lockstep and competing in the US”
Reassuringly expensive: Freshfields and Linklaters take biggest gulp from $260m legal fees on AB InBev deal
City lawyers have taken a handsome share of the $1.94bn in advisory fees generated by Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev) $108bn takeover of SABMiller, with law firms receiving $261m in fees from the biggest deal in British corporate history.
Freshfields and Baker Botts steer CVC and Liberty through £6.4bn Formula One deal
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Baker Botts have won spots advising as CVC Capital Partners looks to sell off Formula One (F1) to Liberty Media Corporation for £6.4bn.
Continue reading “Freshfields and Baker Botts steer CVC and Liberty through £6.4bn Formula One deal”
Asian ambition: A&O moves capital markets partner Miller to Hong Kong for regional head role
Allen & Overy has boosted its Asian offering with partner Stephen Miller moving from London to Hong Kong to take on the newly-created role of head of Asia capital markets.
‘The biggest gun in town’: MasterCard picks Freshfields to defend landmark £14bn class action
MasterCard, which is facing a £14bn lawsuit in the first major US-style class action in the English courts, has replaced its longstanding legal team at Jones Day with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as it looks to add firepower to its defence.
Guest post: Tax avoidance penalties – a few notes of caution
Last week the government published a consultation document which took two big steps to tackle two different, but related, problems. The first addresses misbehaviour by taxpayers who tend to hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. Continue reading “Guest post: Tax avoidance penalties – a few notes of caution”
‘A short term issue’: Irwin Mitchell profits dip as firm beds in takeover
Irwin Mitchell has posted a disappointing profit result after last year’s merger with Thomas Eggar, with profit down by more than 25%.
Continue reading “‘A short term issue’: Irwin Mitchell profits dip as firm beds in takeover”
Slater and Gordon narrows loss to A$1bn after UK performance improves
Beleaguered Slater and Gordon has announced it expects to post an A$1.01bn net loss for the 12 months to 30 June 2016, with total revenue expected to come in at A$908.2m.
Continue reading “Slater and Gordon narrows loss to A$1bn after UK performance improves”
Freshfields and Foley Hoag face off as Venezuela ordered to pay Canadian miner more than $1.2bn
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Foley Hoag have advised as an international tribunal has ordered Venezuela to pay more than $1.2bn to Vancouver’s Rusoro Mining following its ruling that Venezuela unlawfully expropriated the company’s goldmines.
In-house: Dialight appoints first GC following management shake-up
UK-based electronics business Dialight has appointed its first general counsel (GC), bringing in Chris Fussell from business process and technology services provider Xchanging.
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Dentons takes fifth Irwin Mitchell partner in boost for banking practice
Dentons has strengthened its London banking and finance practice with the hire of Irwin Mitchell partner Simon Tweedle, its fifth hire from the firm in the past fortnight.
Continue reading “Dentons takes fifth Irwin Mitchell partner in boost for banking practice”
Proskauer makes major LevFin play with Reed Smith partner Ben Davis
US firm Proskauer Rose has hired leveraged finance partner Ben Davis from Reed Smith as it ramps up growth of its finance team in the City.
Continue reading “Proskauer makes major LevFin play with Reed Smith partner Ben Davis”