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Access your print copy online – TMT Yearbook 2022
Revolving doors: A&O hires Shearman finance partner while Goodwin launches employment practice
With sterling rallying against the dollar, firms have continued to show their commitment to the London market with significant hires this week.
Allen & Overy has hired Marwa Elborai, who has defected to the magic circle after more than 16 years at Shearman & Sterling. US qualified leveraged finance partner Elborai —who is ranked as a leading individual by The Legal 500 which describes her as ‘exceptional’ with ‘excellent sector knowledge, skills and commercial acumen’ — was promoted in 2016 and brings experience in high-yield debt offerings, US federal securities law, leveraged finance, project bond offerings, general debt capital markets transactions and debt restructurings. Continue reading “Revolving doors: A&O hires Shearman finance partner while Goodwin launches employment practice”
‘People are at the core’: ESG-focused Butterworth named TLT senior partner
TLT has elected a new senior partner, with head of pensions Sasha Butterworth set to assume the role at the beginning of 2023.
Taking over from Andrew Glynn, who has vacated the position after seven years, Butterworth will assume a range of new duties within the firm. These include chairing both the renumeration and promotions committees. Continue reading “‘People are at the core’: ESG-focused Butterworth named TLT senior partner”
Revolving Doors: Linklaters establishes US energy head as Macfarlanes takes Hogan Lovells pensions partner
This week’s round up has an overseas focus, as firms prioritised international moves over the London market.
The headline City hire was made by Macfarlanes, which announced the arrival of pensions partner Faye Jarvis. Joining from Hogan Lovells, where she spent 15 years, Jarvis is experienced in advising employers and trustees on scheme mergers, funding arrangements, liability management exercises and the pensions elements of corporate transactions. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Linklaters establishes US energy head as Macfarlanes takes Hogan Lovells pensions partner”
Cleary makes rare City M&A lateral play with hire of Linklaters deal star Rumsby
Cleary has turned to Linklaters M&A partner Nick Rumsby to boost its corporate offering in the City, in what will be seen as an impressive coup for the Wall Street firm’s usually cautious London strategy.
A Linklaters lifer, Rumsby has an enviable track record of advising on market-leading public M&A deals in recent years. Particular highlights include Greene King’s £2.7bn sale to Hong Kong real estate group CKA and G4S’s hostile £3.7bn offer from Garda World Security and the recommended £3.8bn offer from Allied Universal. Continue reading “Cleary makes rare City M&A lateral play with hire of Linklaters deal star Rumsby”
Ince sheds ‘loss making’ Arden subsidiary after just seven months
Less than a year since it acquired Arden Partners in an arduous £10m buyout, Ince today (16 November) announced it is selling off the ‘loss making’ subsidiary for just £1m.
Ince had originally revealed it was buying the mid-cap investment banking company (and its own corporate adviser) Arden late in 2021, but the completion of the deal was stalled by regulatory constraints for months, finally wrapping up in April this year. Continue reading “Ince sheds ‘loss making’ Arden subsidiary after just seven months”
Continuity in turbulent times: Travers re-elects Kath Russ to second senior partner term
Travers Smith today (16 November) confirmed Kathleen Russ has been re-elected as senior partner for a second term, starting 1 July 2023.
Russ first took on the role in July 2019 when she succeeded long term leader Chris Hale. She has been a tax partner since 2001 and led the tax team from July 2007 to January 2017. Russ also contributed to firm strategy as a member of Travers’ partnership board.
Partner promotions: Cleary makes up two in London as BCLP unveils 21-strong round
Cleary Gottlieb has made up nine new partners in its latest round of promotions, two of which are in London, while Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has included five UK lawyers in its latest cohort.
The promotion of Chrishan Raja and Naomi Tarawali to partner in Cleary’s London office is indicative of firm’s steady approach. Raja, a capital markets lawyer, has experience representing Barclays, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and UBS, while the disputes-focused Tarawali specialises in representing financial institutions, funds and sovereigns. The 2022 round matches last year’s efforts in the City, which saw Henry Mostyn and Gareth Kristensen welcomed into the equity, though in total, the latest class falls short of the 11 partners made up across the firm in 2021. Continue reading “Partner promotions: Cleary makes up two in London as BCLP unveils 21-strong round”
Change is happening faster than you think – the most valuable currency is keeping pace
One of the risks you run of pulling together a quarterly publication like The In-House Lawyer is that, by the time we go to press, some of the content that was completely current at the time of writing may be a little out of date by press time, only a few weeks later. Continue reading “Change is happening faster than you think – the most valuable currency is keeping pace”
Not all plain sailing – charting the ups and downs of the UK’s dispute resolution market
The In-House Lawyer (IHL): Given that the Brexit transition timeframe has closed, and the UK’s accession to the Lugano Convention was blocked by the EU, what’s the future of post-Brexit cross-border disputes looking like?
