I used to pretend I decided to be a lawyer at 16. My sister made a visit to me in London and one of our smarter associates asked: ‘So, tell us when Phil decided to be a lawyer?’ My sister said: ‘You were eight, weren’t you?’ She blew my cover. I’ve always been attracted to it.
Making bail – getting Cyprus back on its feet
A year ago Cyprus was heading for disaster. The banking crisis had hit hard and predictions of where it would leave the country ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. Hyperbolic headlines screamed that Cyprus would be forced to quit the eurozone and that everybody would be out of a job. Foreign investors would leave in droves, said the naysayers, so the island had better just go back to fishing and tourism as its mainstay.
Thankfully for the majority, and certainly for the Cyprus legal community, such prophecies have proved overdone. Depending on who you speak to there is really only a mix of cautious or, for some, more courageous optimism about where the Cypriot economy is headed and the benefits that will be realised in the next couple of years by its advisers.
Continue reading “Making bail – getting Cyprus back on its feet”
Scale-up nation – chasing Israel’s high growth clients
Barry Levenfeld is a regular visitor to Silicon Valley. The technology and life sciences specialist at Israeli firm Yigal Arnon & Co has to fly from Tel Aviv to San Francisco, via New Jersey or Los Angeles. Currently the journey takes around 20 hours.
However, he hopes that an online petition to establish a direct flight between Tel Aviv and San Francisco will lead to a more civilised journey. The proposed 14.5-hour flight will usher Israeli high-flyers straight into the growth company and venture capital centre of the world.
Continue reading “Scale-up nation – chasing Israel’s high growth clients”
Deal Watch: Slaughters advises on £3.6bn ICI pension annuity buy-in and £390m Ignis buyout; Travers leads on $3.1bn Nets sale
Standout corporate mandates over the past few days have included a high profile run by Slaughter and May on deals including a £3.6bn bulk annuity buy-in over the ICI Pension Fund and Standard Life’s £390m acquisition of Ignis Asset Management, as Travers Smith and Kirkland & Ellis led on the $3.1bn acquisition of Nordic card-payment business Nets Holding. Continue reading “Deal Watch: Slaughters advises on £3.6bn ICI pension annuity buy-in and £390m Ignis buyout; Travers leads on $3.1bn Nets sale”
Global London 2014
Partner promotions – Trowers, Nabarro and BLP see reduced numbers as Addleshaws holds on eight
Partner promotions at the UK’s leading firms have largely been down so far down this year, as firms including Trowers & Hamlins, Nabarro and Berwin Leighton Paisner all promote fewer senior associates than last year, with Addleshaw Goddard maintaining a promotion level of eight associates. Continue reading “Partner promotions – Trowers, Nabarro and BLP see reduced numbers as Addleshaws holds on eight”
Crown Estate halves coastal and rural property panel with appointment of Burges Salmon and Bond Dickinson
The Crown Estate has halved its rural and coastal portfolio and Windsor Estate legal panel from four to two, re-appointing Burges Salmon and Bond Dickinson but not Clarke Willmott or Thomas Eggar, the sovereign property portfolio announced today (1 April 2014). Continue reading “Crown Estate halves coastal and rural property panel with appointment of Burges Salmon and Bond Dickinson”
Freshfields earns £1.8m advising government on Royal Mail privatisation
Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer accumulated £1.8m in legal fees for its advice to the UK government on the controversial privatisation of Royal Mail last year, a report out today (1 April) from the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. Continue reading “Freshfields earns £1.8m advising government on Royal Mail privatisation”
Tom Kilroy re-joins Misys in chief of staff role as financial market speculates over ‘eventual flotation’
After a five month stint at biotechnology company Genus as general counsel (GC), Tom Kilroy has returned to banking software company Misys, this time as chief of staff. Continue reading “Tom Kilroy re-joins Misys in chief of staff role as financial market speculates over ‘eventual flotation’”
The new ASOS? Boohoo.com announces new panel after expectation-surpassing AIM listing
Just a couple of weeks after online fashion retailer Boohoo.com became a stock market sensation, seeing its stock soar 50% on its first day of trading, netting its founders £125m in a matter of minutes, the Burnley-based start-up has appointed DLA Piper, TLT, Addleshaw Goddard and Pannone Corporate to its legal panel. Continue reading “The new ASOS? Boohoo.com announces new panel after expectation-surpassing AIM listing”
