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  • January 21, 2010 |

    No more baby steps

    Nothing was ordinary about the first civil trial stemming from Pfizer's controversial epilepsy treatment, Neurontin. Both sides loudly complained about witness intimidation. Colourful plaintiffs lawyer Mark Lanier opened to the jury one day, then settled the next after an anonymous donor deposited $50,000 (£31,000) into an account for the alleged victim's daughter. And at the defence table, high-powered product liability specialists from three separate firms worked as though they were partners - and all on a flat fee basis. "It was," says Pfizer general counsel Amy Schulman, "an extraordinary victory."

    1 minute read

  • January 21, 2010 |

    BLP launches dedicated derivatives team with Linklaters hire

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is set to launch a standalone derivatives team with the hire of James Duncan from Linklaters. Duncan will join the City law firm as a partner in March to launch the new group after 13 years as a lawyer with Linklaters, where he is a counsel.

    1 minute read

  • January 19, 2010 |

    Bingham to launch London antitrust practice with McDermott partner hire

    Bingham McCutchen is set to launch a London antitrust practice with the hire of a McDermott Will & Emery partner in the City. Davina Garrod, who heads up McDermott's London hedge fund practice, will join Bingham in the next two months as the first European-based partner in the firm's antitrust and trade regulation practice group.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2009 |

    Mayer Brown

    A mid-market London firm hooked up several years ago with a decent Chicago player to create a firm with a strong focus on both sides of the Atlantic...

    1 minute read

  • December 11, 2009 |

    Sidley makes up one new City partner in 15-strong promotions round

    Sidley Austin has handed 15 lawyers partnership in its annual promotion round, with one partner made up in the top 10 US law firm's City arm. Commercial litigator Steven Pitt is the only partner Sidley has promoted outside of the US, becoming the 41st partner in its UK office. The firm's UK practice was also recently expanded by the arrival of securities partner Bart Capeci from Allen & Overy.

    1 minute read

  • December 8, 2009 |

    Young in-house lawyer of the year

    Within three years of joining BASF's legal department Helen Koerner was appointed company secretary and de facto head of legal for its northern European operations. Koerner qualified in 2001 and started out her career as a property specialist. She joined BASF's legal department in 2004 to manage its property portfolio but was soon taking on a much broader role within the company.

    1 minute read

  • December 7, 2009 |

    Bingham boosts City base with hire of former Sidley finance partner

    Bingham McCutchen has made its second partner hire in London this year with the recruitment of Sarah Smith for its City finance practice. Smith, the former co-head of Sidley Austin's international finance group, will join Bingham at the beginning of 2010 after leaving Sidley in February.

    1 minute read

  • December 4, 2009 |

    Ashurst and Cleary win lead roles on Rusal's $3bn Hong Kong listing

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Ashurst have won roles on Rusal's planned $3bn (£2bn) flotation on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Cleary has landed the main role on the listing, fielding a team led by City-based partner Dan Braverman advising on US, English and French law. Ashurst corporate partner Andrew Edge is providing additional English law, while US firm Sidley Austin is advising on Hong Kong law, with a team led by Hong Kong-based capital markets partner Constance Choy.

    1 minute read

  • November 30, 2009 |

    Greenberg hires ex-Kirkland partner for London restructuring launch

    Greenberg Traurig Maher (GTM) is launching a London restructuring practice with the hire of former Kirkland & Ellis partner Lyndon Norley. Norley will join the US firm in the New Year after serving as a partner with Kirkland in London for seven years. He joined Kirkland in 2002 from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft to launch a UK insolvency team but left in October.

    1 minute read

  • November 18, 2009 |

    Sidley boosts City capital markets team with hire of ex-A&O partner

    Sidley Austin has made a rare lateral appointment in the City with the hire of former Allen & Overy securities partner Bart Capeci. Capeci joined the US firm's London securities practice last week, having been a partner in A&O's international capital markets team since 1998.

    1 minute read