Strategic recruitment: Kirkland takes four from the Magic Circle as global players make moves in Madrid

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Strategic recruitment: Kirkland takes four from the Magic Circle as global players make moves in Madrid

The beginning of autumn has seen the lateral hiring merry-go-round intensify after the more muted summer months, as UK and international firms secured substantive reinforcements in corporate, funds, tax and infrastructure.

The headline City arrival came as Kirkland & Ellis brought in Allen & Overy (A&O)’s global co-head of infrastructure Sara Pickersgill. Ranked in The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame, Pickersgill is an established market leader in infrastructure, energy and renewables corporate transactions, having been with the Magic Circle firm for more than 20 years. Pickersgill was swiftly followed to Kirkland by infrastructure funds partners James Boswell and Paul Sampson, who arrived from Clifford Chance and A&O respectively. Then in October they were joined by infrastructure M&A partner Toby Parkinson, who had been co-head of CC’s infrastructure sector. Continue reading “Strategic recruitment: Kirkland takes four from the Magic Circle as global players make moves in Madrid”

Sponsored briefing: Sustainable finance instruments: green bonds

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Sponsored briefing: Sustainable finance instruments: green bonds

Over the last decade, considering global warming and climate change issues, one of the most significant financial innovations in the sustainable finance area has been the development of green bonds. The demand for green bonds, to a large extent, is attributable to the growing prominence of climate issues. As public and private institutions around the world are necessarily more attentive in terms of adoption of sustainable and socially responsible policies, the investors and shareholders are now more aware of the risks of climate change. Likewise, corporates are considering alternatives to create economic value while also contributing to safeguard of the future. Therefore, although sustainable financing methods were already on the rise prior to the pandemic, they are now even more significant instruments for raising funds for green and sustainable recovery projects.

European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank pioneered the first green bonds, with EIB issuing its Climate Awareness Bond in 2007, as a structured bond with proceeds dedicated to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and the World Bank issuing its first green bond in 2008 to raise funds from fixed-income investors to support lending for eligible climate-focused projects. Since then, the market for green bonds has grown considerably. According to a report by Climate Bonds Initiative, annual green bond issuance topped half a trillion in 2021 for the first time, which represented a 75% increase on prior year volumes. Recently, green bonds have been issued by issuers in more than 50 countries and the United States of America has the largest source of green bonds. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Sustainable finance instruments: green bonds”

The American dream: US firms in expansion mode amid wave of international office openings

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The American dream: US firms in expansion mode amid wave of international office openings

Spring seems to have brought out the globetrotting spirit among American law firms, with Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Kirkland & Ellis, Winston & Strawn and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan all announcing plans for ambitious office launches in recent weeks.

The headline investment was Cravath’s commitment to a new office in Washington DC. The move, announced on 6 June, will be seen as something of a coup for the traditionally conservative Wall Street giant, the new outpost becoming just the third in Cravath’s international portfolio. The New York headquarters was established in 1819 and the London office opened in 1973. The Manhattan stalwart also once had a presence in Paris and Hong Kong, although those closed in 1983 and 2003 respectively. Continue reading “The American dream: US firms in expansion mode amid wave of international office openings”

GC Powerlist Türkiye 2022

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GC Powerlist Türkiye 2022

Due to the favourable geopolitical location of Türkiye, it is a renowned hotspot for local and foreign investors. Its regulatory and political landscape has also seen recent, rapid evolution and change. Frequent developments are underway to laws regarding real estate, data privacy, citizenship, among others. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic presented a distinctive set of challenges for the country and for companies in Türkiye. General counsel (GCs), throughout this period, guided their respective companies with consistent and practical support.

The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Türkiye 2022 demonstrates an astounding level of legal ability against an arduous, transforming economic background. Driven by resilience, GCs in Türkiye have assumed a leading role in their companies and navigated unparalleled challenges. It does not come as a surprise that the in-house legal profession is burgeoning in Türkiye, attributable to the taxing undertakings they typically face in their organisations. Continue reading “GC Powerlist Türkiye 2022”

Sponsored briefing: Recent patent highlights in Turkey

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Sponsored briefing: Recent patent highlights in Turkey

Geographically positioned between Europe and Asia, Turkey is a strategically placed country, with a population of 82 million and a larger youth population than any EU member state. Taking its place on the list of G20 countries, Turkey aims to position itself in the global value chain and strengthen its export platform by focusing on high-tech patents, including electronic machinery and equipment, automotive spare parts, railway and maritime transport, energy generation and efficiency projects. In addition, as a natural transport hub, Turkey is a transitional trade platform between Europe and Asia, which significantly increases the relevance of appropriate IP rights protection.

Turkey has substantially harmonised its intellectual property laws with the EU legislation and the international agreements such as the Paris Convention and TRIPs, to provide effective legal means for enhanced patent enforcement capabilities. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Recent patent highlights in Turkey”

Middle East Focus: Light on the horizon

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Middle East Focus: Light on the horizon

Far from immune to the global crisis – but making concerted strides towards immunity in some instances – the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) has fared similarly to the rest of the world over the last year. That is to say that the universal impact of the pandemic has been felt across MENA, although the paths that the various countries have taken have been disparate.

Middle East

Early lockdowns in several countries helped to contain the number of coronavirus cases, and a number of success stories emerged from the region with Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – numbers one and two, respectively – frontrunners in rolling out their vaccine programmes. While distinct, both countries have adopted an agile approach to sourcing and distributing the vaccine. Continue reading “Middle East Focus: Light on the horizon”