• May 7, 2009 |

    Links, Herbert Smith vie for RenCap panel spots

    Russian investment bank Renaissance Capital (RenCap) is in the process of drawing up its first formal panel of legal advisers, with Linklaters and Herbert Smith the main UK contenders for the roster.RenCap's London-based global general counsel, Steven Wootton, is responsible for setting up the panel, which is expected to be finalised within the next few months.

    1 minute read

  • April 30, 2009 |

    Cuts sweep turbulent Moscow market as six international firms wield axe

    A raft of international firms have made redundancies in Moscow as the continued economic downturn in the region pushes both law firms and clients to slash costs. Allen & Overy (A&O), Simmons & Simmons, White & Case and Denton Wilde Sapte have followed Clifford Chance (CC) and Baker & McKenzie in making redundancies in Russia.

    1 minute read

  • April 20, 2009 |

    Cleary takes top role on $3.6bn GSK buyout

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has advised GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on a $3.6bn (£2.5bn) buyout as the pharma giant completes its second major deal in a week. The firm acted for regular client GSK on its acquisition of dermatology specialist Stiefel Laboratories in a deal announced today (20 April).Cleary's New York-based team was led by corporate partner Benet O'Reilly, alongside tax partner Sheldon Alster, employee benefits partner Arthur Kohn, real estate partner Kimberly Brown Blacklow and antitrust partner David Gelfand.

    1 minute read

  • April 8, 2009 | International Edition

    Generation why?

    When it comes to law firm prestige there is no denying that the magic circle tag still works its, well, magic. And there are few other groups that buy into the brand power of these five firms more so than the student population.Given free choice to name five law firms they would rate highly, students consistently turned to the magic circle group, viewing them as offering the best career options, work-life balance, partnership prospects and training - not to mention prestige - of all law firms.

    1 minute read

  • April 8, 2009 |

    Generation why?

    When it comes to law firm prestige there is no denying that the magic circle tag still works its, well, magic. And there are few other groups that buy into the brand power of these five firms more so than the student population.Given free choice to name five law firms they would rate highly, students consistently turned to the magic circle group, viewing them as offering the best career options, work-life balance, partnership prospects and training - not to mention prestige - of all law firms.

    1 minute read

  • April 8, 2009 |

    Cleary and Dewey lead on $4.2bn Russian deal

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Dewey & LeBoeuf have taken lead roles on the biggest deal to close in Moscow so far this year - a $4.2bn (£2.9bn) Gazprom purchase. The deal saw Cleary advising Gazprom on its purchase of a 20% stake in its oil unit Gazprom Neft (formerly Sibneft) from Italian utility Eni. Moscow corporate finance partner Russell Pollack led the team for Cleary. Eni turned to Dewey, which fielded a team led by corporate partners Dan Coppel in London and Jon Hines in Moscow.

    1 minute read

  • April 1, 2009 |

    Major US firms' City partner promotions hit a four-year low as only 34 make the grade

    Partner promotions at some of the largest US law firms in London hit a four-year low in 2009, with just 34 lawyers making the grade compared to 54 the year before, according to research from Legal Week. A survey of promotion trends at 28 leading US firms in London found promotions had increased each year between 2005 and 2008, before this year's fall. In 2005, 36 lawyers were made up, with that figure increasing to 38 for 2006 and 48 for 2007, before last year's bumper haul.

    1 minute read

  • March 26, 2009 |

    US firms in City reach new high for lateral hires

    Lateral partner hiring across the top US and international firms in London has almost doubled over the last five years, according to research from Legal Week.A survey of hiring trends at 33 US and transatlantic firms with operations in the City found the group made a total of 79 lateral partner hires during 2008 - 11 more than in 2007, despite the banking crisis and the onset of the global recession.

    1 minute read

  • March 25, 2009 |

    Linklaters loses partner duo from Brussels arm

    Linklaters has lost two partners from its Brussels office, with DLA Piper and Stibbe signing up the departing duo in the Belgian capital. Yoichi Shibasaki has joined DLA's EU competition law group in Brussels. His practice focuses on competition and trade law, corporate M&A and commercial, in particular Japanese business and Japanese law, and among his briefs at DLA will be to set up a Japanese desk in the office. Shibasaki joined Linklaters as a partner in 2002 from Belgian firm De Bandt van Hecke Lagae & Loesch, before which he had spent 15 years at US firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, making partner in 1990.

    1 minute read

  • March 23, 2009 |

    Korean free trade deal offers little promise for UK firms' Asian ambitions

    If Korea and the EU swiftly ratify the tentative free trade agreement (FTA) they reached on Tuesday (24 March), will UK law firms open offices ahead of…

    1 minute read