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  • December 14, 2011 |

    SJ Berwin's Yam quits to launch Reed Smith private equity practice

    SJ Berwin is set to lose City corporate partner Perry Yam, who is joining Reed Smith to launch a private equity practice in the US firm's London office. The venture capital-specialist private equity partner, who resigned yesterday had been at SJ Berwin for sixteen years, becoming a partner in 2001. Last autumn he unsuccessfully stood for managing partner, losing out to Rob Day in the last round voting.

    1 minute read

  • December 7, 2011 |

    Skadden and Travers lead on private equity energy purchase

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Travers Smith 
have taken lead roles on Doughty Hanson's £250m acquisition of oil and gas logistics company Asco. Skadden advised the UK private equity house on the transaction, which will see the group take a majority stake in Asco. The US law firm fielded a London-based team led by corporate partner Allan Murray-Jones.

    1 minute read

  • December 7, 2011 |

    CSR Initiative/Programme of the Year: Field Fisher Waterhouse

    The judging panel was hugely impressed with an initiative by Field Fisher Waterhouse to establish a website that links organisations across the globe seeking pro bono legal advice with lawyers willing to give it. Like many of the best corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the idea to launch i-Probono bubbled up from the firm's grassroots.

    1 minute read

  • December 6, 2011 |

    Reed Smith grows Middle East practice with Holland & Knight hires

    Reed Smith has strengthened its Middle Eastern corporate practice with a two-lawyer hire from Holland & Knight. Holland & Knight corporate partner and Abu Dhabi head Donald Moore is set to join the US firm's local office as a partner, bringing the total number of partners in the office to five. Meanwhile, corporate associate Nijoe Joseph is set to join the Dubai office.

    1 minute read

  • November 23, 2011 |

    City elite give a little ground on fees but some firms still hiking rates

    Charge-out rates at the City's top firms have remained broadly static throughout 2011, with leading firms coming under pressure to reduce rates. New research carried out by costs lawyer Jim Diamond shows magic circle firms have reduced partner charge-out rates marginally, with average rates falling by 8% at the lower end of the range and 3% at the top in 2011. The reductions equate to an average partner hourly rate in the magic circle of between £600 and £700, down from a range of £650 to £725 in 2010.

    1 minute read

  • November 16, 2011 |

    US pair excel as 1,000 clients give verdict on major firms

    A select band of US-based law firms – including Weil Gotshal & Manges and Reed Smith – have outperformed key UK rivals according to a major research project based on responses from more than 1,000 clients. Legal Week Intelligence's eighth annual Client Satisfaction Report found the duo topping a ranking of major law firms operating in the UK based on feedback from 1,069 companies, including 78% of the FTSE 100.

    1 minute read

  • November 7, 2011 |

    Linklaters and Latham among firms on Virgin Media's debut legal panel

    Linklaters, Latham & Watkins and Sullivan & Cromwell are among a raft of firms to have won roles on Virgin Media's inaugural legal panel. The new panel, which will take effect from next year, also includes Ashurst and US firm Fried Frank, both of which are existing advisers to the company.

    1 minute read

  • November 3, 2011 |

    Gibson Dunn signs up partner duo in Hong Kong as firm targets local law

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has recruited a duo of Hong Kong corporate partners from Reed Smith and O'Melveny & Myers as the US firm gears up to offer a local law service in the region. O'Melveny's Hong Kong office head Yi Zhang has already joined Gibson Dunn, while Reed Smith corporate partner Graham Winter is set to move to the firm in the coming months.

    1 minute read

  • November 2, 2011 |

    Reed Smith boosts London shipping group with Barlows hires

    Reed Smith has added a shipping partner to its City base with the hire of the latest partner to exit legacy firm Barlow Lyde & Gilbert. Jeb Clulow joined Reed Smith's London office this Tuesday (1 November) – the same day that Barlows' merger with Clyde & Co went live – along with senior associate Lyall Hickson. Clulow, who was a partner in Barlows' marine energy and trade group, specialises in shipping and trade disputes. He was made up to partner in the firm's May 2009 promotions round and has worked with clients including Steamship Mutual, UK Club and Swedish Club.

    1 minute read

  • October 12, 2011 |

    Global 100: Empire builders - does globalisation equal profit?

    Since the early days of the Global 100 survey, globalisation and profit have seemingly grown hand in hand. For the top 50 firms in 1999 – the first year that The American Lawyer published profits per equity partner (PEP) for what was then the Global 50 – the proportion of lawyers employed outside each firm's home country doubled, while PEP more than doubled. But whether there is a causal relationship between global expansion and financial success is unclear, whether one charts the performance of individual firms in a single year or over time. Star performers may be found among the most stubborn homebodies, like Slaughter and May, and the most persistent imperialists, like Allen & Overy (A&O).

    1 minute read