Following a string of seven recent hires to its Advanced Manufacturing and Technology (AMT) sector, Pinsent Masons has boosted its corporate team with the appointment of TMT specialist Andrew McMillan to its AMT sector. Previously head of Simmons & Simmons TMT practice, McMillan brings experience in advising TMT corporates, investment banks and private equity houses on in-sector mergers and acquisitions and high-value commercial contracts.
The finance view: Scaling up – GCs and finance partners get ready for the grind of ring-fencing reforms
Victoria Young assesses the approach to implementation of ring-fencing rules
Though the deadline for full implementation is over two years off, the looming threat of so-called ring-fencing reforms is already having a major impact on UK banking groups and their legal teams.
RBS hires Shaw as GC as the ex-Barclays veteran takes one of the top roles in finance law
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has hired Michael Shaw (pictured) as its next general counsel with the former Barclays and Herbert Smith veteran taking on one of the most prominent GC roles in the UK.
Barclays bans lawyers from corporate hospitality during panel review
Barclays has put a ban on its 600 lawyers accepting corporate hospitality as it reviews its legal panel worth around £100m a year to law firms.
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Derivatives experience helps Ashurst join Magic Circle on Credit Suisse UK legal roster
A strong reputation for derivatives work has seen Ashurst selected to join the Magic Circle’s big four international firms on Credit Suisse’s recently finalised UK panel.
News in brief – March 2016
EE LEGAL HEAD REVEALS PLANS POST-TELCO MERGER
Following BT’s high-profile £12.5bn takeover of UK mobile business EE, it has emerged the telco plans to consolidate external legal panels, while EE’s general counsel (GC) James Blendis has been appointed to BT’s legal leadership team. Blendis will now sit on BT’s legal leadership board, which comprises senior legal management, including group GC Dan Fitz.
The Last Word: Divide and conquer
We canvassed City partners and in-house counsel for their views on the Law Society and the state of representation in the profession
LATE TO THE PARTY
‘I endorse what the Law Society is doing, particularly chief executive Catherine Dixon. What she’s doing to try to boost representation for the in-house community is laudable and to be encouraged. The difficulty it’s got is that it came to the game slightly later than others and it would admit that. If you look at the number of bodies and institutions that are there to assist in-house, they’re competing and therefore it makes life more difficult. My limited experience is the Law Society is doing the right thing. We would support them but there’s a long way to go.’
Robert Ivens, head of legal, Marks and Spencer
Bringing it in-house: SRA to review litigation panel as regulator assesses internal function
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which is already keeping some firms busy with work as it bids for independence from the Law Society, has launched a review of its litigation panel amid a wider review of its own legal function.
Flight to quality as big-spending JPMorgan signs entire Magic Circle to EMEA panel
Several London-headquartered law firms, including the entire Magic Circle, have won places on JPMorgan Chase’s panel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) following a review.
Up in the air – As Brexit looms, GCs face leap into the unknown
Business is struggling to find a response as the Brexit vote looms. We team up with Herbert Smith Freehills to explore the impact… and GCs’ options.
‘One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” was his response. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.”’
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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