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  • October 6, 2009 |

    International relations

    That law firms are devoting increasing amounts of time and effort to pro bono projects is nothing new. But, with international firms keen to involve as many of their lawyers as possible, the types of opportunities available are changing. In particular, the number of projects either benefiting those in developing counties or involving an overseas trip is on the increase. International efforts look likely to grow further still next year as two leading organisations in the sector - the International Lawyers Project (ILP) and Advocates for International Development (A4ID) - both look to expand initiatives outside the UK. Significantly, both are keen to pick up more senior lawyers.

    1 minute read

  • October 5, 2009 |

    BLP and Shearman miss out as rail regulator streamlines panel

    The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has slimmed down its legal panel to three firms in the latest shake-up of its core advisers. Berwin Leighton Paisner and Shearman & Sterling have both been dropped from the updated panel, after a review led by ORR director of legal services Juliet Lazarus.

    1 minute read

  • September 30, 2009 |

    Quartet of firms lead on second-largest IPO of the year so far

    Four international firms have landed roles on Metallurgical Corporation of China's (MCC's) initial public offering (IPO) - the second-largest listing of the year so far. The $5.2bn (£3.2bn) raised from the sale of shares on the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges makes MCC the second-largest IPO this year after the $7.4bn (£4.6bn) raised by China State Construction Engineering Corporation in July.

    1 minute read

  • September 21, 2009 |

    High-profile A&O M&A partner to join Linklaters spin-off Openhoff

    Allen & Overy (A&O) is set to lose one of its most high-profile German partners. Duesseldorf M&A partner Hans-Rolf Koerfer, who joined A&O in January last year from US firm Shearman & Sterling, is set to join Linklaters spin-off Oppenhoff & Partner in Cologne.

    1 minute read

  • September 18, 2009 |

    Slaughters and Freshfields take roles on major Hong Kong IPOs

    Slaughter and May and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are among a number of international law firms to have picked up mandates on two major Hong Kong Stock Exchange listings which closed this week. China's largest pharmaceutical company, Sinopharm, raised HK$8.73bn (£688m), while Metallurgical Corp raised HK$18.2bn (£1.4bn) from the listings, which together dwarfed the initial public offering (IPO) activity to have taken place on the Hong Kong exchange so far this year.

    1 minute read

  • September 18, 2009 |

    Bakers, Lovells and White & Case advise on GM's Opel stake sale

    Baker & McKenzie, White & Case and Lovells are among the firms advising on a deal that will see a Canadian-Russian consortium acquire a 55% stake in GM's Opel auto unit, writes The American Lawyer. The deal, agreed after three months of negotiations, has been lauded by the German government, which is gearing up for elections at the end of this month and is keen to avoid mass layoffs at Opel, which has received billions in government aid in recent months.

    1 minute read

  • August 27, 2009 |

    Shearman's Brussels managing partner departs to join US rival

    Shearman & Sterling is set to lose its only two Brussels-based partners to US rival Arnold & Porter. Shearman's local office head Annette Schild is joining Arnold & Porter in the Belgian capital, along with fellow partner Silvio Cappellari and counsel Stephanie Birmanns. All three lawyers focus on competition and antitrust and have advised high-profile clients including Arriva, BASF, Siemens and Novartis.

    1 minute read

  • August 25, 2009 |

    Former Hogan UK corporate chief takes non-exec role at tech company

    Hogan & Hartson's former UK corporate head Jonathan Coppin has emerged as a non-executive director at Yorkshire technology company Metalysis. Coppin spent more than 20 years as a City lawyer, including stints as a partner with Norton Rose and Shearman & Sterling, before announcing his intention to leave Hogan and the law in November 2007.

    1 minute read

  • August 25, 2009 |

    Weil Gotshal strengthens London base with hire of A&O tax partner

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has made its first lateral partner hire in the City this year, with the New York firm set to bring in Allen & Overy (A&O) tax partner Brenda Coleman. Coleman is expected to join Weil's London office on 21 September on a part-time basis after 11 years as a partner with the magic circle firm. Prior to her time with A&O she was a partner with Herbert Smith, having trained with Slaughter and May.

    1 minute read

  • August 24, 2009 |

    SEC blames law firms for BoA's failure to disclose Merrill bonuses

    Based on the briefs they submitted on Monday (24 August), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of America (BoA) heard two different orders from Manhattan federal district court Judge Rakoff on 10 August, when he told both sides to supply additional details on the preparation of BoA's proxy and disclosure materials for its September 2008 merger with Merrill Lynch. The SEC's 38-page brief included some of those specifics. Bank of America's 30-page filing focused instead on arguing BoA's innocence.

    1 minute read