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  • September 12, 2011 |

    'Draconian' Vickers banking reforms face criticism from City lawyers

    City finance partners have criticised Government plans to push ahead with proposals that will force Britain's banks to ring-fence their retail banking operations from the investment banking arms within the next eight years. Banks will have until 2019 to implement proposals in Sir John Vickers' Independent Commission on Banking report, which was released today (12 September) and called on the Government to enact the reforms as soon as possible.

    1 minute read

  • September 7, 2011 |

    Winner 
takes all - conflict over a US mortgage-backed securities deal

    On a typical Friday in August, Justice Barbara Kapnick's state court at 60 Centre Street in Manhattan would be a pretty sleepy place. Not on Friday, 5 August. On that day, lawyers and reporters fought for seats. On the calendar: a proposed settlement that would resolve claims of investors who had bought $424bn (£261bn) worth of mortgage-backed securities from Countrywide Financial Corporation, now owned by Bank of America Corporation (BofA). The $8.5bn (£5.2bn) settlement had been negotiated by Kathy Patrick of Houston's Gibbs & Bruns, who represented a group of investors, and by Meyer Koplow and Theodore Mirvis of Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, who represented BofA. Also involved in the discussion were lawyers from Mayer Brown, representing Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, the trustee of the contested mortgage-backed securities (MBS).

    1 minute read

  • September 7, 2011 |

    A waste of money - is the bonus round at top US firms just money down the drain?

    US law firms are conditioned to doling out tightly banded 'follow-the-leader' bonus awards to associates. But, argues Amy Kolz, there is little evidence this practice reflects market reality or even buys them any staff loyalty

    1 minute read

  • September 7, 2011 |

    Freshfields and Mayer Brown head up ex-BP CEO's $4.2bn Turkey tie-up

    Mayer Brown and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have won roles on the planned $4.2bn (£2.6bn) merger of former BP chief executive Tony Hayward's investment vehicle Vallares with Turkish oil company Genel Energy International. Mayer Brown's London office is advising Genel, the largest oil producer in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, fielding a team led by global energy co-head Robert Hamill, working with partners including Kate Ball-Dodd and Richard Smith (corporate), James Hill (tax) and Mark Compton (financial services).

    1 minute read

  • September 5, 2011 |

    Mayer Brown adds partner to City corporate insurance team with Debevoise hire

    Mayer Brown has strengthened its London corporate and securities practice with a hire from Debevoise & Plimpton. Colin Scagell joined the international firm today (5 September) as the newest partner in its London-based insurance industry group. He joins from the City office of Debevoise, where he was an associate.

    1 minute read

  • September 2, 2011 |

    Linklaters Germany partner opts against move to Mayer Brown

    Linklaters competition partner Carsten Grave has decided to remain with the magic circle law firm nearly two months after it was announced that he would join Mayer Brown's practice in Cologne. The news comes after the US law firm last month announced the closure of its Berlin and Cologne offices, with Mayer Brown set to launch an office in Duesseldorf at the start of 2012.

    1 minute read

  • August 31, 2011 | International Edition

    Doubling down - who holds the cards in the scramble for Asia?

    Five years ago the tiny special administrative region of China, Macau, replaced Las Vegas as the world's top gambling destination. Now, as private wealth continues to soar both within China and Asia more generally, and regional markets remain resilient despite the wider global economic turmoil, the UK's largest law firms are attempting to guarantee they retain a significant slice of the market.

    1 minute read

  • August 31, 2011 |

    Doubling down - who holds the cards in the scramble for Asia?

    Five years ago the tiny special administrative region of China, Macau, replaced Las Vegas as the world's top gambling destination. Now, as private wealth continues to soar both within China and Asia more generally, and regional markets remain resilient despite the wider global economic turmoil, the UK's largest law firms are attempting to guarantee they retain a significant slice of the market.

    1 minute read

  • August 22, 2011 |

    Cleary opens new LatAm base with partner relocations to Sao Paulo

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has opened for business in Sao Paulo after receiving approval to launch from the Brazilian authorities. Capital markets partner Juan Giraldez and corporate finance partner Francisco Cestero have relocated from New York and Rome respectively to head up the new base.

    1 minute read

  • August 17, 2011 |

    Mayer Brown to open in Duesseldorf; Berlin and Cologne to close

    Mayer Brown is set to launch an office in Duesseldorf as the firm moves to close its Berlin and Cologne operations. The new office will open at the start of 2012, at which point Mayer Brown's existing Cologne and Berlin offices will merge into the Duesseldorf outfit.

    1 minute read