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  • September 22, 2010 |

    Latin America: Tomorrow's country today

    From the dark days of the 1980s, a newly-confident Brazil has emerged. Alex Aldridge reports on one of the most hotly-tipped emerging economies and the lawyers scrambling to keep up

    1 minute read

  • September 15, 2010 |

    Bank of America Merrill gets tough with first full-scale panel review

    Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoA Merrill) has embarked on its first full-scale panel review since becoming a merged entity, with a number of stringent conditions attached for firms wanting to pitch. The review, which was launched last month, will see the investment banking giant review its external legal counsel arrangements on a global and regional level.

    1 minute read

  • September 8, 2010 |

    MoFo makes Mayer Brown partner hire for London finance group

    Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has hired Mayer Brown structured finance and capital markets partner Elana Hahn to join the firm's finance department in its London office. Prior to joining Mayer Brown in 2007, Hahn was a finance and capital markets partner in the London office of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy and before that an associate at magic circle firm Clifford Chance (CC). She resigned from Mayer Brown last week (1 September). Hahn is qualified in Canada as well as England and Wales. Her practice centres around the securitisation and structured finance market, including, in particular, fund financing.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2010 |

    Five firms win panel roles as Dubai hotels group cuts back legal roster

    Jumeirah Group has announced its new global legal panel, with five firms appointed to the Dubai hotel chain's streamlined roster. Herbert Smith and Weil Gotshal & Manges have won places on the panel following a pitch process, with Clyde & Co, Mayer Brown JSM and Pinsent Masons all reappointed. Jumeirah has chosen to cut back on the number of firms it uses after setting up its first-ever global panel in 2008, which saw six firms appointed to its main roster of advisers, alongside a further six advising on specialist areas or in specific jurisdictions.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2010 |

    Betting the pharma - Astellas GC Jerry Temko on the 'perfect storm' in the pharmaceuticals industry

    Most in-house counsel have spent the recession attempting to maintain standards in the face of reduced resources. But Jerry Temko, general counsel and chief compliance officer of the European arm of Japanese pharmaceutical giant Astellas, has been very much in proactive mode. The credit crunch and subsequent economic crisis didn't change Temko's robust pursuit of breaches of patents and licensing contracts - in fact, if anything, it has strengthened resolve to police the company's intellectual property (IP). The strategy has paid off: during the last five years Astellas has recovered over ‚Ǩ10m (£8.2m) in patent damages from generic pharma companies and in excess of ‚Ǩ6m (£4.9m) from change of control licensing events. "Generating these recoveries changes the role and perception of the legal team; it means we're not simply a cost centre," says Temko.

    1 minute read

  • August 19, 2010 |

    Mayer Brown names new London banking head

    Mayer Brown has named banking partner Dominic Griffiths as its new London head of banking and finance with immediate effect. Griffiths succeeds Bruce Bloomingdale, who will now focus on boosting cooperation between the firm's European and US finance practices, as well as continuing to advise clients on international finance transactions.

    1 minute read

  • August 19, 2010 |

    US firms in driving seat on upcoming General Motors listing

    Jenner & Block and Davis Polk & Wardwell have secured lead roles on General Motors' highly-anticipated initial public offering (IPO), reports The Am Law Daily. The car manufacturing giant filed for the IPO yesterday (18 August), just over a year after the company emerged from bankruptcy. Jenner corporate partners Joseph Gromacki, William Tolbert and Brian Boch are lead issuer's counsel for the IPO. Gromacki chairs Jenner's corporate practice and serves as co-chair of the firm's securities practice.

    1 minute read

  • August 17, 2010 |

    Mayer Brown adds partner duo to Asia offices

    Mayer Brown JSM has bulked up its Beijing and Hong Kong offices with the hire of two partners from Winston & Strawn and Sidley Austin. Xiang Yang Ge joined Mayer Brown last month to head up the Beijing projects practice from Winston & Strawn's local office, where he was also office head. Prior to joining Winston & Strawn in 2009 he had spent 18 years at Baker & McKenzie.

    1 minute read

  • August 3, 2010 |

    A&O recruits long-serving Bingham partner for US capital markets team

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has bolstered its US capital markets practice with the hire of a top-rated securitisation partner from Bingham McCutchen. Ed de Sear has joined the firm's New York international capital markets practice in a lateral move from Boston-based Bingham.

    1 minute read

  • July 29, 2010 |

    International firms in Brazil under scrutiny as local Bar queries alliance business practices

    The Brazilian Bar Association has asked international firms with associations in Brazil to supply information about their businesses amid concerns they are not complying with local Bar rules. Following several hires made by the associated firms of DLA Piper and Mayer Brown, the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (OAB) has asked all international firms for information on their alliances, prompted by concerns that international firms are using their associations to recruit local lawyers.

    1 minute read