• August 21, 2009 |

    Arsenal complete signing of ex-MTV GC as first-ever in-house lawyer

    Arsenal Football Club has appointed a former MTV general counsel as its first-ever in-house lawyer. Former MTV Networks Europe lawyer Svenja Geissmar will begin her new role as general counsel at the Premier League club on 21 September.

    1 minute read

  • July 30, 2009 |

    Covering all the bases

    "I have not followed every opportunity that came along in my career," says Thomas Werlen, general counsel of Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis. "But in hindsight I was right not to, and I have also been right about the opportunities I have pursued." Werlen is referring, in the first instance, to the offers he passed up in the 1990s as a junior lawyer with New York leader Cravath Swaine & Moore to move into investment banking ("short term, it would have been great money; long term, it would have hindered my development as a lawyer") and, more recently, to his decision to leave Allen & Overy's (A&O's) London office three years ago to take up his current position.

    1 minute read

  • July 30, 2009 |

    Trio of firms hit rich seam on $488m bid for goldmining company

    A raft of firms including Norton Rose, Shearman & Sterling and Ashurst have lined up to advise on AngloGold Ashanti and Randgold Resources' joint $488m (£295m) bid for Moto Goldmines. The counterbid, which sees the two mining companies trying to beat Canada's Red Back Mining $466.8m ($282m) bid for Moto, would give AngloGold a 50% indirect interest in the company if Randgold's bid goes ahead.

    1 minute read

  • July 9, 2009 | International Edition

    International law firms: Batten down the hatches

    If ever there was a market to test the commitment of international firms to their London office, this would be it. Plummeting workloads and high operating costs have meant more so than ever the City is proving an expensive toehold.

    1 minute read

  • July 9, 2009 |

    International law firms: Batten down the hatches

    If ever there was a market to test the commitment of international firms to their London office, this would be it. Plummeting workloads and high operating costs have meant more so than ever the City is proving an expensive toehold.

    1 minute read

  • July 7, 2009 |

    Weil Gotshal cuts starting salaries in City arm

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has dropped the starting salary of newly-qualified lawyers in its London arm by 5.5% to £85,000. The move sees the firm become the latest practice to halt associate lockstep in response to the current recession, with incoming City lawyers this year earning £85,0000, against a previous rate of £90,000.

    1 minute read

  • June 17, 2009 |

    Skadden takes front seat on GM's Saab sell-off

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has advised Sweden's Koenigsegg on its acquisition of General Motors' loss-making brand Saab. The deal, which was backed by Norwegian and US investors, saw Skadden field a team including City corporate finance partner Pranav Trivedi.

    1 minute read

  • June 16, 2009 |

    Gibson Dunn set for Sao Paulo office launch

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is set to launch an office in Brazil - joining the growing ranks of law firms with bases in Sao Paulo. The firm is set to relocate one of the three New York-based co-chairs of its Latin America practice group, Lisa Alfaro, to head the new office, which will launch as soon as it receives a licence.

    1 minute read

  • June 10, 2009 |

    CC, Freshfields and Shearman line up on Barclays stake sale

    Clifford Chance (CC), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Shearman & Sterling have taken the lead roles on the high-profile sale of a stake in Barclays.

    1 minute read

  • June 10, 2009 |

    Weil GM bill set to surpass Lehman charges with 'more complex matter'

    Weil Gotshal & Manges looks set to earn more from the landmark bankruptcy of General Motors than it did from its mandate advising on the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

    1 minute read