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  • July 18, 2013 |

    Accounts reveal fees for Reed Smith and Bakers on Jimmy Savile inquiry

    Reed Smith was paid £893,500 by the BBC for advice on an independent review of the corporation's handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal, accounts have revealed. A breakdown of the costs of the Pollard Review - the inquiry led by former Sky News head Nick Pollard into why a Newsnight report on Savile was dropped - were released earlier this week.

    1 minute read

  • July 4, 2013 |

    Morrison & Foerster advises BBC on first direct bond worth £170m

    Morrison & Foerster has advised the BBC on its first-ever direct bond issue, which raised £170m in a private placement in the US. The placement, on behalf of BBC Commercial Holdings (BBCH), has a seven-year term set at a 2.71% US dollar interest rate, and will be used to refinance existing debt within the BBC's commercial business.

    1 minute read

  • July 4, 2013 |

    Freshfields and Linklaters among firms on board Thameslink £1.8bn rolling stock project

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters are among a host of firms to have played a role on the Government's Thameslink Rolling Stock Procurement Project (TRSP). The scheme is the largest rail procurement to date, with £1.8bn funding, of which £1.6bn will be met through senior debt.

    1 minute read

  • June 27, 2013 |

    Time to show communities we really care by mucking in with charities on all fronts

    When firms look at how they can support communities through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, many opt for schemes that try to improve the job chances and skills of the people they're supporting. They hope that in turn this will help the personal development of their own staff. There are, however, other types of programme addressing a range of issues that are less typical but equally worthwhile. For example, the less-travelled road of volunteering can still improve the lives of those supported. But it has the added benefit of developing communication, leadership and teaching skills for employees – skills which companies often have to address anyway through in-house training. Reed Smith is an international law firm based near Liverpool Street, right in the heart of the City of London. It is impossible for anyone working in the City not to see the sharp contrast between the area's wealth and that of its less privileged neighbours. This juxtaposition is emphasised further by a palpable lack of interaction between the two.

    1 minute read

  • June 27, 2013 |

    China giant breaks mould with tender for Western-style panel

    China Resources is set to appoint its first-ever roster of international law firms in a rare example of a major Chinese business adopting a formal panel approach. The state-owned conglomerate, which posted total turnover of HK$404.6bn (£33.8bn) in 2012, invited law firms to tender for places on its list of preferred international advisers at the end of last year, and is expected to announce the results in the next two months. The move follows the Hong Kong-headquarted company's establishment of a domestic panel for PRC advice last year, which saw Beijing's Anjie Law Firm – a 12-partner spinoff from domestic outfits Zhong Lun, Grandall and Mingtai – among those appointed.

    1 minute read

  • June 27, 2013 |

    Gibson Dunn appoints new Hong Kong head

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has appointed Kelly Austin as the new managing partner of its Hong Kong office, following the relocation of Joseph Barbeau to Beijing. Austin, an expert on FCPA and regulatory matters, is one of the founding partners of the Hong Kong base, joining the firm in 2010 from General Electric in Asia.

    1 minute read

  • June 11, 2013 |

    Links and Dickson Minto raise glass as AG Barr-Britvic merger gets OK

    Dickson Minto and Linklaters have taken the headline roles as AG Barr's acquisition of Britvic today (11 June) received provisional clearance from the Competition Commission. The Commission concluded that a union of the two companies is not expected to result in lesser competition and would not lead to an increase in wholesale prices.

    1 minute read

  • April 25, 2013 |

    Beating heart - British Heart Foundation GC on asking lawyers to work for free

    Deborah Prince worked in private practice, at Tesco and Which? before heading the legal team at the British Heart Foundation. She talks to Grant Murgatroyd about her colourful career and why she isn't shy when it comes to asking lawyers to work for free...

    1 minute read

  • April 22, 2013 |

    Herbert Smith HK finance regulatory partner exits to join Freshfields

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has made a notable hire for its Asia disputes practice with the hire of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) financial services regulatory partner Tim Mak in Hong Kong. Mak, whose start date at the magic circle firm is still to be confirmed, is top rated by Chambers and Partners for China non-contentious regulatory work in the financial services sector.

    1 minute read

  • April 12, 2013 |

    Reed Smith boosts City finance team with Clifford Chance hire

    Reed Smith is to boost its City finance practice with the hire of Clifford Chance (CC) banking and finance partner Claude Brown. News of the move, which has not been confirmed by Reed Smith, comes days after it emerged that CC's global head of private equity David Walker, had resigned to join Latham & Watkins in London.

    1 minute read