Filter This View

  • December 6, 2012 |

    Friends with benefits – can Linklaters go a third way to globalisation?

    Linklaters & Alliance has long since been consigned to history. But as firms of all sizes try to reposition themselves in today's marketplace, Links seems to be making its best efforts to create a second version, albeit with a very different vision. Its forthcoming alliance with South Africa's Webber Wentzel – just months after a similar tie-up with Australian leader Allens – means it has this year gained access to 1,000 lawyers in strategically touted markets with no financial outlay and no appreciable risk. And if the passing years show Linklaters needs more from the relationship than just an alliance, then it is well-positioned to turn it into something more (or perhaps cherry-pick choice individuals).

    1 minute read

  • December 6, 2012 |

    Slaughters among firms advising on Autumn Statement lending initiative

    Slaughter and May is advising the Treasury on the first set of investments made as part of the Government's Business Finance Partnership venture, announced yesterday (5 December) in Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's Autumn Statement. The Government will invest £600m in the venture, which is intended to increase the supply of capital through non-bank lending channels, with fund managers Alcentra Limited, Haymarket Financial, M&G Investment Management and Pricoa Capital to raise a further £650m. An additional £100m is expected to be invested with a fifth fund manager.

    1 minute read

  • November 30, 2012 |

    Diversity initiative PRIME surpasses work experience targets by 10%

    Social diversity initiative PRIME has exceeded its target for the number of work experience placements offered, with 10% more opportunities offered at law firms than was aimed for.

    1 minute read

  • November 29, 2012 |

    Willkie Farr and Pinsents lead on Eurotunnel ferry deal

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Pinsent Masons have taken lead roles on Eurotunnel Group's controversial acquisition of assets owned by failed ferry operator SeaFrance, a long-running deal which was this month cleared by French competition regulators. The deal, which stems from SeaFrance's liquidation at the start of 2012, saw Eurotunnel, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, subsequently chosen by the Commercial Court of Paris as the successful bidder for three SeaFrance ferries.

    1 minute read

  • November 29, 2012 |

    Carillion to drive panel firm work through new low-cost legal arm

    Carillion is to make all of its recently appointed panel firms use its new low-cost arm in Newcastle for commoditised work as the FTSE 250 construction group considers offering the service to other companies or law firms. The Newcastle base, known as Carillion Advisory Services (CAS), currently houses 60 paralegals providing support to Carillion on the commoditised elements of deals and other work, as well as providing legal aid advice to clients.

    1 minute read

  • November 29, 2012 |

    Sector switch – the GCs stepping out of their comfort zone into new industries

    When Network Rail announced in October 2011 that FTSE 100 Premier Foods general counsel Suzanne Wise was to trade in Hovis and Bisto for the UK's railway network, at first glance, it may have seemed like she was entering uncharted territory. The motivation behind the move is not, in fact, hard to work out – Network Rail is a larger company, the appointment is board level and Wise has returned to managing a larger legal team, more on a par with the one she managed at multinational tobacco company Gallaher Group before joining Premier.

    1 minute read

  • November 29, 2012 |

    Magic circle duo bag roles on £1.7bn rail systems acquisition by Siemens

    Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have advised on Siemens' £1.74bn acquisition of technology company Invensys' rail operations in the UK.

    1 minute read

  • November 28, 2012 |

    Simmons and Stephenson Harwood announce half-year financials

    Simmons & Simmons has reported a 3% decrease in revenue for the first half of the financial year, while Stephenson Harwood has seen H1 revenues hold steady. Simmons has posted a revenue figure of £124.8m for the first six months of 2011-12, with the 3% drop equating to a total of around £121m for the first half of 2012-13.

    1 minute read

  • November 28, 2012 |

    Pinsents leads on £5.6m settlement in Bribery Act self-reporting first

    Pinsent Masons has advised on a £5.6m Bribery Act settlement by a Scottish drilling company, in the first case involving self-reporting by a company under the new legislation. The settlement comes after oil and gas services company Abbot Group this July admitted to Scotland's Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) that it had benefited from corrupt payments made in connection with a contract between 2006 and 2007, entered into by one of its overseas subsidiaries and an overseas oil and gas company.

    1 minute read

  • November 27, 2012 |

    Pinsents wins High Court role as Berezovsky litigation saga continues

    Pinsent Masons has been appointed by the Government of Russia's Samara Region to represent it at the UK High Court in its efforts to recover almost RUB1bn (£20m) from oligarch Boris Berezovsky. The UK firm won the role after a tender process that was sparked by the Samara Region filing action to recover RUB989m (£19.4m) it claims it is owed by Berezovsky.

    1 minute read