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.
Guest post: Partnership structures – separating the geese from the chickens
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.
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Weil Gotshal, A&O and Freshfields advise on Worldpay float
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.
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Guest post: Making the case to regulate third-party funding – badly
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).
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BLP boosts Berlin practice by six with lateral hires from Orrick
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.
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In-house: HSBC executive picked for British Land GC role
Property developer British Land has hired HSBC deputy company secretary and former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Elaine Williams as its first general counsel.
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Called to the bench: White & Case partner Ian Forrester QC made an EU judge
White & Case partner Ian Forrester QC has been appointed as the UK’s judge at the General Court of European Union, succeeding judge Nicholas Forwood QC. Forrester QC, who is based in Brussels will sit at the court based in Luxembourg from October of this year. Continue reading “Called to the bench: White & Case partner Ian Forrester QC made an EU judge”
The finance view: Bigger, simpler, cheaper? How to position the modern securitisation counsel
Securitisation lawyers have been hard pressed since the financial crisis, diversifying their practices and often even ditching the S word. Continue reading “The finance view: Bigger, simpler, cheaper? How to position the modern securitisation counsel”
Trowers & Hamlins unites with Devon firm as part of regional push
Trowers & Hamlins has combined with Devon based Stones Solicitors to create a firm with turnover of about £85m, in a deal to boost its regional presence in the UK.
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Guest Post: It’s all in the Game: Immigration Lawyers vs the High Court?
I have on a few occasions blogged on the High Court’s (and indeed the now Lord Chief Justice’s) exasperation, justified or not, with the conduct of some immigration solicitors.
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Winston & Strawn elects corporate partner Ashcroft as London board member as Madden steps down from global executive
US firm Winston & Strawn has shaken up its global executive committee, and replaced London board member and disputes partner Michael Madden with corporate partner Zoe Ashcroft, signalling a shift in focus for the global 100 firm.
Scottish play: Clyde & Co seals Simpson & Marwick deal
After months of negotiations, Clyde & Co has successfully secured a merger with Scottish firm Simpson & Marwick, following other London-based insurance players in establishing a presence in Scotland and adding around £30m to the Global 100 firm’s top line.
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Guest post: WTF is a trusted adviser and how did GCs come to strive for it?
‘What’s your ambition son?’
‘Well dad, I’d like to be a plausible adviser’
‘Good boy. And then one day you might even be a trusted adviser too.’
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‘Differing practice interests’: strategic tensions emerge as 11 Stone Buildings votes to dissolve
London commercial and chancery chambers 11 Stone Buildings (11SB) is set to dissolve on 30 October 2015.
Gibson Dunn strikes again to land HSF’s global head of capital markets
Herbert Smith Freehills’ global capital markets chief, Steve Thierbach, is set to leave the firm for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher as part of a double swoop by the US firm, with capital markets partner also Christopher Haynes departing, HSF has confirmed.
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Freshfields head of Islamic finance to leave for Morgan Lewis
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer global head of Islamic finance Tarek El-Assra has quit the firm to join Morgan, Lewis & Bockius as a partner, as the Morgan Lewis targets the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia
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Comment: The NYLon law firm – outmoding a Global Elite and Magic Circle firm near you
If there is one big trend in the analysis of Legal Business in recent years it is the encroaching existential threat represented by US-bred law firms.
Microsoft general counsel promoted to president and chief legal officer
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, has been appointed as the company’s president and chief legal officer in a rare move that will see the lawyer take a broader role.
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US law firms take advantage of early retirement myths at City leaders, argues report
New research suggests US firms are picking up top talent by taking advantage of the misconception that UK firms exit their partners in their late 50s.
Revolving doors: TLT and SPB expand in the regions while Ashurst bolsters its finance practice
The UK’s regional hubs saw a spree of hiring as TLT strengthened its corporate practice in Manchester after a law firm’s collapse and Squire Patton Boggs bulked up in Leeds. Meanwhile, Ashurst enlarged its finance practice in Europe with the addition of two new partners and Fladgate recruited an employment partner.