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  • June 4, 2008 |

    Technology, media and telecoms: Under the influence

    Among the various disputed origins for the word lobbying, the 18th President of the United States Ulysees S Grant claims the most noteworthy. He apparently coined the term at Washington DC's Willard Hotel, using it to describe the machinations of political hustlers who frequented the hotel's lobby, where Grant habitually enjoyed a cigar and brandy, to gain an audience with the him. Big money is now commonplace in day-to-day lobbying in Washington DC, and few are more successful than those major law firms that have a substantial presence within the shadow of Capitol Hill. As the 50 highest-grossing lobbying practices in the US were recently reported to have passed $1bn (£505m) in annual revenues for 2007 - a new landmark - the specialist lobby shops in the top 50 were notably outpaced by Washington DC law firms. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld ranked number one on the list with $89.8m (£45.3m) in lobbying income, just ahead of Patton Boggs with $89.3m (£45.1m).

    1 minute read

  • May 21, 2008 |

    ...Legal Week Lunchbox: 21/05/08...

    The five most popular articles on legalweek.com today; plus the pick of the day's posts; concluding AmLaw's exclusive interview with Phillipe Sands QC; and more

    1 minute read

  • May 20, 2008 |

    Jones Day hires hand Gibson Dunn Singapore debut

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has launched an office in Singapore after hiring a three-partner team from rival US firm Jones Day. Gibson Dunn corporate partner Jai Pathak has moved from the firm's Los Angeles headquarters to lead the new branch, where he will be joined by three new partners.

    1 minute read

  • May 16, 2008 |

    US Briefing: Clement resigns as Solicitor General

    Solicitor General Paul Clement, who led the courtroom defense of the Bush administration's anti-terror legal policies, announced Wednesday he is leaving his job on 2 June. Clement argued 49 cases before the Supreme Court in the last seven years and was viewed as probably the most valued "catch" from the Bush Justice Department, with law firm managing partners guessing he could attract a $2m or $3m package. Details about his next step were not immediately forthcoming from Clement.

    1 minute read

  • May 8, 2008 |

    Nabarro hires in pensions and environment

    Nabarro has announced the arrival of two new partners to bolster its environment and pensions practices. Clare Deanesly joins the City outfit from US firm Jones Day, where she headed up the London environment group. Her practice has a focus on waste management, contaminated land and renewable energy.

    1 minute read

  • May 8, 2008 |

    Kirkland, King & Spalding net $14bn wi-fi JV

    Kirkland & Ellis and King & Spalding have bagged lead roles advising on a $14.5bn (£7.3bn) joint venture between ailing telecoms giant Sprint Nextel and Clearwire Corporation to create a high-speed wireless network dubbed WiMax, writes The American Lawyer. Under the terms of the deal, Clearwire - which was founded by cell phone and wireless pioneer Craig McCaw in 2003 - will combine its wireless broadband network with that of Kansas-based Sprint Nextel. The long-term aim is to create a national network that can be accessed from laptops and mobile phones.

    1 minute read

  • May 7, 2008 |

    Skadden boosts US healthcare expertise

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has boosted its US healthcare practice with the hire of a senior partner from rival Jones Day. Greg Luce, who co-chaired the healthcare team at Jones Day, joins Skadden in Washington DC, where he will lead its healthcare enforcement and litigation group.

    1 minute read

  • May 2, 2008 |

    Skadden nabs senior Jones Day healthcare man

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has boosted its US healthcare practice with the hire of a senior partner from domestic rival Jones Day. Greg Luce, who co-chaired the healthcare team at Jones Day, joins Skadden in Washington DC, where he will lead the firm's healthcare enforcement and litigation group.

    1 minute read

  • April 30, 2008 |

    Commentary: A real American law firm lands in the Square Mile

    Unlike most US firms landing blinking in the City, one problem that Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges will not have is standing out. After all, these self-consciously combative trial lawyers extraordinaire manage to stand out in their home town, having grown at staggering speed from their 1986 launch to become a top 100 US practice in just two decades. But it is far more than startling growth that the Los Angeles-based upstart is known for: it remains one of the very few law firms of any significance to focus exclusively on litigation, a focus that the firm has turned to its advantage by freeing itself from conflicts.

    1 minute read

  • April 24, 2008 |

    Howrey boosts NY and Madrid with partner hires

    Howrey has added two intellectual property (IP) partners and a litigation partner in its New York and Madrid offices. All three partners joined at the beginning of this month. Two of the three hires are in New York, where Anthony Rotondi has joined the litigation practice from Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, while Theresa Gillis has joined from Jones Day to launch an IP practice. Both were partners at their previous firms.

    1 minute read