With a mandate to increase its Asia revenues, Hogan Lovells continues to recruit at partner level, today (28 April) announcing the hire of Wataru Kamoto from local boutique Hibiya-Nakata to its corporate practice in Tokyo. Continue reading “Hogan Lovells expands Tokyo practice with corporate hire from local boutique”
News in brief – April 2015
SLATER & GORDON SPENDS £637M ON QUINDELL’S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIVISION
Australian law firm Slater & Gordon signed a £637m deal, plus a sum contingent on client settlements, for Quindell’s professional services division. The firm expects the purchase to boost its share of the £2.5bn UK personal injury market from 5% to 12%.
Spain prepares for IPO surge as US firms win key mandates on Aena’s €4.3bn float
The Spanish capital markets showed signs of improving last month as US firms Mayer Brown and Davis Polk & Wardwell won roles advising the world’s largest airport operator Aena on its €4.3bn float on the Madrid stock exchange.
The Spanish government’s disposal of its 49% stake in Aena, which operates some 47 airports worldwide, including Luton, gave the group a total equity value of up to €8.7bn. In what is the largest flotation on the Madrid stock market since the onset of the financial crisis, the value underscores the burgeoning confidence among investors about Spain’s rejuvenated capital markets and economy, and heralds a surge of new mandates for corporate and finance lawyers working in the country.
Continue reading “Spain prepares for IPO surge as US firms win key mandates on Aena’s €4.3bn float”
The Last Word: Done deals
With confidence in the M&A market slowly returning, the City M&A elite reflects on a positive year and give their prognosis for deal activity in 2015.
Fragile confidence
‘With the value of M&A activity hitting $3.7trn for 2014 and M&A activity increasing in almost every sector of the economy, confidence returned in spades last year and was the result of strategies adopted by companies since the financial crisis.
‘I expect the high value of deals to continue in 2015, but a combination of factors – including the general election in May, the price of oil and the effect of geopolitical risks on business confidence – make me wary of predicting another record year.’
David Patient, managing partner, Travers Smith
Asia: Reed Smith establishes South East Asia corporate practice as Greenberg launches in Tokyo
Reed Smith has hired Stephenson Harwood’s South East Asia head of corporate Matt Gorman to launch a corporate practice in the region from its Singapore office.
Targeting USA: Linklaters reshuffles teams to boost corporate and disputes
Magic Circle firm Linklaters has moved its TMT and tax groups from its commercial division into corporate. The firm has overhauled a three-strand structure – corporate, commercial and finance and projects – in a bid to strengthen its corporate team as the firm looks to crack America.
Continue reading “Targeting USA: Linklaters reshuffles teams to boost corporate and disputes”
Linklaters reshuffles to boost corporate and disputes
Magic Circle firm Linklaters has moved its TMT and tax groups from its commercial division into corporate. The firm has overhauled a three-strand structure – corporate, commercial and finance and projects – in a bid to strengthen its corporate team as the firm looks to crack America.
Around 40 lawyers globally from tax and TMT will come under the corporate umbrella, with the commercial group having been rebranded as dispute resolution.
Continue reading “Linklaters reshuffles to boost corporate and disputes”
Q&A with Clifford Chance’s Jonny Myers and Oliver Felsenstein
Jonny Myers and Oliver Felsenstein (pictured), global co-heads of private equity at Clifford Chance (CC) speak to Legal Business about nurturing young talent, client relationships, and the strategy behind competitive US players.
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Jonny, you’re a seasoned private equity lawyer, why did you take a management role?
Continue reading “Q&A with Clifford Chance’s Jonny Myers and Oliver Felsenstein”
Testing times: CC’s Myers and Felsenstein talk partner exits and having probably ‘the best private equity team in the world’
It’s fair to say Clifford Chance’s (CC’s) traditionally esteemed private equity team has faced testing times in recent years, as evidenced by the ongoing recruitment of the Magic Circle firm’s quality lawyers by US outfits.
Centre of the universe – the offshore counsel role in big ticket deals
With corporate lawyers finding their feet once more, Legal Business examines the often overlooked role of offshore firms in major global corporate and capital markets transactions
2014 has been the year where the corporate lawyer has begun to feel valued again. Take Dublin-based drug manufacturer Shire’s proposed £32bn takeover by US giant AbbVie, which is scheduled to close this year and pitches US/UK corporate heavyweights Sullivan & Cromwell and Herbert Smith Freehills opposite Davis Polk & Wardwell and Slaughter and May for Shire. But while those elite international firms make the headlines, the deal is to be implemented via a scheme of arrangement in Jersey, based on advice to Shire from a Mourant Ozannes team led by partner Robert Hickling, with Ogier’s Simon Dinning heading a team for AbbVie.
Continue reading “Centre of the universe – the offshore counsel role in big ticket deals”