Looking stateside again: BLP in ‘surprising’ merger talks with Bryan Cave Marco Cillario ‘Surprising’ was the adjective frequently deployed by City partners in October when merger talks between Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and…
Deal view: Ashurst strives to reboot M&A brand but deal market is getting tougher Nathalie Tidman Ashurst’s once-admired M&A reputation has taken a pounding of late. One former partner delivers representative sentiments: ‘Corporate was the jewel…
Irresistible forces Alex Novarese Alex Novarese, Legal Business: Looking at the top of the market, how is buying behaviour changing? Donny Ching, Royal Dutch…
Boon for City real estate market as Eversheds Sutherland leads on largest-ever UK fund launch Kathryn McCann In a major boon to the UK property market, recent changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) have sparked a…
Autumn dealwatch: Euro mega deals keep Magic Circle busy Marco Cillario Freshfields and K&E act on Monarch administration Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s restructuring chief Ken Baird and finance partner Catherine Balmond led…
US firms lead in Europe as Franco-German merger creates new rail giant Marco Cillario Latham and Cleary advise as Siemens and Alstom combine US law firms took the lead as Siemens agreed to combine…
Litigators warn of impact on clients as ENRC wins right to appeal controversial privilege decision Tom Baker Legal professional privilege (LPP) was thrown a lifeline last month, when mining giant Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) was granted…
NYLon focus continues as Kirkland and White & Case announce promotion rounds Marco Cillario Elite US firms ramped up their London partner headcounts in October, with Kirkland & Ellis making up a record 97…
The Legal 500 view: we are changing to reflect the needs of in-house UK Alexander Boyes Alexander Boyes and Hayley Eustace review the latest launch of the UK edition The 2017 edition of The Legal 500…
Letter from… Frankfurt: Where political deadlock is fine for business… but not all lawyers Marco Cillario What a difference a few hundred miles can make: an election not resulting in a clear majority; a government polling…
‘Good people are expensive’: Simmons to launch in Dublin through local hire Kathryn McCann As speculation continues in the Irish market as to which international law firm will be the next to come knocking…
As Nextlaw swells, will Dentons’ platform mark the end of referral clubs… or something bolder? Marco Cillario Marco Cillario assesses whether Nextlaw is a network or Dentonsʼ Uber With typical distaste for the status quo, Dentons chair…
Disputes eye: How the talent flow demonstrates the Bar’s strength Tom Baker Speaking to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer disputes veteran Jon Lawrence this summer on his decision to join Brick Court Chambers, he…
Watchstone Group files defence as war of words with S&G over Quindell continues Tom Baker The ongoing Slater and Gordon (S&G) saga shows no sign of abating, as the Watchstone Group (formerly Quindell) in October…
‘Selling the crown jewels’ – Gateley partners in £10m share sale Kathryn McCann Following Gateley’s landmark listing in 2015 where partners pocketed a combined £25m, some senior partners have taken home almost £500,000…
Life during law: Andrew Witts, Gowling WLG Kathryn McCann I grew up outside London and left school at 16 to start a mechanical engineering apprenticeship. I didn’t have A-levels…
Offshore: Riding the storm Dominic Carman Think offshore centre and certain calm images spring to mind: elegant yachts, crystal blue water, sparsely-populated beaches and gently sloping…
Client profile: Mark Maurice-Jones, Nestlé Tom Baker Unusually for the current UK and Ireland general counsel (GC) of Swiss multinational and famed KitKat creator Nestlé, Mark Maurice-Jones’…
The last word: Speaking out Legal Business With the recent Weinstein revelations shining a light on sexual harassment and misogyny across every industry, we ask senior lawyers…
BLP’s US merger bid – a certain loss of confidence Alex Novarese If nothing else, it is safe to say Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP)’s not-very-convincing claim that management was not dead set…
