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  • June 22, 2010 |

    Commentary: Recent Madrid launch reveals Olswang's global aspirations

    What does Olswang want to be? Chief executive David Stewart puts it clearly: "A leading and distinctive full service firm across the sectors of technology, media and real estate and a dominant player not just in the UK but internationally as well." The firm has already largely delivered on the first part of the equation, building a strong brand and genuinely distinctive practice focused on some attractive industries. But the latter part the formula - international reach - will be a far taller order for a firm that until recently avoided expansion beyond the UK.

    1 minute read

  • June 22, 2010 |

    Power of yes!

    "It is my strong belief that you cannot be a lawyer and a manager at the same time," says Pierre Landy, general counsel of Yahoo!'s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations. "No matter the size or importance of the matter I let my direct reports handle it, obviously discussing with them where and when needed, but generally remaining at a helicopter view." So the legal aspects of the deal Yahoo! struck with the Premier League in April to show highlights of matches was handled by the company's UK general counsel, Simon Citron. And the internet giant's recent acquisition of Middle Eastern rival Maktoob was overseen by Dubai-based Middle East general counsel Nassib Abou-Khalil.

    1 minute read

  • June 15, 2010 |

    Herbert Smith leads on News Corp's multi-billion BSkyB takeover bid

    Herbert Smith has secured a lead role advising BSkyB on News Corporation's bid to purchase the remaining share capital in the satellite broadcaster, valuing the company at more than £12bn. Allen & Overy (A&O) and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom are advising News Corp on its bid to take full control of BSkyB by acquiring the remaining 60.1% of shares in the company, with BSkyB today rejecting an initial offer of £7 a share.

    1 minute read

  • June 15, 2010 |

    Olswang to open up in Madrid with hire of Bird & Bird corporate chief

    Olswang is to launch a new office in Madrid this year with the hire of Bird & Bird's Spain corporate head Javier Vasserot. The UK top 50 firm will open the new office in September and will offer corporate, banking, restructuring and litigation advice in the Spanish capital.

    1 minute read

  • June 1, 2010 |

    Wages of spin - the rise of salaried partners

    When it comes to employment prospects at the UK's leading law firms, the global recession has been the bloodiest period in recent memory. There is, however, one category of senior lawyer whose ranks have swelled dramatically - that of the salaried partner. Legal Week research reveals that collectively the top 30 UK law firms added 435 lawyers to their non-equity partner headcount between 2007 and 2009. Far from reflecting a profession in rude health, however, this phenomenon is a direct result of the fight by leading law firms to manage their way through the recession.

    1 minute read

  • May 26, 2010 |

    Bird & Bird bulks finance practice with Greenberg partner hire

    Bird & Bird has recruited a partner from Greenberg Traurig to boost its corporate and finance practice in The Hague. Gerard Moussault will bring with him Greenberg associate Steven Geers. They are joined by Sarah Gerritse, previously a legal counsel in the Royal Bank of Scotland's London equity derivatives team.

    1 minute read

  • May 26, 2010 |

    Bird & Bird Middle East debut gets approval from partnership

    Bird & Bird is set to launch its first Middle East office after partners approved plans for a base in Abu Dhabi last week. The expansive City firm filed an application to practise in Abu Dhabi earlier this week following a firmwide vote, which closed last Friday (21 May) with a vast majority of partners backing the plans.

    1 minute read

  • May 26, 2010 |

    China: Years of the dragon

    On Tuesday 4 May at 7:30am a car arrived to pick up former Lovells Beijing managing partner Robert Lewis from his house in the Shunyi district of the Chinese capital, a part of town popular with expats. As it weaved its way off the estate and onto the traffic-choked main road leading to the city centre, Lewis thought about what lay ahead for him at AllBright Law Offices, the Chinese law firm where he was about to start his first day's work. His decision to join the firm, where his brief is to overhaul AllBright's structure and expand its Beijing office to match its market-leading offering in Shanghai, is one Lewis has been edging towards for years now, and he maintains it is unrelated to Lovells' recently concluded merger with US firm Hogan & Hartson.

    1 minute read

  • May 26, 2010 |

    Tube Lines reviews panel ahead of TfL takeover

    Tube Lines is pressing ahead with a panel review despite Transport for London's (TfL) plan to take over the running of the privately-owned consortium. Tube Lines kicked off a tender process last month in a bid to trim down legal spend and is expected to finalise the review in July.

    1 minute read

  • May 12, 2010 |

    Revenue dips at leading UK firms but market remains bullish on recovery

    A substantial number of the UK's leading law firms are set to post falling revenues for 2009-10, but partners are remaining upbeat after a year that has turned out better than many had predicted. Early indications of the 2009-10 financial results for the UK top 50 suggest that a majority of firms will see revenues remain flat or marginally down on 2008-09 in the aftermath of the recession.

    1 minute read