Against sluggish levels of transactional activity of late, Travers Smith and Kirkland & Ellis have landed lead advisory roles on the $540m acquisition by Micro Focus of US firm Serena Software.
One Essex Court takes banking silk duo from 3VB
One Essex Court has hired banking silk duo Adrian Beltrami QC and Sonia Tolaney QC from 3 Verulam Buildings (3VB), just weeks after announcing Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer disputes veteran Ian Terry will also join the set.
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Turning Japanese: Debevoise & Plimpton launches in Tokyo in first new outpost in a decade
With Japan’s ageing population and cheap debt forcing its biggest corporates to look outside the country for growth, Debevoise & Plimpton has become the latest US law firm to launch in Tokyo.
State of the industry: UK legal services sector grows 8% as exports rise
Counter to the UK’s trade deficit widening at the end of 2015, the UK’s legal industry has again outperformed the rest of the country with its contribution to the economy rising 8% to £25.7bn and its net exports rising rapidly.
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One more name in the ring as Jacobs closes in on Linklaters senior partner position
Aedamar Comiskey has entered the race to become the next senior partner at Linklaters, facing off against corporate heavyweight Charlie Jacobs (pictured) and Belgium-based Jean-Pierre Blumberg in the battle to succeed Robert Elliott.
Eversheds, Reed Smith and Dentons land spots on inaugural Avis panel
Eversheds, Reed Smith, Dentons and K&L Gates have landed spots on a seven-firm global panel created by US car rental giant Avis.
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Data deal: Davis Polk advises Markit on US merger
Longstanding adviser Davis Polk & Wardwell has acted for Markit again as the London-based data provider signed a deal with US firm IHS for a $13bn merger.
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Revolving doors: Holman Fenwick takes Singapore aviation team from BLP as MoFo, Ince and Ashurst make key hires
As Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) makes a key team hire in Singapore, Morrison & Foerster, Ince & Co and Ashurst have all added to their benches around the globe.
Cravath and Skadden check-in as Starwood derails Marriott merger to seal Chinese hotel takeover
Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher are advising as Westin owner Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has called off its $12.2bn buyout agreement with Marriott in favour of a $13.2bn offer from a group of investors led by China’s Anbang Insurance Group.
Glencore picks Freshfields as mining giant sues Colombia over coal deal
Mining and commodities giant Glencore has instructed Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to sue Colombia over claims the government sought to revoke parts of a coal mining license.
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A&O names new corporate heads as Ballheimer prepares to join senior leadership
Within weeks of electing the firm’s new leadership, Allen & Overy has announced London corporate head Richard Browne has joined Dirk Meeus as joint leader of the firm’s global corporate practice.
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Barclays bans lawyers from corporate hospitality during panel review
Barclays has put a ban on its 600 lawyers accepting corporate hospitality as it reviews its legal panel worth around £100m a year to law firms.
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Freshfields the latest to post reduced retention rate with 82% of trainees kept on
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, the last Magic Circle firm to post its trainee retention rate this spring, posted a reduced figure, keeping on 82% of trainees this spring. The firm offered 33 of 38, or 87% of its trainees places.
Dentons lands BLP head of corporate crime and investigations in bid to capture banking disputes
Fresh from securing an 11-partner financial litigation team from now-defunct Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, Dentons has landed Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) partner Daren Allen (pictured) as it attempts to capture more banking litigation work.
‘Experience and energy’: Corporate head Penney wins Addleshaws senior partner race
Corporate head Charles Penney (pictured) has been appointed Addleshaw Goddard‘s new senior partner, replacing Monica Burch, who was first elected to the role in 2010.
Winston & Strawn disputes heavyweight joins Garrigues to launch City arbitration team
Garrigues has hired its first English-qualified partner in the City with the arrival of Winston & Strawn‘s co-head of international arbitration, Joe Tirado, to launch its practice in London.
DLA Piper launches flexible working in Australia as part of LOD roll out
Fresh from sealing a landmark deal with Lawyers On Demand (LOD) to provide freelance lawyering services to its clients, DLA Piper will roll out the service in Australia following LOD’s merger with Asia-Pacific rival AdventBalance.
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Asia round-up: Stephenson Harwood formalises Guangzhou association as A&O makes FinReg play
Stephenson Harwood has formalised its association with Chinese law firm Wei Tu, while Allen & Overy has made a key hire into its finance practice in Hong Kong.
In-house: Lloyds appoints head of legal for ring-fencing as banks prepare for 2019 deadline
Former Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) corporate partner Frances McLeman has been made head of legal for ring-fencing at Lloyds Banking Group, a prominent in-house appointment made quietly by the bank nearly three months ago.
Comment: Time to move on – Savage argues legal education is falling behind the realities of the profession
Let’s get this in context right off the bat. The Training for Tomorrow proposals by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) represent the most radical change in legal education for over 20 years. When one considers the massive structural changes in the legal services market in recent years, which have been covered extensively by Legal Business before, we are faced with a unique situation.