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  • September 18, 2009 |

    Mayer Brown defers half of NQ intake until New Year

    Mayer Brown has put back the start dates of half of its trainee intake, with seven newly-qualified (NQ) solicitors asked to defer until January. The international firm offered 14 of 21 trainees positions within the firm, but has asked half to defer their start dates until the New Year with no financial compensation.

    1 minute read

  • September 16, 2009 |

    Mayer Brown and Reed Smith set to champion fixed fees

    Mayer Brown is looking to move away from traditional hourly billing models, with plans to bring in fixed or capped fees for transactional work. Mayer Brown's senior management is in the process of reviewing how the firm bills clients and is considering proposals to overhaul fee structures for core transactional practices including corporate, banking and real estate.

    1 minute read

  • September 10, 2009 |

    GTM hires partners for competition and IP launches

    Greenberg Traurig Maher (GTM) has continued its aggressive drive to build a UK practice after hiring new heads of competition and intellectual property (IP). Watson Farley & Williams competition head Stephen Tupper is set to join the US law firm on 21 September after five years with the top 50 UK practice.

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  • September 9, 2009 |

    RBS puts select firms on fast track; Nestle unveils UK counsel

    Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has invited a handful of its closest legal advisers to 'fast-track' its general legal review, it has emerged, guaranteeing a group of core firms places on its coveted panel. The bank contacted a number of its key advisers earlier this summer inviting them to join the panel early providing they agreed to basic terms on fees, rather than waiting until the full review is completed later this year. It is thought Allen & Overy (A&O), Linklaters, Ashurst and Denton Wilde Sapte are among those invited to take part.

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  • September 3, 2009 |

    Taylor Wessing, Mayer Brown score Portsmouth FC takeover roles

    Taylor Wessing and Mayer Brown have scored lead roles on the takeover of Portsmouth Football Club by Al Fahim Asia Associates. The Arab investment company owned by Sulaiman Al Fahim agreed to buy the south coast club after a protracted negotiation period for an undisclosed fee thought to be around the £60m mark.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2009 |

    Mills & Reeve agrees exclusive deal to send City trainees to Kaplan

    Mills & Reeve has agreed a deal to send its future trainees to Kaplan Law School. The tie-up will see all of Mills & Reeve's future trainees choosing to study in London take their Legal Practice Course (LPC) at Kaplan's centre in Borough from September 2010. Those who do not want to study in the capital can attend the regional LPC provider of their choice.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2009 |

    Jones Day hires City partner as construction practice head

    Jones Day has made its second lateral hire in as many weeks, bringing in a partner from Dundas & Wilson's London office to head its construction practice. Hamish Lal will join the US firm at the beginning of October, bringing with him a practice encompassing both contentious and non-contentious advice covering real estate, utilities, engineering, nuclear and project finance matters. His clients include a number of construction and nuclear energy companies.

    1 minute read

  • August 26, 2009 |

    Jones Day seals hire of Mayer Brown's London antitrust head

    Jones Day has made its second lateral hire in the City this year with the recruitment of Mayer Brown competition and antitrust head Frances Murphy. Murphy will join Jones Day on 1 September as London head of antitrust. Her practice focuses on the pharma, biotech, telecoms, retail and construction sectors.

    1 minute read

  • August 17, 2009 |

    Greenberg recruits White & Case partner duo as City growth continues

    Greenberg Traurig Maher is set to bring in two more partners from White & Case in London as the US firm continues its push in the City. Banking and capital markets partners Andrew Caunt and Andrew Croxford are both set to join Greenberg over the next few days. Their appointments come only weeks after Legal Week reported that Greenberg was launching a capital markets practice in the City with the hire of fellow White & Case partner Tim Jeveons.

    1 minute read

  • August 12, 2009 |

    Lovells, Latham lead as High Court hands down key private equity ruling

    A landmark High Court judgment relating to the restructuring of IMO Car Wash has dealt a blow to junior lenders who invested in private equity deals that have turned sour. A raft of law firms and chambers including Latham & Watkins, Lovells and Gide Loyrette Nouel advised on the restructuring, with the court yesterday (11 August) approving schemes of arrangement which hand control of IMO to the consortium of banks - led by HBOS - which financed the £450m leveraged buyout of IMO in 2006. Hedge fund investors will lose their investment and receive no equity in the company.

    1 minute read