Baker & McKenzie has lured a partner from rival global behemoth DLA Piper for the second time in a month, this time taking a finance partner in Johannesburg.
Continue reading “Baker & McKenzie turns to DLA again to add partner in Johannesburg”
Hunting titans: Quinn and HSF take lead as former Goldman Sachs bankers and UBS face off
Unsurprisingly for a high-profile claim against a global investment bank, litigation heavyweights Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Herbert Smith Freehills find themselves squaring up to each other today (1 December). Continue reading “Hunting titans: Quinn and HSF take lead as former Goldman Sachs bankers and UBS face off”
US expansion: Clifford Chance boosts Washington office with Bingham structured finance team
Clifford Chance has recruited a five-strong team from beleaguered US firm Bingham McCutchen to its Washington DC office, led by partners Robert Gross and William Cejudo, in a bid to enhance its US structured finance and real estate finance offering.
‘Culture of valuing and recognising everyone’s contribution’: Slaughters unveils bumper associate bonus package
Slaughter and May has increased the size of its annual bonuses, with associates qualified for more than four and a half years set to receive an additional 15% on top of their salary.
Worst-kept secret: Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman approve combination
Dallas-bred Locke Lord and Boston’s Edwards Wildman Palmer have rubber-stamped their high-profile union, today (1 December) announcing that their respective partnerships have approved a combination from 10 January 2015, a move which will generate gross revenues of $675m and a headcount of 1,000 lawyers.
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Targeting London: Proskauer set for Heron Tower and double its office space after City growth
New York-headquartered Proskauer Rose is set to double its office space in London with a move into the Heron Tower from its current base at 10 Bishops Square.
A £2.2bn claim: Stephenson Harwood and McGuireWoods act as Vincent Tchenguiz files against Grant Thornton and Kaupthing
Following on from the high profile Tchenguiz brothers’ lawsuit against the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in July this year, Vincent Tchenguiz has filed a further claim, this time for £2.2bn against five parties who allegedly conspired to instigate the failed investigation led by the SFO into the Tchenguiz brothers, Consensus Business Group (CBC) and the Tchenguiz Family Trust (TFT).
The Friday Edit: Bear markets, going postal and every little £263m helps
With the ill-advised Jack Daniels and coke I had forced on me at the back end of the British Legal Awards still making itself felt, the week is rapidly drawing to a close, so it’s time for The Friday Edit, our informal take on the notable legal events that happened since Monday. For subscriber content, click here for full access to Legal Business or email ‘[email protected]’ for more information.
Continue reading “The Friday Edit: Bear markets, going postal and every little £263m helps”
‘Costs disputes is a growth area’: Thirty Nine Essex Street appoints former Senior Costs Judge
Leading set Thirty Nine Essex Street has yesterday (26 November) announced a major appointment, with Peter Hurst, former Senior Costs Judge of England and Wales at the Royal Courts of Justice, joining as an arbitrator and mediator.
Partner exits mount: Edwards Wildman loses commercial litigation partner to GlaxoSmithKline
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is the latest to dip into the dwindling partnership at Edwards Wildman Palmer’s London office as it has emerged that commercial litigation partner, Antonio Suarez-Martinez, is leaving the firm for the corporate’s legal team.
‘Not persuaded by the evidence’: Legal Services Board rejects SRA proposal to reduce minimum PII cover
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has today (27 November) published its decision on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) professional indemnity insurance (PII) application, and has refused a proposed reduction in the minimum level of PII cover from the current level of £2m to £500,000.
‘We have seen the potential pitfalls’: Ropes & Gray relocates to double office size due to City growth
Ropes & Gray is set to relocate to 1 New Ludgate, almost double its current office space, on the back of a rising headcount and expanding practice areas.
4 out of 12: Weil Gotshal makes London-heavy promotion round
Four London associates at Weil, Gotshal & Manges have been made up to partner, accounting for a third of the firm’s latest promotions round.
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H1 2014/15: ‘Returns on our strategy’ – Watson, Farley & Williams revenues increase 8%
Watson, Farley & Williams (WFW) has posted an 8% rise in revenues for the first half of 2014/15 with global turnover standing at £56.8m for the half-year ending 31 October 2014, up from £52m for the same period last year.
The cost of a signature: Mishcon loses out as Supreme Court dismisses Saudi Prince’s appeal
A major blow has been dealt to Saudi royalty, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, by the Supreme Court today (26 November) after a judgment, handed down by Lord Neuberger, dismissed his appeal to refuse to comply with a personal signature order.
Targeting Europe: James Roome set for a place on Akin Gump’s global board
London-based restructuring guru James Roome, who carried a 28-partner team from Bingham McCutchen to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld this summer, is set to boost the European presence on Akin’s global management committee.
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US associate bonuses: Simpson first to unveil, Cravath follows and Skadden tops with $110,000 bonus
The US bonus season, usually led by Cravath Swaine & Moore, has this year seen Simpson Thacher & Bartlett kick-start the process ahead of the traditional schedule, and set a very high bar for the rest of the American elite firms.
Guest post: Tiger, Plant, Freshfields and the Short Sellers – a look at legal ethics in ABS-owner Quindell’s woes
Charles Plant, outgoing Chair of the SRA who has led the SRA through one of the more interesting phases in its relatively young life, had some interesting thoughts in a recent valedictory speech (at legal futures). In particular, flat-earther comments aside, he is reported as having offered this:
‘Doing more for the large clients’: Simmons & Simmons posts 8% rise in revenue
Top-20 UK firm Simmons & Simmons has seen revenue rise 8% for the first six months of the 2014-15 financial year with income, buoyed by the recovery in bank lending for M&A and financial regulatory work, increasing from £130m to £140m.
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