King & Spalding’s London office has been instructed on a $12bn arbitration brought against the Russian government by Sergei Pugachev, a tycoon once dubbed ‘Putin’s banker.’
Continue reading “King & Spalding lands $12bn arbitration case against Russia for Pugachev”
Weir Group has kicked off a search for its next legal chief as its incumbent general counsel (GC) and company secretary, Keith Ruddock, will retire from the engineering firm at the end of the year.
Continue reading “Weir Group starts search for successor as general counsel retires”
Kirkland & Ellis has hired a fourth partner this year from Magic Circle rival Linklaters, as the head of private equity in the Nordic region and City corporate partner Roger Johnson is to depart.
Continue reading “Rapidly recruiting: Kirkland takes Linklaters’ corporate heavyweight Johnson”
US firms Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Chadbourne & Parke are in early merger talks, with the potential to create a 1,000 lawyer firm.
Reed Smith experienced a double-digit surge in staff numbers across its largest Europe and Middle East offices last year as profits across London, Paris, Dubai and Abu Dhabi surged by 12% to £65m.
Continue reading “Reed Smith’s City outpost delivers 12% profit surge as staff numbers lifted”
Having attended Legal Business’s first International Arbitration Summit in September to debate issues on investor-state disputes, Sir Frank Berman KCMG QC (pictured) of Essex Court Chambers talks to Sarah Downey about the highlights of his 50-year career, London’s status as a disputes hub, and the future of the Bar.
Third party financier Harbour Litigation Funding (HLF) has opened an office in Hong Kong to meet a rise in class actions in the Asia Pacific region.
Continue reading “Asia Pacific move: Harbour Litigation Funding opens Hong Kong office”
DLA Piper has added a team of 20, including five partners to its Hamburg office from Bird & Bird, in a move said to double the outpost in size.
Continue reading “DLA Piper boosts Hamburg outpost with team of 20”
Wilberforce Chambers has taken silks Lexa Hilliard QC, Alan Gourgey QC and Marcia Shekerdemian QC from 11 Stone Buildings (11SB) alongside five junior barristers, following the news last week that the London commercial and chancery set will dissolve on 30 October.
Linklaters’ banking chief Gideon Moore, dispute resolution head Michael Bennett and Asia managing partner Marc Harvey have made a final three-man shortlist to replace Simon Davies as the firm’s managing partner. Continue reading “Frontrunner eliminated as Linklaters cuts managing partner race to three”
Herbert Smith Freehills and EY Law in Poland have won roles advising as British American Tobacco (BAT) signed a conditional agreement to acquire 100% of Europe’s largest eCigarette retailing network, CHIC Group in a bid to enter the e-cigarette market.
Continue reading “Herbert Smith Freehills, EY take lead on British American Tobacco acquisition”
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) continues to see partner departures from its London office as K&L Gates has recruited longstanding tax partner Giles Bavister.
Continue reading “King & Wood Mallesons City departures continue as K&L Gates recruits tax partner”
The City of London Law Society (CLLS) has joined the Law Society in condemning proposals from the Solicitors Regulators Authority to lower minimum indemnity insurance cover for solicitors.
Continue reading “City lawyers join Law Society in slamming SRA insurance proposals”
Herbert Smith Freehills‘ (HSF) London litigation head Tim Parkes will leave the firm at the end of the year to take over as chairman of the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory decisions committee.
Continue reading “Switching sides: HSF’s London litigation head Parkes lands FCA job”
Hogan Lovells has confirmed the departure of leading corporate energy partner David Levin to energy merchant business Nekton Group, months after losing a three strong energy team, including global co-head of energy and natural resources Matthew Williams to US firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.
Partnership structure is under fire from a sea of self-proclaimed professional service firm management experts. Some, like Mark Brandon, bring a well-measured view. Others are more apocalyptic.
Continue reading “Guest post: Partnership structures – separating the geese from the chickens”
Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have all picked up work advising card payment services provider Worldpay Group as it sells shares on the London stock exchange.
Continue reading “Weil Gotshal, A&O and Freshfields advise on Worldpay float”
The US Chamber of Commerce, scarred by the American litigation culture, has long been spreading the word about the pain that litigation can cause, and has a particular bee in its bonnet about third-party litigation funding (TPLF).
Continue reading “Guest post: Making the case to regulate third-party funding – badly”
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired two partners, Norbert Impelmann and Albrecht von Breitenbuch, along with four other lawyers from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe for its Berlin office.
Continue reading “BLP boosts Berlin practice by six with lateral hires from Orrick”
Property developer British Land has hired HSBC deputy company secretary and former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Elaine Williams as its first general counsel.
Continue reading “In-house: HSBC executive picked for British Land GC role”
