• April 18, 2013 |

    Linklaters, A&O and Wragges sign up to Government gender reporting initiative

    Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Wragge & Co are among a line-up of nine law firms to have signed up to a Government gender reporting initiative that aims to boost equality in the workplace. The trio joined the voluntary 'Think, Act, Report' initiative earlier this year, which encourages companies to share best practice and improve transparency on gender equality issues in business. Six other law firms have already signed up to the scheme: Eversheds was the first firm to sign up in 2011, followed by DWF the same year. Hogan Lovells, DAC Beachcroft, Pinsent Masons and Berwin Leighton Paisner all joined last year.

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  • April 18, 2013 |

    Pinsents and Walker Morris lead as Portsmouth FC saved from administration

    Pinsent Masons and Walker Morris have played key roles in pushing through an out-of-court settlement that has seen Portsmouth Football Club rescued from administration by a group of its supporters. An agreement has been reached between administrators BDO and creditors Portpin ahead of a High Court dispute over the valuation of the club's Fratton Park home ground. Portpin, led by former Portsmouth FC chairman Balram Chainrai, had claimed it was owed £12m by the club and held the stadium as security. The Pompey Supporters' Trust (PST) will now pay a reported £3m plus add-ons to take control of the club and gain ownership of Fratton Park, making it the biggest fan-owned club in the country. The deal is subject to Football League approval.

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  • April 18, 2013 |

    Pinsents launches Singapore TMT practice with local team hire

    Pinsent Masons has launched a technology, media and telecoms (TMT) practice in Singapore with the hire of a team led by partner Bryan Tan from local boutique Keystone Law Corporation. Tan, a founding member of Keystone, will join Pinsents in the Asian city state this May, alongside two associates and one trainee.

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  • April 14, 2013 |

    Habib & Clydes among nominees for Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards

    DP World, Hadef & Partners and Herbert Smith Freehills are among the entrants to be shortlisted as Legal Week unveils the nominations for the second annual Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards. Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance and Clyde & Co are among the firms battling it out for international law firm of the year, with the winner due to be announced at a ceremony held at Dubai's Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi on 16 May.

    1 minute read

  • April 11, 2013 |

    Pinsents to cut 13 employment jobs in third round of post-McGrigors layoffs

    Pinsent Masons is set to lay off as many as 13 fee earners in its UK employment practice, in the firm's third round of redundancies since its merger with McGrigors went live last year.

    1 minute read

  • April 8, 2013 |

    Mishcons takes two-partner private equity team from Dundas

    Mishcon de Reya has expanded its private equity group in London with the hire of a two-partner team from Dundas & Wilson. Partners Simon Sale and Nadim Meer will join Mishcons in the next couple of months along with senior associate Alison Keyse, with exact start dates not yet confirmed.

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  • April 4, 2013 |

    KPMG Cobbetts report details £90m liabilities and potential SRA probe

    Cobbetts ran up total liabilities of more than £90m before its collapse, including £74.4m in outstanding lease agreements, a new report by the firm's administrators KPMG has revealed. The collapsed firm had four relatively new office premises in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with the latter subject to a reported 20-year lease agreement signed six years ago.

    1 minute read

  • April 4, 2013 |

    Nabarro targets global growth with new role of international head

    Nabarro has appointed restructuring head Patricia Godfrey to the newly created role of head of international, alongside the appointment of the firm's first fixed-share partner to its board. Restructuring and insolvency chief Godfrey has taken up the head of international role for an initial three-year term, and will take responsibility for overseeing and implementing the firm's international strategy.

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  • March 27, 2013 |

    Pinsents tops Government billers with £13m in legal fees since 2011

    Pinsent Masons has billed almost £13m through the Government Procurement Service (GPS) legal panel since the start of the 2011-12 financial year, more than double any other law firm, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. The figures show Pinsents accumulated £12.9m through the Government legal services framework – the central panel intended to cover all of the Government's external legal advice – between April 2011 and December 2012, well ahead of the next biggest biller, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which charged £6.2m over the same period.

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  • March 27, 2013 |

    HSF and Pinsents act as £14bn nuclear site gets go-ahead

    Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Pinsent Masons have advised as EDF Energy secured planning consent to build and operate the proposed £14bn Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. The Somerset development, which was green-lit by energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey last week, comprises two nuclear reactors capable of generating up to 3,260 megawatts of electricity. The development consent order also permits EDF to carry out associated development work and includes measures amounting to around £100m to manage the impact of the development.

    1 minute read