Revolving Doors: Brodies hires Transocean former GC as Squire Sanders and Bird & Bird make key hires
The past week was one for lateral hires outside the City, as Brodies boosted its oil and gas practice with the hire of former Transocean general counsel for Africa and the Mediterranean, Tom Hickey; Squire Sanders beefed up its construction team in Manchester with former head of construction and engineering and corporate services at Pannone, Sean McCay; and Bird & Bird bolstered its Brussels base with the second competition partner exit from Ashurst’s Brussels office in two months. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Brodies hires Transocean former GC as Squire Sanders and Bird & Bird make key hires”
Eversheds pursues Africa expansion with Morocco partnership
Eversheds has made good on its African expansion strategy by signing a partnership agreement with existing relationship firm CWA Morocco, establishing new offices in Casablanca and Tangier. Continue reading “Eversheds pursues Africa expansion with Morocco partnership”
Management elections at Pinsents as firm makes up 15 new partners
Pinsent Masons is getting ready for its first management elections since current managing partner David Ryan was elected in 1999, after 2012 elections were delayed. Continue reading “Management elections at Pinsents as firm makes up 15 new partners”
Diageo’s consolidated panel unveiled as Slaughters, Addleshaws and Pinsents win a place
Global drinks brand Diageo has appointed Slaughter and May, Addleshaw Goddard and Pinsent Masons as its ‘general preferred suppliers’ for the UK following a four-month long review. Continue reading “Diageo’s consolidated panel unveiled as Slaughters, Addleshaws and Pinsents win a place”
Squire Sanders reveals almost flat US turnover and profits as Patton Boggs talks ongoing
Squire Sanders has unveiled largely flat 2013 results in the US, with revenue at the top 15 LB100 firm, which is still in merger talks with Washington’s Patton Boggs, nudging up just 0.1% to $775m. Continue reading “Squire Sanders reveals almost flat US turnover and profits as Patton Boggs talks ongoing”
Succeed or fail, the merger talks between China’s Zhong Lun and Jun He are something of a game changer
With the weight of economic power widely-regarded to be shifting east, a tie-up between Chinese merger talks partners Zhong Lun and Jun He would give the merged entity unrivalled breadth in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and beyond, although UK partners say they have no immediate concerns that the firm would be competing with them for deals on the world stage. Continue reading “Succeed or fail, the merger talks between China’s Zhong Lun and Jun He are something of a game changer”
Withers to appeal £1.6m negligence finding as former client also appeals point of judgment
Leading private client firm Withers has confirmed it will appeal a recent High Court decision that ordered the firm to pay £1.6m in damages after upholding a professional negligence claim, while the claimant Wellesley Partners (WP) has said it also intends to appeal a finding of the judgment. Continue reading “Withers to appeal £1.6m negligence finding as former client also appeals point of judgment”
Stephenson Harwood enters Formal Law Alliance with Singapore’s Virtus Law
Stephenson Harwood has received formal approval to work with Singapore firm Virtus Law from the local Attorney General’s Chambers.
Under the Formal Law Alliance (FLA), the firms will work more closely together to undertake work requiring both English and Singapore law expertise. Continue reading “Stephenson Harwood enters Formal Law Alliance with Singapore’s Virtus Law”
Hogan Lovells, CC, Simpson Thacher and Ashurst secure roles on Investindustrial’s €2bn sale of Avincis
Hogan Lovells and Clifford Chance (CC) have secured leading corporate roles on European investment group Investindustrial’s €2bn disposal of aerial service provider Avincis to Babcock International, with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Ashurst also advising on the deal. Continue reading “Hogan Lovells, CC, Simpson Thacher and Ashurst secure roles on Investindustrial’s €2bn sale of Avincis”
‘Definitely more interest in the EU’ – OC’s Silicon Valley head talks San Francisco launch and US strategy
Building on its existing offices in the Silicon Valley and New York, Osborne Clarke (OC) is rolling out its strategy of providing European legal advice to digital businesses in the US with the launch of a new San Francisco base, which office head Steve Wilson says will help the firm engrain itself in the area’s budding digital business community. Continue reading “‘Definitely more interest in the EU’ – OC’s Silicon Valley head talks San Francisco launch and US strategy”