Following a string of seven recent hires to its Advanced Manufacturing and Technology (AMT) sector, Pinsent Masons has boosted its corporate team with the appointment of TMT specialist Andrew McMillan to its AMT sector. Previously head of Simmons & Simmons TMT practice, McMillan brings experience in advising TMT corporates, investment banks and private equity houses on in-sector mergers and acquisitions and high-value commercial contracts.
Passion Plays – the outside interests broadening the horizons of the modern GC
General counsel have more responsibilities than ever yet many find time in the schedule for outside commitments. James Wood reports.
Working long hours, expected to be available at all hours, and labelled a cost-centre. Such are the pressures of life in-house. The days of commerce and industry as a softer option for lawyers than the toil of the law firm associate track are rapidly drawing to a close.
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GC Perspectives – Philip Bramwell, BAE Systems
I’m of an age where I form part of a group of lawyers who elected to pursue careers in-house from the outside. I had failed to complete a chemical engineering course so I had a very clear purpose in studying law: I wanted to work in-house. I identified a couple of industries I thought should grow so I might surf that wave.
I started out in pharma in the late ‘70s, which was immensely enjoyable. I grew a love of complex businesses – global, multinational businesses. They provide rich opportunities for lawyers in a variety of areas – commercial, corporate, M&A. That is the theme I followed throughout my career.
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Partner promotions: Clifford Chance appoints 24 new partners, with nine in the City
Clifford Chance (CC) has appointed 24 new partners globally, with promotions across the US, Asia Pacific, continental Europe and nine in London.
Herbert Smith Freehills evens out international balance in latest partner promotion round
After two years of having the bulk of its promotions in the Asia-Pacific region, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has gone for a more geographically balanced round of partner promotions this year, making up ten lawyers in the UK and EMEA, and ten in Asia-Pacific. Continue reading “Herbert Smith Freehills evens out international balance in latest partner promotion round”
‘Growing confidence’: Linklaters and A&O lead on biggest post-crisis RMBS transaction
Magic Circle firms Linklaters and Allen & Overy were instructed on the £6.1bn securitisation of UK mortgages by private equity house Cerberus Capital Management in what is the largest residential mortgage-backed securitisation (RMBS) since misuse of the product brought about the financial crisis in 2007.
Told you so: City litigators unsurprised as MoJ requests £427m cash injection following drop in court claims
In line with what many dispute experts predicted, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has requested a cash injection after seeing a drop in court fee income.
White & Case secures victory for Russia as Dutch court overturns record $50bn Yukos award
A Dutch court has set aside the record $50bn arbitration award made against Russia in 2014 over its handling of Yukos in a decision that hands a huge victory to US firms White & Case and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.
Report hits out at Freshfields and SRA involvement in ScottishPower scandal
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have been criticised in a parliamentary report into ScottishPower’s ‘cashback guarantee’ scandal.
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Ashurst loses another partner to Gibson Dunn as Perry quits
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has revisited Ashurst for yet another lateral hire, appointing financial institutions partner James Perry.
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In the post: De Bie takes top role at Royal Mail after seven months as interim GC
Maaike de Bie has taken the general counsel (GC) role at Royal Mail, following seven months as interim GC after Neil Harnby’s departure last September. Continue reading “In the post: De Bie takes top role at Royal Mail after seven months as interim GC”
‘An important victory’: Travers Smith gets another Tchenguiz claim dismissed
Travers Smith has secured a win against British entrepreneur Vincent Tchenguiz, as a Commercial Court judge dismissed a £2.2bn claim against Jóhannes Rúnar Jóhannsson, who had helped wind up Icelandic bank Kaupthing.
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Comment: GCs have scraped a seat at the table but too many are wasting the opportunity
Barclays, Volkswagen and Tesco are three massive businesses in three significant, sophisticated and important business sectors. Each one of these successful and long-lived businesses has access to significant in-house legal expertise, each is capable of paying for the best legal advice money can buy, each has invested heavily in risk management. And all of them are now paying the price for poor decisions made by some senior people behaving badly, very badly.
‘A global perspective’: Australia partner Jenkins next to head Ashurst
After four months of searching for the firm’s next global managing partner, Ashurst has turned to its Australian side and appointed Sydney-based banking partner and global finance co-head Paul Jenkins as the second man in charge.
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Clyde & Co makes up 16 partners in half-female promotion round
Clyde & Co has announced a record number of promotions, adding 16 new partners, half of whom are women.
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Guest post: How to write like a lawyer
Writing properly florid legal text takes years of practice. No-one enjoys reading it: not even the curmudgeon who has taken the trouble to write it. Construing a contract should not be a bodily pleasure but an act of ascetic sufferance, the reward for which comes in the hereafter*. Lawyers do this so you don’t have to.
Shell slashes global panel from 11 to six post-BG merger
Shell has slashed its global panel from 11 firms to just six, with Eversheds and Reed Smith newcomers to the panel. Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, Baker & McKenzie and Norton Rose Fulbright have been reappointed.
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Comment: Why one-stop shopping isn’t doing what it was supposed to
Sometimes in business what you correctly forecast can prove as problematic as what you get wrong. Because even when you manage the considerable feat of identifying what will happen in the world you are left with problems of unintended consequences.
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Clifford Chance rebuilds competition team with plum hire from the CMA
Just one week after losing star competition partner Alastair Mordaunt to Magic Circle rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Clifford Chance has hired the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) director of mergers Nelson Jung as a City partner.
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KWM real estate duo land at Ashurst following restructure
With 24 partners on the market following King & Wood Mallesons‘ (KWM) decision to axe 15% of its European and Middle Eastern practice, Ashurst has picked up real estate partners Darren Rogers and Patrick Williams.
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