US firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft has made a key hire to its global capital markets practice with Ashurst partner David Quirolo, as the New York-headquartered firm continues its efforts to rebuild its London finance team.
Freshfields further bulks out US M&A leadership team with Shearman hire
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is continuing to boost its New York M&A practice’s leadership, installing Shearman & Sterling partner Peter Lyons as co-head of its global public M&A group, after hiring Skadden and Wachtell veterans earlier this month to take leading roles.
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Dentons hires Inter-American Development Bank GC as Latin American chief executive aiming for mergers
Global 100 firm Dentons has made a key strategic hire to enhance its offering in Latin America and the Caribbean, appointing the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) general counsel (GC), Jorge Alers, to be chief executive officer for the region.
Berwin Leighton Paisner scales back Paris office as French head leaves
Eight years after opening an office in one of Europe’s biggest legal services market, Berwin Leighton Paisner is set to cut back its Paris offering leaving only a liaison outpost with the exit of its French head, partner Antoine-Audoin Maggiar.
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Dissent: Platitudes and a missed debate – how GCs are pushed off their ethical course
It’s stated so often but never questioned: everywhere you turn, in-house lawyers pay tribute to the holy grail of ‘being commercial’. But, as I will argue, such an approach raises substantive and troubling questions regarding the influence on the ethical compass that is supposed to be an in-house lawyer’s most important tool.
Revolving doors: HSF appoints Singapore head, while Kirkland and Hogan swap partners in Hong Kong
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) announced its management successor in Singapore, while Kirkland and Ellis, and Hogan Lovells made partner exchanges in Hong Kong.
Weil boosts finance practice with Ashurst hire in New York
US firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges continues to boost its global finance practice with the hire of Ashurst banking partner Damian Ridealgh in New York.
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‘A true litigator’: O’Melveny & Myers hires Asian heavyweight Denis Brock from King & Wood Mallesons
Litigation partner Denis Brock, who headed Clifford Chance’s Asian disputes practice for nine years, has swapped King & Wood Mallesons for US firm O’Melveny & Myers.
Linklaters names Stuart Bedford as London head of corporate
Linklaters has appointed its third London head of corporate this year, with Stuart Bedford stepping up to lead its City offering following Sarah Wiggins’ switch to global head of client sectors just two months into the role.
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The Friday edit: Endangered female partners, endangered insurance lawyers and more mergers
Welcome to the second of our new series the Friday Edit in which we take an informal look back at the week’s more interesting events and put a little context on current events in the commercial law game.
Consolidation in US mid-tier continues as Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman set to merge
The run of consolidation in the US national market continues with Dallas-bred Locke Lord and Boston’s Edwards Wildman this week announcing plans to merge, forming a $675m practice that would sit just outside the top 50 of the Global 100.
Latam briefing: Garrigues extends local network, foreign players continue push and Brazil leader secures antitrust coup
Market developments around the region continue apace: in the Dominican Republic, where the recent tie-up between Squire Saunders and Patton Boggs will be particularly felt (the former Squire Sanders, Peña Prieto & Gamundi was a key market player), further movement has seen the departures of Marielle Garrigó and Fabiola Medina (from Pellerano & Herrera and Medina Rizek, respectively), to establish new firm Medina Garrigó.
Dealwatch: A&O, Travers Smith and Pinsent Masons lead on Lloyds’ £400m Keepmoat homebuilder sale
Allen & Overy (A&O), Travers Smith and Pinsent Masons have all secured leading roles advising on Lloyds Banking Group’s £400m sale of Doncaster-based homebuilder Keepmoat to private equity houses Sun Capital and TDR Capital, as the part-nationalised lender continues to dispose of its non-core assets.
Covington and Baker Botts act as Yukos minority shareholders defeat Russia
Baker Botts was defeated again in the long-running Yukos saga as Covington & Burling succeed in having a Russian jurisdictional challenge dismissed by a Swedish court.
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McDermott Will & Emery, CMS and Spain’s Olleros lead on €3.62bn Telefónica rights issue
McDermott Will & Emery and CMS Hasche Sigle have won the lead roles in advising Telefónica Deutschland’s €3.62bn rights offering to help finance the acquisition of E-Plus Group from KPN.
Mishcon and Orrick act as BSGR launches $5bn arbitration against Guinea
Mishcon de Reya has been instructed by BSGR, a Guernsey-registered mining group controlled by Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz, in a $5bn lawsuit against Guinea after the West African country withdrew a concession to mine one of world’s largest deposits of iron ore due to allegations of widespread bribery.
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Hogan Lovells loses Asia restructuring head Neil McDonald in Hong Kong
Top ten global firm Kirkland & Ellis continues to build its Asia offering hiring Hogan Lovells head of restructuring in Asia, partner Neil McDonald, in Hong Kong.
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Comment: Women in law – A belated bandwagon, but still welcome
Rarely, even in the conservative game of law, has so necessary a measure been so long avoided until the status quo became so laughably, farcically untenable. The move is for major law firms to start articulating public benchmarks for their proportion of female partners – corporate speak for the series of concrete targets announced this year to stem the huge outflow of talented women from the profession.
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PwC Legal makes City corporate push with McDermott partner hire
PwC Legal has hired McDermott Will & Emery City-based corporate partner Mark Crofskey in a bid to boost its UK legal arm’s M&A team. Expected to join the accountancy giant next month, Crofskey will work in PwC Legal’s M&A practice alongside corporate partner Alistair Hogarth in leading a team. Continue reading “PwC Legal makes City corporate push with McDermott partner hire”
‘We need to be in London to enable us to meet our clients’ global needs’: Another US litigation boutique launches in London
Financial services boutique BuckleySandler is set to launch its first international office as it expands its global financial crimes practice.