Hogan Lovells energy team exits continue as partner Levin takes up Nekton Group GC role

Hogan Lovells has confirmed the departure of leading corporate energy partner David Levin to energy merchant business Nekton Group, months after losing a three strong energy team, including global co-head of energy and natural resources Matthew Williams to US firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

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News in brief – July 2015

FRESHFIELDS BREAKS CITY LOCKSTEP TO BRING IN KIRKLAND’S McKIMM

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s hire of Kirkland & Ellis high-yield heavyweight Ward McKimm made waves in the City in June. Joining as co-head of European leveraged finance, McKimm’s salary is understood to be well above the firm’s City top of equity.

 

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Guest post: Corporate lawyers under the microscope – the ‘more for less’ delusion and City firms as risk canaries

Last week I attended a Symposium on Corporate Lawyers organised by Steven Vaughan and his colleagues at the Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER). It was a great event, bringing together a wide range of academics working on corporate lawyers alongside a fair few from corporate practice. I thought I’d share a few highlights.

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News in brief – May 2015

WHITTAKER STEPS DOWN AS LLOYDS GC

Group general counsel (GC) Andrew Whittaker is stepping down from his role at Lloyds Banking Group with deputy GC Kate Cheetham set to replace him. Whittaker joined the bank in May 2013 after having served as the legal head of the Financial Services Authority. The bank also saw the departure of disputes chief Philippa Simmons last month and began a redundancy consultation looking at cutting up to 25 mid-level positions.

 

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‘The conversation we never had’ – SRA to give handbook in-house makeover as UCL unveils ethics research

It’s been the debate the profession has avoided over the last decade, but one that finally appears to be stirring. Scrutiny of the regulation, guidance and professional support for in-house counsel will be addressed by the UK’s primary legal watchdog, it has been confirmed.

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News in brief – March 2015

JP MORGAN TURNS TO GOLDMAN SACHS FOR NEW EMEA GC

JP Morgan Chase hired heavyweight counsel, and former lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, John Tribolati from Goldman Sachs to succeed Piers Le Marchant as EMEA general counsel. Le Marchant is remaining with the banking giant as global head of compliance for corporate and investment banking.

 

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Deal watch: Corporate activity in February 2015

SKADDEN, FRESHFIELDS AND SLAUGHTERS LAND KEY ROLES ON £4.3BN CAN MAKER TIE-UP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Ball Corporation on its £4.3bn acquisition of UK-based Rexam, while Slaughter and May covered EU competition aspects. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Rexam, which boasts Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Heineken among its clients, on the deal.

 

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The Last Word – The Team Elite

To coincide with the annual launch of our GC Power List, we asked the City’s most experienced private practitioners: what makes an outstanding in-house legal team?

Eyes and ears

‘A good in-house team has the ear of the commercial client, an understanding of its drivers and the strength to speak out when it is going down the wrong path. Teams should ensure they understand the varied approaches to dispute resolution, adopt appropriate methods in different transactional documentation, and consider mediation as a clean and proactive process for disputes at any stage.’
Katie Bradford, head of property litigation, Linklaters

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