Continue reading “Not all plain sailing – charting the ups and downs of the UK’s dispute resolution market”
Top GCs gather in Dublin to thrash out the strategic role of in-house counsel
Nathalie Tidman, Legal Business and IHL: What sector-specific challenges are you facing when it comes to strategic decision-making in-house?
Continue reading “Top GCs gather in Dublin to thrash out the strategic role of in-house counsel”
Technology, data and digitisation are redefining the role of GCs
Business never stands still. Cross-border organisations must evolve in response to an ever-shifting world of geopolitical risk and opportunity together with the rapid changes being brought about by technology, data and digitisation. To do this, they look to their senior leaders to ensure this complex landscape is navigated effectively and adroitly. A successful GC today must be a central part of that team, a business leader firmly seated at the strategic table who is able to drive the delivery of strategic outcomes and help unlock commercial innovation across the business – in addition to protecting a company from regulatory and legal risks. Continue reading “Technology, data and digitisation are redefining the role of GCs”
Significant matters – Autumn 2022
Citi GC Sharon Blackman banks top in-house accolade at Legal Business Awards 2022
The Legal Business Awards, held at the Grosvenor House hotel in London on 27 September, provided the perfect backdrop to honour the leading lights of the in-house legal community for their accomplishments of the last year. Hosted by British television presenter and journalist Louise Minchin, the event brought together the best in class in-house and private practice legal teams, with Sharon Blackman of Citi securing the top in-house award of GC of the Year. Continue reading “Significant matters – Autumn 2022”
Turning tides
‘There is a real mismatch in how gloomy the economy feels and how busy the legal professional feels,’ observes Deborah Finkler, Slaughter and May’s managing partner. ‘We’re incredibly busy and it wouldn’t surprise me that in the similar conversations you’re having with other managing partners, they will say the same. Th ere is just a lot of work.’ Continue reading “Turning tides”
‘It means business in London’: V&E takes Hogan Lovells’ Higson as City corporate head
Hogan Lovells’ London M&A partner Ben Higson has been appointed as Vinson & Elkins’ London head of corporate.
He takes up the role after 15 years at Hogan Lovells, including eight years as head of the corporate team. He also served as an elected member of the firm’s global management board between 2014 and 2020.
The top firms for tax: The Legal 500 United Kingdom rankings analysis
Tax lawyers across the country have been on high alert in recent months amid the chaos caused by the disastrous mini-budget unveiled by now-former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng at the end of September. Continue reading “The top firms for tax: The Legal 500 United Kingdom rankings analysis”
Revolving Doors: King & Spalding adds London funds partner as White & Case launches Australia debt finance practice
There is a financial focus to this week’s round up, with investment funds, debt finance and financial services regulation among the targeted areas both in the City and internationally.
King & Spalding stood out among the City elite, as it recruited partner Stephen Sims into its London private funds and alternative capital team. Joining from management consultant MJ Hudson, Sims previously led the European investment management team at Skadden and advises on fund formation as it relates to private equity, real assets, infrastructure and energy funds, in addition to fund-related M&A transactions.
HSF, Davis Polk and Eversheds complete the set as Next acquires collapsed Made.com
Lawyers from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Davis Polk and Eversheds Sutherland have earned advisory roles on the administration and £3.4m sale of online retailer Made.com to Next.
Last week, Made.com filed notice of its intention to appoint administrators, which saw HSF drafted in. The HSF team was led by London restructuring partner John Chetwood with corporate support from fellow London partners Ben Ward and Caroline Rae. Since the administration, 320 Made.com jobs have been axed as the company has collapsed.
Two step up to challenge Ouwehand as CC senior partner vote looms
Dubai partner Edmund Boyo and London partner Adrian Cartwright have stepped forward to challenge Clifford Chance’s (CC) incumbent senior partner Jeroen Ouwehand, three years into his four-year term.
Structured finance specialist Boyo is well-regarded for his successful role as managing partner of the firm’s Dubai office. A CC lifer, he trained in the London office and spent 16 years in Frankfurt before relocating to Dubai in 2017.
Continue reading “Two step up to challenge Ouwehand as CC senior partner vote looms”
Revolving doors: A&O and CMS hire in-house talent as gunnercooke launches stateside
This week’s lateral recruitment round-up has an international flavour as firms make key hires at home and abroad.
In the City, Anneliese Foster has re-joined Allen & Overy from Goldman Sachs, where she spent eight years as a managing director. Foster previously spent a decade at the magic circle firm, most recently as a senior associate, and brings broad experience covering real estate credit and assets, infrastructure debt transactions and holdco financings. Continue reading “Revolving doors: A&O and CMS hire in-house talent as gunnercooke launches stateside”