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  • September 15, 2011 |

    How the top international law firms stack up in Asia

    Clifford Chance: 366 lawyers across eight offices. Hong Kong - 138 lawyers including 32 partners, Singapore - 72 lawyers including 15 partners, Tokyo - 51 lawyers including nine partners, Shanghai - 22 lawyers including five partners, Beijing - 29 lawyers including six partners, Bangkok - 16 lawyers including two partners Sydney - 21 lawyers including seven partners Perth - 17 lawyers including seven partners Key deals include: • advising the underwriters on Prada's Hong Kong listing; • advising the underwriters on Glencore's dual listing in Hong Kong and London; and • advising the managers on Volkswagen's dim sum bond - the first by a German company.

    1 minute read

  • September 14, 2011 |

    The globe trotters - what international institutions taught an Aussie banking giant

    "The idea first came about from the relationship the bank has with IBM, which provides significant IT and system support to us. In the course of setting up things with them we had a discussion with their general counsel about trying to get a better understanding of how their legal function operates and it went from there," Justin Moses explains. Moses, corporate counsel and general manager of the legal product and distribution department at the Australian banking group Westpac, is referring to an innovative series of what the company calls "benchmarking study tours" it has carried out in recent years. The bank's legal team has been visiting international companies in the US and UK to learn from other in-house counsel how they conduct their legal counsel functions and what ideas and structures the banking group can replicate back in Australia and New Zealand.

    1 minute read

  • September 14, 2011 |

    Simmons adds partner to US capital markets team with CC hire

    Simmons & Simmons has moved to rebuild its US capital markets capacity in London with the hire of a lawyer from Clifford Chance's (CC's) Hong Kong office. The top 15 UK law firm has hired Julian Perlmutter as a corporate partner in its City equity capital markets team. Perlmutter, who is currently a foreign counsel with CC in Hong Kong, is expected to join Simmons on 14 November when he will become the second US-qualified partner in Simmons' ECM team alongside Charles Hawes.

    1 minute read

  • September 7, 2011 |

    A waste of money - is the bonus round at top US firms just money down the drain?

    US law firms are conditioned to doling out tightly banded 'follow-the-leader' bonus awards to associates. But, argues Amy Kolz, there is little evidence this practice reflects market reality or even buys them any staff loyalty

    1 minute read

  • September 2, 2011 |

    Slaughters and A&O win roles on $2bn Cathay Pacific bond programme

    Slaughter and May has advised Cathay Pacific Airways on its application for the listing of a $2bn (£1.2bn) medium-term note programme on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, reports The Asian Lawyer. According to the Hong Kong airline, the programme will broaden the company's sources of funding and increase its financial flexibility.

    1 minute read

  • August 19, 2011 |

    Gibson Dunn, Slaughters lead firms on HP's £7bn Autonomy takeover

    Gibson Dunn and Slaughter and May have won lead roles on Hewlett-Packard's (HP) £7.1bn takeover bid for Britain's largest software company Autonomy, in a deal which could become the largest ever in the history of the European IT sector.

    1 minute read

  • August 15, 2011 |

    A&O boosts Qatar with hire of Simmons' local financial markets chief

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has hired Simmons & Simmons' Middle East financial markets head as a partner in its Qatar office. Doha-based Samer Eido will head A&O's local banking and finance practice when he joins the firm at a start date still to be agreed.

    1 minute read

  • August 9, 2011 |

    Thomas Eggar becomes latest firm to join Integreon shared support centre

    Thomas Eggar has joined a growing list of firms to have signed up to outsource back office functions to Integreon. The southeast firm has signed a deal for Integreon to run its library and information service, joining the outsourcing company's existing clients - which include CMS Cameron McKenna, Osborne Clarke, Beachcroft, TLT Solicitors and Morgan Cole - in the use of its Bristol service centre.

    1 minute read

  • August 9, 2011 |

    A&O and CC take top roles on pre-let deal for new Canary Wharf tower

    Allen & Overy (A&O) and Clifford Chance (CC) have taken lead roles on one of the largest London lettings deals so far this year. The magic circle duo have advised as the European Medical Association (EMA) agreed a pre-let of 250,000 sq ft in a new 20-storey tower which Canary Wharf Group will start building at 25 Churchill Place on the Wharf later this year.

    1 minute read

  • July 29, 2011 |

    O'Melveny names litigation head as new chair

    O'Melveny & Myers has named New York-based litigation head Bradley Butwin as its new chair, writes The Am Law Daily. The 51-year old Butwin will succeed current O'Melveny chair Arthur Culvahouse, who has held the position since 2000.

    1 minute read