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  • September 22, 2010 |

    Number of US lawyers applying to practice HK law quadruples in two years

    The number of US lawyers applying to practice local law in Hong Kong has quadrupled over the past two years as the region becomes a hot spot for companies listing on its stock exchange. Figures from the Hong Kong Law Society show that 64 US lawyers took the Hong Kong overseas lawyers qualification examination (QLQE) exam last year compared to 14 in 2008, and the trend looks set to continue with an estimated 65 having taken the exam so far in 2010.

    1 minute read

  • September 22, 2010 |

    Latin America: The boys from Brazil

    Brazil has long been an M&A magnet for foreign buyers, often looking to pick up assets in the country's booming agribusiness, commodities and energy sectors. But data for the first half of 2010 recently released by ANBIMA, the Brazilian association of financial and capital markets firms, reveals that for the first time acquisitions abroad by Brazilian companies outweighed purchases of Brazilian businesses by foreign investors, in terms of both aggregate deal value and number of transactions. Brazilian businesses spent $22bn (£14bn) on purchases of foreign businesses in the six months to 30 June, compared with inbound acquisitions totalling $9.3bn (£5.9bn).

    1 minute read

  • September 22, 2010 |

    Latin America: Tomorrow's country today

    From the dark days of the 1980s, a newly-confident Brazil has emerged. Alex Aldridge reports on one of the most hotly-tipped emerging economies and the lawyers scrambling to keep up

    1 minute read

  • September 8, 2010 |

    Pinsents seals hire of Shearman partner for Singapore operation

    Pinsent Masons' Singapore joint venture is set to grow its projects practice with the hire of a partner from Shearman & Sterling. Project finance partner David Platt will join Pinsents in November and will first spend a period of time in the firm's City office, before transferring to Pinsent Masons MPillay in Singapore next year.

    1 minute read

  • September 6, 2010 |

    Cleary takes top role for Brazilian oil firm on record $75bn share offering

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is advising Brazilian oil and gas giant Petrobras on its plan to raise nearly $75bn (£49bn) in the world's largest-ever share sale, reports The Am Law Daily. The US firm is acting as issuer's counsel on the sale, which will finance investments in developing offshore oil fields.

    1 minute read

  • August 31, 2010 |

    Kirkland makes up nine lawyers to partnership in London office

    Kirkland & Ellis has made up nine lawyers to partner in the US firm's London office. The promotions, which are effective as of 1 October, are spread across several practice areas, including corporate, tax, funds, restructuring and arbitration. Kirkland London office head Jim Learner (pictured) commented: "This reflects the fact that we continue to grow in London, and a number of people who have worked up the ranks here have now had the opportunity to be admitted. The nine lawyers who were promoted are all terrific candidates."

    1 minute read

  • August 20, 2010 |

    Hire, fire and hire again

    Some people find silver linings in life's misfortunes. Me - I tend to find dark linings even when the news seems bright and cheery. Recently, there's been a flow of upbeat stories about increased retention rates at many firms, including a number of US firms giving out offers to 100% of their summer associates, including Latham & Watkins, Ropes & Gray and Shearman & Sterling.

    1 minute read

  • August 17, 2010 |

    King & Spalding hires Milbank energy partner

    King & Spalding has added to its global energy transactions practice in New York with the hire of a partner from Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy. Crayton Bell joined the firm yesterday (16 August), taking the number of partners in the New York office to 50. Bell specialises in M&A, leveraged buyouts and other private equity transactions in the energy sector.

    1 minute read

  • August 16, 2010 |

    Freshfields Beijing managing partner joins Davis Polk for HK law launch

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's Beijing managing partner is leaving the firm to launch a Hong Kong law practice for Davis Polk & Wardwell, reports The Am Law Daily. Antony Dapiran (pictured), a capital markets lawyer at Freshfields, has taken roles on several high-profile transactions for Chinese state-owned enterprises, including working side-by-side with Davis Polk representing Agricultural Bank of China on its dual listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai, which this week became the world's largest initial public offering (IPO) ever with over $22bn (£14bn) raised.

    1 minute read

  • August 11, 2010 |

    Slaughters bags role on $2bn sale of BP's South American assets

    Slaughter and May has won a role on a $1.9bn (£1.2bn) energy deal as UK oil giant BP has moved to sell assets in South America.

    1 minute read