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  • June 4, 2008 |

    Mayer Brown, Clydes bag £136m Argo deal

    Mayer Brown and Clyde & Co have won lead roles advising on the £136m acquisition of Heritage Underwriting Agency by insurer Argo. Mayer Brown advised Argo, with corporate partner Stephanie Bates leading a team of London partners including Gary Cooper and Lauri-Lynn Pursall (corporate), David Chadwick, Jane Childs and Ian McKenna (all insurance).

    1 minute read

  • June 3, 2008 |

    Weiss sentenced to 30 months for kickback scheme

    A federal judge in Los Angeles has sentenced Melvyn Weiss, the co-founding partner of Milberg, to 30 months in prison. US District Judge John Walter of the Central District of California said it was "difficult to reconcile" Weiss's numerous charitable contributions with his criminal conduct, which "strikes directly at the core and heart of the judicial system." Weiss is set to report to prison on 28 August. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, of Brafman & Associates, asked that Weiss serve his sentence at a men's minimum security facility in West Virginia.

    1 minute read

  • May 28, 2008 |

    Covington boosts IT with Mayer Brown recruit

    Covington & Burling has hired a Mayer Brown technology partner, with Nigel Howard joining the US firm's New York office. Howard's practice focuses on information technology, outsourcing and intellectual property issues. He represents clients in technology transactions, including outsourcing, licensing, joint venture and strategic alliance transactions.

    1 minute read

  • May 20, 2008 |

    Mayer Brown steers $13bn US toll road bid

    Mayer Brown and Debevoise & Plimpton have bagged lead roles on the $12.8bn (£6.58bn) privatisation of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, one of the busiest toll roads in the US, writes The American Lawyer. Mayer Brown acted alongside Philadelphia firm Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll for the state of Pennsylvania, while Debevoise advised the top bidder, a consortium comprising Spanish toll operator Abertis Infraestructuras, Barcelona-based investment firm and Abertis shareholder Criteria CaixaCorp and Citigroup's Citi Infrastructure Investors.

    1 minute read

  • May 15, 2008 |

    Barlows senior partner steps down as modernising push continues

    Barlow Lyde & Gilbert senior partner Richard Dedman is to step down from his post this autumn after seven years in the role. Dedman confirmed that he will be returning to work as a full-time fee earner after choosing to step down just two years into his second five-year term. The news comes as it emerges that the top 50 UK law firm has overhauled the terms for the senior partner role - reducing the term from five years down to a maximum of three, with each post-holder able to serve no more than two terms.

    1 minute read

  • May 7, 2008 |

    Client lows, credit woes

    Law firms needing extra capital from banks to weather the rough economy are finding that the times - and the terms - have changed. Many law firms are seeing a slowdown in work and a lengthening in their client payment cycle. At the same time, banks that provide lending to law firms to help cover their revenue gaps and fund bigger projects are implementing more onerous requirements for doling out credit.

    1 minute read

  • May 6, 2008 |

    Mayer Brown adds partner brace in London

    Mayer Brown has announced the addition of two new partners at its London arm, boosting the US firm's City pensions and finance teams. Martin Scott joined the firm on 1 May from City outfit Olswang, where he was a partner specialising in the pensions components of company purchase and sale transactions.

    1 minute read

  • May 1, 2008 |

    Top 50 trio defy downturn with promotions rise

    A clutch of top 50 firms including Halliwells, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert and Watson Farley & Williams have announced their new partner promotions this week. The trio are the only three out of eight firms announcing over the last week to report an increase in partner promotions this year, with the majority promoting fewer partners this year than last.

    1 minute read

  • April 25, 2008 |

    US Briefing: Ex-clients sue Howrey after patent 'deal' sours

    Two former clients have sued Howrey partner Michael Dowler and the firm, alleging breach of fiduciary duty after an alleged deal to buy a patent for $1m went sour. The plaintiffs allege that Dowler was their lawyer in a variety of patent matters and that he brought a patent to them for potential purchase, demanded an "under the radar" verbal deal for 50% of net profits to be derived from the patent and breached his fiduciary duty by "misrepresent[ing] the value of the patent".

    1 minute read

  • April 24, 2008 |

    O'Shea takes top role at A&O New York following management re-jig

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has overhauled its management in the US, putting in place a new managing partner in New York. The firm has selected commercial real estate partner Kevin O'Shea (pictured) as the office's new managing partner, while Dan Cunningham will continue for another three years as New York senior partner.

    1 minute read