US firms Paul Hastings and Weil, Gotshal & Manges have won lead roles on the OCEAN Holding acquisition of German mortgage bank Düsseldorfer Hypothekenbank, from the US investor Lone Star, in what is the largest German bank takeover since the economic downturn.
Continue reading “Paul Hastings and Weil Gotshal & Manges lead on German bank acquisition”
Magic Circle firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters, alongside some of the leading US firms, have advised on the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) rights issue for £938m to help fund a £1.6bn acquisition.
Wachtell, Lipton Rosen & Katz; Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Goodwin Procter have taken the lead roles on Bank of America’s $16.6bn settlement with the US Department of Justice (DoJ), federal agencies and six US states.
Weil Gotshal & Manges’ head of European high yield Gil Strauss has become the most recent prominent partner to leave the firm, after several high profile London office exits within the last year, with his decision to re-join Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
Continue reading “Another partner exit at Weil’s London office”
Alternative business structure (ABS) Quindell has posted a huge revenue increase in the first half of 2014 with its Legal Services Division bringing in £179.6m, 139% up on H1 2013.
Continue reading “Quindell hires new legal chief as legal services division posts huge growth”
Profits at Dechert’s UK LLP dropped 21% from £35m to £27.7m for the 12 months to 31 December 2013, according to filings recently made to Companies House, with total revenue falling to £67.7m from £70.0m.
Continue reading “Accounts for Dechert’s UK LLP show revenues and profit falling”
Having endured a difficult time in recent months with the exodus of multiple partners from its London office, US firm Edwards Wildman has also seen financial challenges in the UK as evidenced by its latest LLP accounts which recorded a 10% drop in turnover to £25.1m from £27.8m, alongside a 21% drop in profit available for discretionary division among members to £7.6m.
Continue reading “Edwards Wildman posts 10% turnover slide in UK with latest LLP accounts”
Following a string of international lateral hires over recent months, Clyde & Co continues to bolster its team in the Middle East with Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) Islamic finance specialist Adil Hussain joining the firm.
Continue reading “Clydes continues to grow ME practice while Jones Day hires in Singapore”
After a long-running dispute between Clyde & Co and former partner Krista Bates van Winkelhof, the firm has finally settled the whistleblowing case outside of court.
Continue reading “Ex-Clydes partner settles whistleblowing case”
Mishcon de Reya is set to bring all partners into the equity and convert to a limited liability partnership at the end of autumn in 2015, following a vote made by the firm around eight months ago.
Continue reading “Mishcon de Reya set to move to full-equity LLP structure in 2015”
The legacy Squire Sanders practice in the Middle East, a team of 23 lawyers that included five partners, has exited Squire Patton Boggs following the firm’s merger, leaving it with Patton Boggs’ legacy affiliate The Khalid Al-Thebity Law Firm.
Continue reading “Post-merger fallout: Squire Patton Boggs loses 23-strong team in the Middle East”
Slaughter and May corporate partners Richard de Carle and Susannah Macknay are spearheading a demerger at mining giant BHP Billiton, which is spinning off its less profitable aluminium, silver, South African coal, manganese and nickel businesses into a new company estimated to be worth around $14bn.
Continue reading “Slaughters and HSF lead as BHP Billiton undergoes major demerger”
Reed Smith and Berwin Leighton Paisner have led on a £430m purchase of three UK business parks by asset management groups Oaktree Capital Management and Patrizia.
Continue reading “Reed Smith and BLP lead on £430m business park buy up”
PwC Australia has hired former King & Wood Mallesons managing partners, Tony O’Malley and Tim Blue, to spearhead the expansion of the accounting giant’s corporate legal services business across the Asia Pacific.
There has been more attention of late on the corporate ambitions of major audit groups but news this week is a reminder that accountants are also targeting the high street legal services market.
Continue reading “Things to come – accountancy body handed power to grant ABS licences”
Hong Kong lawyers turned out in force last night (14 August) to cast a vote of no confidence in local law society president Ambrose Lam, following his recent support of a Beijing white paper perceived to raise issues over Hong Kong’s judicial independence. Continue reading “Asia: Fears over Hong Kong’s judicial autonomy see vote of no confidence passed in local law society head”
Taylor Wessing and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) have both secured roles on the latest major real estate deal to emerge in the City this summer, advising on property group UOL’s purchase of the Heron Plaza site for £97m.
In the days when in-house lawyers have gained increasing influence in law and business, the Law Society could be seen to have played safe in the appointment of its new head. Chancery Lane today (14 August) announced the appointment of NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) chief executive Catherine Dixon to succeed its outgoing chief executive Des Hudson, who is to retire at the end of August.
Continue reading “On Chancery Lane – Law Society appoints NHSLA head as successor to outgoing chief”
Norton Rose Fulbright has enhanced its top tier energy practice in South Africa with the hire of energy specialist Lizel Oberholzer, following recent expansion by other international law firms in the market.
It’s quite a rarity for a practising lawyer to suggest serious unethicality on the part of his or her colleagues, so when it happens it’s worth taking notice.
Continue reading “Guest post: Wild Boys: Why some at the Tax bar need to learn to say no”
