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  • February 21, 2013 |

    Hong Kong lawyers in demand as global firms fight for Chinese speakers

    International law firms in Hong Kong are ramping up their recruitment of Mandarin speakers in a bid to boost relationships with mainland China clients, creating fierce job competition for foreign lawyers in the region. A Legal Week survey of international firms operating in Hong Kong found every firm responding to the survey bar one had increased the number of Mandarin-speaking lawyers in their Hong Kong offices since 2011. The increase took the average percentage of Mandarin speakers employed by the 16 responding law firms to 60% of their total Hong Kong lawyer count.

    1 minute read

  • February 14, 2013 |

    Davis Polk, Kirkland lead on Warren Buffett's $28bn Heinz acquisition

    Davis Polk & Wardwell and Kirkland & Ellis are among a line-up of US firms scoring roles on the $28bn (£18bn) acquisition of food giant Heinz by an investment consortium. The deal, which is believed to be the biggest ever acquisition in the food industry and has been approved by Heinz's board of directors, will see the Pittsburgh company acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, which is owned by US billionaire Warren Buffett, and 3G Capital.

    1 minute read

  • February 13, 2013 |

    Weil Gotshal and Davis Polk lead on latest multibillion-dollar media deal

    Davis Polk & Wardwell and Weil Gotshal & Manges are both advising on a $16.7bn (£10.7bn) deal that will see General Electric (GE) sell its 49% stake in US media and entertainment giant NBCUniversal (NBCU) to majority shareholder Comcast Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, US cable operator Comcast will pay NBCU $12bn (£7.7bn) in cash with $4bn (£2.6bn) in Comcast guaranteed debt and $700m (£450m) of preferred stock in acquiring full ownership of the film and television business.

    1 minute read

  • February 12, 2013 |

    Herbert Smith recruits top-rated white-collar partner from Slater & Gordon

    Herbert Smith Freehills has recruited Slater & Gordon business crime and investigation head Rod Fletcher following a string of recent exits from the Anglo-Australian firm's litigation practice. Fletcher will join Herbert Smith in April, and will lead the firm's corporate crime and investigations team alongside partner Graham More.

    1 minute read

  • February 7, 2013 |

    Top Herbert Smith litigator exits for Latham as senior departures continue

    Latham & Watkins has sealed the hire of top-rated Herbert Smith Freehills corporate fraud partner Simon Bushell, in the latest in a series of high-profile departures for the recently merged Anglo-Australian firm. Bushell, a specialist in large-scale international commercial litigation and founder of Herbert Smith's Russian dispute resolution practice, is top ranked for civil fraud work by Chambers and Partners.

    1 minute read

  • February 5, 2013 |

    Hogan Lovells, Weil and Debevoise among legal line-up on $24.4bn Dell LBO

    Debevoise & Plimpton, Hogan Lovells and Weil Gotshal & Manges are among a line-up of top law firms to have advised on the $24.4bn (£15.5bn) buyout of computer manufacturer Dell, in the largest leveraged buyout (LBO) since the financial crisis. Founder Michael Dell is buying back the PC group, together with private equity group Silver Lake, offering stockholders $13.65 (£8.69) in cash per share.

    1 minute read

  • February 5, 2013 |

    CC relocates partners to Hong Kong and Qatar

    Clifford Chance (CC) is relocating two partners to Asia in a bid to strengthen its practices in Hong Kong and Qatar. The magic circle firm is boosting its Doha office with the addition of corporate partner Jason Mendens from Sydney, who will be the firm's first corporate partner on the ground in the resource-rich Gulf country.

    1 minute read

  • January 31, 2013 |

    Dealmaker: Paul Chow

    The Davis Polk & Wardwell heavyweight reflects on Asia's 2013 prospects, Slaughter and May and sartorial panic

    1 minute read

  • January 29, 2013 |

    Linklaters turns to Herbert Smith for second financial regulatory hire

    Linklaters has picked up its second Herbert Smith Freehills financial regulatory partner in under six months, with the magic circle firm set to bring in Nikunj Kiri as a partner. His hire comes after Legal Week reported in September that Linklaters had hired contentious regulatory heavyweight Martyn Hopper to boost its City practice.

    1 minute read

  • January 24, 2013 |

    US law firms to grow Hong Kong litigation teams as solicitors get advocacy rights

    Given the US cultural affinity for resolving matters inside a court room, it was perhaps only a matter of time. But finally, America's leading law firms appear to be taking litigation work in Asia seriously. Latham & Watkins, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and O'Melveny & Myers are among several US outfits with plans to strengthen their local disputes teams, while Davis Polk & Wardwell recently entered the litigation arena with the hire of two well-regarded litigators from Clifford Chance (CC). Firms that are considering starting up local disputes practices include Kirkland & Ellis and Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, both of which have strong litigation franchises globally.

    1 minute read