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  • March 31, 2009 |

    BT set for online auction in legal adviser review

    BT has kicked off a sweeping review of its panel of external legal advisers, piloting an eBay-style online auction for its real estate panel as part of the process. Panel firms were contacted last month, with the review being led by group general counsel Anne Fletcher. It is expected to be completed within the next three to six months. The review comes after the telecoms giant launched an e-auction pilot for its real estate advisers earlier this year. The pilot saw seven firms bidding against each other on various criteria, including hourly rates and fixed prices, with the process also including formal interviews with each firm.

    1 minute read

  • March 30, 2009 |

    Freshfields names new Italy managing partner

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed a new managing partner for Italy with local real estate head Marzio Longo set to take on the role. Longo will take on the position from Raffaele Lener from 1 May, although Lener will remain as co-head for a transitional period of a few months. During that time, Lener will continue to oversee the Rome office.

    1 minute read

  • March 30, 2009 |

    Dewey set to unveil plans for Madrid office launch

    Dewey & LeBoeuf is set to launch in Spain, with a Madrid office opening pencilled in for later this year. The US firm's New York-based corporate partner Berge Setrakian - who counts several large Iberian companies among his clients, including Telefonica and Iberdola - is leading the initiative, although it is understood that another Dewey lawyer will head up the base after its launch.The firm is planning to staff the office with internal relocations rather than local lateral hires. It is expected the plans will be finalised and unveiled in the coming weeks.

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  • March 25, 2009 |

    US litigation newcomer set for Lords debut

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges is set to appear before the House of Lords, less than a year after the US firm's launch in the City. The US litigation leader is due to appear in the House of Lords for two days at the beginning of July representing a group of investment funds seeking to retrieve money following the collapse of the $27bn (£17.9bn) structured investment vehicle Sigma Finance.Quinn Emanuel partner Sue Prevezer QC, who joined the firm last May from Bingham McCutchen, is leading the case. She was previously a barrister with top commercial set Essex Court Chambers before spending a year with Bingham.

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  • March 23, 2009 |

    Jones Day to launch in Dubai with partner duo transfer

    Jones Day has launched an office in Dubai with the relocation of London-based project finance partner Arman Galledari to head the new outpost. The firm is also relocating Washington-based litigation partner Sheila Shadmand to the office, which will have six lawyers in total. One counsel and one associate are moving with Galledari from London, while another associate has been hired from US rival Baker Botts' Dubai base. The firm has also recruited a local UAE-qualified associate.The office will focus on energy, finance, arbitration and M&A work.

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  • March 11, 2009 |

    Insolvency: Behind with the rent

    The recent decision by the Court of Appeal in the matter of Innovate Logistics (in administration) v Sunberry Properties offers useful guidance on the likely approach of the courts when considering applications by landlords for permission to bring proceedings against companies in administration to terminate occupational licences granted in breach of a lease. This is a topical issue as the grant of such licences to third-party purchasers is often an important and necessary component of pre-pack administrations.

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  • March 6, 2009 |

    55 lawyers lose jobs at Pillsbury

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman laid off 55 lawyers and 100 staff yesterday (5 March), writes The Recorder. The cuts - which include associates and counsel from across the country, equate to a 12% reduction in the west coast firm's non-partner ranks.Details of the job losses come weeks after Pillsbury was forced to confirm that it would be making lay-offs after one of its Washington DC-based partners was overheard discussing the impending cuts on the train. The conversation led to a story emerging on legal blog Above the Law, however the firm did not confirm numbers.

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  • March 2, 2009 |

    Morgan Lewis boosts Paris arm with Jones Day hires

    Morgan Lewis has hired three lawyers from Jones Day in Paris, including M&A partner Olivier Edwards. In addition to Edwards, whose practice focuses on the high-tech and biotech sectors, the firm has also taken Jones Day's Paris head of intellectual property and new technologies, Catherine Myul, who has joined Morgan Lewis as of counsel, as well as one associate.Edwards becomes the seventh partner in Morgan Lewis's Paris corporate team, which mainly advises on M&A, private equity, fund formation and securities law.

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  • February 18, 2009 |

    Nabarro and Jones Day act on £587m shopping centre sale

    Nabarro and Jones Day have advised on British Land's sale of 50% of its stake in Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre for £587.7m. The deal saw British Land turn to Jones Day for advice as it set up a 50:50 joint venture partnership for the freehold interest in Meadowhall with London & Stamford Property and an uni-dentified joint venture partner. The firm's co-head of real estate, David Roberts, and corporate partner Giles Elliott took lead roles on the transaction, which values Meadowhall at £1.175bn, with the purchase price including a £170m cash consideration.

    1 minute read

  • February 15, 2009 |

    The fire this time: thoughts on the coming law firm hiring crisis

    If present trends continue in the big firm market, we are heading toward - you pick the cliche - a paradigm-shifting, blood-in-the-suites, terror-on-the-campus…

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