Nearly 16 years since talks first began, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and German rival Deutsche Börse are engaged in merger discussions again, and Magic Circle duo Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters have won roles advising on the potential combination.
Latham targets Asian private equity market with hires from Clifford Chance and Freshfields
After making significant investment into its European private equity practice to transform it into one of the region’s biggest private equity players, US firm Latham & Watkins has set its sights on Asia with a triple hire and two relocations.
Guest post: Brexit analysis – Why the real danger to Parliamentary sovereignty isn’t Europe
As we await David Cameron’s sovereignty plan this week, it might help to explain what we mean by ‘Parliamentary sovereignty’.
KPMG defeats judicial review challenge in Barclays swap case
Accountancy giant KPMG has triumphed at London’s High Court today (24 February) after an unprecedented judicial review taken by Holmcroft Properties was dismissed.
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Guest post: How law firms benefit when laterals don’t fit in
Much has been written recently about the need for law firms to integrate laterals more effectively. One need only search ‘law firm lateral integration’ to find resources providing tips for more successful integration, often accompanied by the cautionary tales of serial laterals and disastrous failed integrations.
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Latham prepares sixth Asia office as it signs property lease for Seoul
Within a year of reviewing its Asia strategy, Latham & Watkins is set to join the mass of law firms in South Korea, as it prepares to launch its Seoul office.
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Revenues up 6% at Debevoise as London breaks $100m barrier
Debevoise & Plimpton ended a period of slow growth by posting a 6% rise in revenue to $756.9m as profits surged by 10%.
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Germany and east Asia next targets as Gowling WLG merger made official
As the combination between Wragge Lawrence Graham and Gowling Lafleur Henderson to create a £400m practice has gone live today (22 February) the firm already wants to deliver a new tie-up by 2018, and is targeting Germany and east Asia.
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Revolving doors: Multiple hires for Mayer Brown, as Pinsents, Cooley and Jones Day make appointments
US firm Mayer Brown has made a number of lateral hires this week as Pinsent Masons, Cooley and Jones Day also made notable appointments.
Magic Circle play: Dentons hires Clifford Chance veteran Voisey
Dentons continues to build its City offering through lateral recruitment, confirming the hire of Clifford Chance (CC) senior capital markets partner Peter Voisey (pictured) in a bid to capture greater market share.
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Baker & McKenzie acts for Bain and Brakes Group again as food distributor sells to US firm in $3.1bn deal
Baker & McKenzie and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have picked up roles as US company Sysco Corp moves to buy London food distributor Brakes Group from Bain Capital.
Uneasy alliance formed as Gove and Grayling have meeting of minds over Brexit
After months of speculation regarding which senior Conservative figures will campaign for the UK to leave the EU, the current justice secretary Michael Gove and his predecessor Chris Grayling have emerged as two of the most prominent figures in the out camp. The split in the ranks of the governing Conservative Party over whether the UK should leave the EU is producing strange bedfellows, as questions loom large for the country’s legal framework should ‘Brexit’ occur.
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Better connected: EE legal head reveals plans in wake of telco merger
Following BT’s high-profile £12.5bn takeover of UK mobile business EE, it has emerged the companies’ plan to consolidate external legal panels, while EE’s general counsel James Blendis (pictured) has been appointed to BT’s legal leadership team.
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KWM global revenue drops 1% as firm unveils 2020 strategy and restructures London practice
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) global revenue dropped 1% to $1.02bn in 2015 as the Hong Kong-headquartered firm unveiled a new global strategy to see it through to 2020.
BLP targets full financial integration with Greenberg Traurig as merger edges closer
As City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) closes in on its landmark transatlantic merger with Miami giant Greenberg Traurig, the firms have targeted full financial integration.
City showdown: US firms take roles as Russia and Ukraine’s $3bn debt dispute heads to London court
City lawyers at US firms Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan are to face off after Russia filed a claim against Ukraine at London’s newly created financial court over its default of $3bn in bonds.
Land Securities to launch panel review following de Souza departure
FTSE 100 company Land Securities has kicked off a panel review of its external legal roster now that the current three-year term has come to an end.
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A win for Wim: Allen & Overy chooses Dejonghe as next senior partner to soothe generational leadership change
Allen & Overy (A&O) has opted for continuity in its generational leadership change by electing Wim Dejonghe (pictured), who is entering the last few weeks as managing partner, as its next senior partner.
DLA Piper’s Knowles to retire after 38 years at the firm
Sir Nigel Knowles (pictured) will retire from DLA Piper at the end of June after nearly four decades at the firm, the vast majority of which he spent spearheading a rapid globalisation of the firm into one of the world’s largest.
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Trainee retention: Perfect scores for Osborne Clarke and Mayer Brown as White & Case figure falls
Osborne Clarke and Mayer Brown have posted perfect spring retention figures this year, while White & Case’s rate dropped to 87%.