The world’s second largest energy utility GDF Suez, which generated €39.4bn in the first six months of this year, is reviewing its procurement of legal services ahead of a major panel review set for the start of the New Year.
Continue reading “‘Enhancing the role of the panel’: GDF Suez set to launch major panel review”
After unexpectedly stepping down from his management role, former Olswang chief executive David Stewart has officially resigned from the firm, and is currently seeking new opportunities.
Continue reading “Seeking new opportunities: Olswang’s former CEO Stewart resigns”
Justice secretary Chris Grayling has been defeated in the House of Lords over plans to limit the ability of individuals and organisations to challenge public decisions in the courts, just days after the legal profession claimed it would have a ‘chilling effect’ on those seeking justice.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer litigator Paul Lomas is leading Sotheby’s defence against a professional negligence claim after the auction house sold a painting in London for £42,000 that is now claimed to be by baroque master Caravaggio and worth over £11m.
Baker & McKenzie has hired three partners from DLA Piper’s Mexico City office as the latter combines with a local outfit to extend its offering, meanwhile Clyde & Co has launched in Brisbane after taking three partners from Sparke Helmore.
Last week saw Linklaters make a key hire from DLA Piper in Frankfurt as it sought to expand its cross-border litigation offering, Bird & Bird increase its offering in Sweden while Hunton & Williams did the same in the City developing its energy and natural resources team. Also in the UK, the Legal Services Board (LSB) appointed a new head, Richard Moriarty.
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has become the tenth major law firm in the UK to establish a gender target, committing to ensure that 30% of the partnership by the end of 2018 are female.
Continue reading “Women in law: BLP signs up to 30% female partnership target by 2018”
Linklaters and Baker & McKenzie have won lead roles advising on Novartis’ definitive agreement to divest its influenza vaccines business to Australian biotech firm CSL Limited (CSL), for $275m.
Slaughter and May has appointed David Wittmann as the firm’s practice partner with the role’s current holder, partner Paul Olney, stepping down at the end of the year.
As we prepare for the clocks to go back this weekend, here’s our regular look back at some of the stories that have drawn attention over the last five days. For access to subscriber content, click here for full access to Legal Business.
It’s fair to say Clifford Chance’s (CC’s) traditionally esteemed private equity team has faced testing times in recent years, as evidenced by the ongoing recruitment of the Magic Circle firm’s quality lawyers by US outfits.
Keystone Law has turned to boutique private equity house Root Capital to fund its growth plans, raising £3.15m in return for a 35% stake in its business.
In what was a keenly awaited judgment for the third party funding profession, the Commercial Court has yesterday (23 October) handed down judgment on the costs liability of litigation funders in the high profile Excalibur Ventures v Texas Keystone & Ors battle, a $1.6bn energy dispute over oil rights in Iraqi Kurdistan and one of the biggest cases of 2013, and has ordered the funders to pay the defendants’ costs of the action.
Parabis Law’s claimant arm Cogent Law is making 24 redundancies in its Croydon base affecting Cogent Law office’s entire headcount, with redundancy reviews set to take place over the next five months.
Continue reading “Redundancy watch: Parabis closes entire claimant offering in Croydon”
The other day we were in a meeting with the head of strategy and marketing and the chair of an AmLaw 100 firm, and the chair mentioned an extremely promising introductory meeting he’d had a few days earlier with the General Counsel of a well-recognised company.
Continue reading “Guest post: Partners Behaving Badly – how not to handle client relations”
Latham & Watkins, Macfarlanes and Travers Smith have all landed key roles on the £200m sale of media database Gorkana to US rival Cision.
Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg are suing trans-Atlantic firm DLA Piper for its role in bringing a case which they allege was ‘based on fabricated evidence, for the purpose of extorting a lucrative and unwarranted settlement’.
Magic Circle firms Allen & Overy (A&O) and Clifford Chance have advised on the UK’s renminbi debut bond issue, the first for a non-Chinese sovereign and signalling the first steps of China’s currency internationalising.
Bird & Bird is establishing an Australian office by merging with Sydney-based Truman Hoyle, 20 months after entering into a cooperation agreement with the firm.
In what gives brand owners the power to combat trademark infringement in the EU, UK internet service providers were defeated as London’s High Court on Friday (17 October) handed down a landmark judgment establishing that trade mark owners can secure court orders blocking websites that are structured to infringe their trade mark rights by selling counterfeit goods online.
