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  • June 15, 2011 |

    Bushwhacked - advances by US firms in the City reach an ominous stage

    Legal Week's in depth strand has been timely of late. While May's focus on libel and privacy coincided with sustained hysteria about injunctions, this month's international firms in London focus comes as Weil Gotshal & Manges pulls off arguably the most significant City raid yet inflicted on a leading UK law firm. If nothing else, the resignation of a four-partner funds team from Clifford Chance (CC) is evidence that a select band of US law firms is becoming a steadily more menacing threat to the City's finest.

    1 minute read

  • June 10, 2011 |

    The case for self-regulation of social media

    If ever there was a subject which has almost been blogged to death, it must be the CTB v News Group injunction story, with a bit of disclosure action against Unknown Persons thrown in for good measure. Fortunately, the lawyerly inclusion of the word "almost" gives me wriggle room to give the horse one last flog.

    1 minute read

  • June 8, 2011 |

    Ropes & Gray launches London tax practice with Kirkland partner hire

    Ropes & Gray has launched a tax and benefits practice in its fledgling London office with the hire of tax partner John Baldry from Kirkland & Ellis. Baldry, who joined Kirkland's London office in 2006 from Weil Gotshal & Manges, advises on most areas of corporate tax, including structured finance, private equity fund structuring, M&A and restructurings.

    1 minute read

  • June 2, 2011 |

    Hogan Lovells appoints new MP for Beijing office following Jones Day departure

    Hogan Lovells has appointed a new managing partner in Beijing following the departure of intellectual property (IP) partner Horace Lam to Jones Day. Lam left Hogan Lovells to join Jones Day on 23 May and has been replaced by corporate partner Jun Wei, a corporate and commercial partner focusing on M&A, private equity and project financing. Wei advises multinational companies and financial institutions on structuring their investments in China and dealing with Chinese regulatory agencies.

    1 minute read

  • June 1, 2011 |

    Jones Day adds three partners to London base with Ashurst team hire

    Jones Day has added three partners to its City arm with the hire of a US securities team from Ashurst. The trio comprises US-qualified partners Daniel Bushner, Eric Stuart and Marie Elena Angulo. Bushner and Angulo started at the US law firm at the beginning of last week (23 May), with Stuart set to remain at Ashurst until the end of June to conclude several client matters.

    1 minute read

  • June 1, 2011 |

    Herbert Smith sees three-partner Paris litigation team depart for A&O

    Herbert Smith's Paris litigation team has been hit by a three-partner walkout, with the trio's forthcoming departure to Allen & Overy (A&O) marking the latest in a string of exits from the City firm's French arm over the last 18 months. Herbert Smith's recently appointed head of disputes for Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), Denis Chemla, is set to join A&O alongside arbitration partner Michael Young and litigation partner Erwan Poisson.

    1 minute read

  • May 18, 2011 |

    SJ Berwin joins firms to help resurrect AllSaints' fortunes

    SJ Berwin has joined a number of law firms advising on the private equity rescue of troubled London fashion chain AllSaints Spitalfields. The top-20 City law firm secured the mandate to advise the buyers – Lion Capital and Goode Partners – on their acquisition of the retailer from failed Icelandic banks Kaupthing and Glitnir, which had put their stakes up for sale.

    1 minute read

  • May 11, 2011 |

    BLP adds financial services partner to City base with Mayer Brown hire

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired Mayer Brown financial services partner Nick Kynoch in a bid to strengthen its City practice. Kynoch joined the UK top 20 firm's financial services and markets group last week along with two associates, after 10 years at Mayer Brown. He has been a partner since 2007, and his client portfolio includes Bank of New York Mellon, Northern Trust, Danske Bank and RBC Dexia.

    1 minute read

  • May 5, 2011 |

    Ashurst rebuilds US securities team with ex-Linklaters veterans

    Ashurst has moved to rebuild its US securities practice in London after all three partners in the group handed in their notice earlier this year. The top 10 City law firm has hired two partners for the team - Linklaters corporate finance partner Ray Fisher, who is currently based in the magic circle firm's New York office, and Jennifer Schneck, who left Linklaters' London office in 2009. Both joined Ashurst this week.

    1 minute read

  • April 7, 2011 |

    A&O wins role alongside US duo on $2.35bn Pringles deal

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has won a role to advise Diamond Foods on its $2.35bn (£1.4bn) merger with the Pringles unit of Procter & Gamble (P&G). In the transaction, P&G will receive 29 million shares of Diamond common stock worth $1.5bn (£920m), which will constitute 57% of the merged entity, reports The Am Law Daily. At the same time, US food company Diamond will assume $850m (£521m) in Pringles debt, giving Diamond shareholders a 43% stake in the merged company.

    1 minute read