Filter This View

  • February 14, 2012 |

    McDermott unveils South Korea launch as local market opens up

    McDermott Will & Emery is opening a new office in South Korea, becoming one of the first western law firms to establish a base in the wake of bar liberalisation. The Seoul-based branch will be led by In-Young Lee, currently head of the US law firm's Korea practice group, and will focus largely on outbound work.

    1 minute read

  • February 5, 2012 |

    Ashurst makes debut for new client opposite Linklaters on $800m TPG buyout

    Linklaters and Ashurst have taken lead roles on TPG Capital's $800m (£508m) acquisition of hedge fund services company GlobeOp. Linklaters won the lead role for the buyout house, fielding a team led by corporate partner Charlie Jacobs and private equity partner Carlton Evans.

    1 minute read

  • January 12, 2012 |

    BNP adds City firms to panel as RBS prepares for tough adviser review

    BNP Paribas has confirmed the line-up of law firms on its new global legal panel, with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Herbert Smith winning places. Details of the panel have been confirmed as leading firms predict an extensive overhaul of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) legal panel, with the bank's deputy general counsel John Collins and GC for corporate and M&A Rushad Abadan set to kick off a review in the coming months.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2012 |

    Cleary, Simpson Thacher field City teams on $2.1bn France Telecom sale

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's London offices have taken lead roles on France Telecom's proposed $2.1bn (£1.4bn) sale of its Orange Switzerland mobile phone business to Apax Partners, reports The Am Law Daily. London-based Cleary international capital markets partner Pierre-Marie Boury is leading the firm's team advising France Telecom on financing aspects of the potential sale, which will be submitted to France Telecom's board this week.

    1 minute read

  • January 6, 2012 |

    Kirkland boosts pay for new London qualifiers by 8% to £97,000

    Kirkland & Ellis has increased newly-qualified lawyer (NQ) salaries to £97,000 in a move which will bring it in line with rival US firms including Weil Gotshal & Manges. The salary increase, which represents an 8% increase on last year's rate of £90,000, places the firm at the top end of the US firm salary spectrum.

    1 minute read

  • January 5, 2012 |

    Simpson Thacher confirms plan to launch in Korea

    Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has announced plans to open an office in Seoul, reports The Asian Lawyer. The US firm said in a statement that it will open in the South Korean capital "as soon as practicable in 2012." The announcement follows the ratification of a trade deal between the US and Korea, the passage of which opens the way for US firms to apply to enter Korea's legal market as of this month.

    1 minute read

  • December 16, 2011 |

    Davis Polk, Clifford Chance latest to announce US bonus rates

    Davis Polk & Wardwell has become the latest firm to announce US associate bonuses, with the firm opting to match rates first set by Wall Street rival Cravath Swaine & Moore last month, writes The Am Law Daily. Like Cravath, Davis Polk's bonus scale starts at $7,500 (£4,800) for those in the class of 2010 and increases incrementally to $37,500 (£24,200) for the class of 2004, according to an announcement sent out to the firm's associates on Monday (12 December).

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2011 |

    Herbert Smith and Freshfields lead on Pearson's FTSE sale

    Herbert Smith and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have lined up to advise on the £450m sale of Financial Times publisher Pearson's 50% stake in FTSE International to the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Herbert Smith is advising longstanding client Pearson on the sale, which gives the LSE full ownership of the FTSE indices.

    1 minute read

  • December 7, 2011 |

    European Legal Team of the Year: Abreu Advogados

    The judging panel for the British Legal Awards is always impressed by projects and deals that deliver tangible end results. Portuguese firm Abreu Advogados secured the European Legal Team of the Year Award for its work advising on the establishment of a real estate investment fund that led to the regeneration of a notorious crime-ridden neighbourhood in Porto.

    1 minute read

  • November 30, 2011 |

    First into Seoul? No thanks - many firms reluctant to launch in the local Korean market

    As South Korea has inched towards the liberalisation of its legal market over the past several years, there has been much speculation about which international law firms will be first into Seoul. Now, with the US Congress ratifying a free trade agreement (FTA) with Korea in October, the time for action is close at hand. So that means the race is on, right? Not exactly. Although a number of firms have been vocal about their desire to enter Korea at the earliest opportunity, many leading Korea practice lawyers privately express reservations about relocating to Seoul. They cite everything from children's school commitments to a preference for the warmer weather, lower taxes and the more expat-friendly environment of Hong Kong, where most international firms currently base their practices.

    1 minute read