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  • October 25, 2013 |

    CC and Anjarwalla take top prizes at celebration of Africa legal excellence

    Clifford Chance scooped the headline International Law Firm of the Year award at the inaugural African Legal Awards in Johannesburg last night. The magic circle firm was one of four international firms to secure awards at the sell-out event, which was attended by 200 private practice and in-house lawyers and hosted by Legal Week in association with the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa (CLASA).

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  • October 24, 2013 |

    Location, location, location still key as law firms see offices as vital in attracting clients

    The latest Big Question survey shows that 91% of respondents feel that a law firm's office space significantly influences how clients perceive it, with fewer than one in 10 disagreeing. The vast majority of respondents also regard office space as important in attracting and retaining talent, with 96% describing it as either very (39%) or quite (57%) important. "The location and feel of the office is much more important than you might otherwise think," said Norton Rose Fulbright global head of corporate Martin Scott (pictured, right). "It is essential to have a space that people want to be in. It's been five years since we moved but the building still feels cutting edge.

    1 minute read

  • October 23, 2013 |

    Counsel slams "excessive" Proskauer and Dewey fees on MF Global bankruptcy

    Fee requests filed by Proskauer Rose and legacy Dewey & LeBoeuf in the administration of derivatives broker MF Global have been labelled "excessive" in a US court. In an objection filed yesterday, a counsel to the administration rejected the applications and recommended Proskauer reduce its fee from $5m (£3.1m) to $3.25m (£2m) and Dewey drop its request from $3.75m (£2.3m) to $3m (£1.9m).

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  • October 17, 2013 |

    The next big thing – regulation's booming popularity in legal business

    September 2007. A month Ian McDonald remembers well. "My banking and finance colleague Kevin Hawken came to see me and said: 'What do you know about SIVs [structured investment vehicles]?'" recalls McDonald, London head of commercial dispute resolution at Mayer Brown. "I thought it was a kitchen gadget. I really had no idea – but that is part of the challenge as litigators." His ignorance was short-lived. Mayer Brown's litigators were among the first called upon to help restructure SIVs – complex financial products once worth an estimated $400bn (£247.3bn) – when the 2007 credit crunch halted the short-term funding that underpinned them. For McDonald and his colleagues, it marked the start of busy few years.

    1 minute read

  • October 10, 2013 |

    Top firms set to do battle at 2013 British Legal Awards

    Linklaters is leading the way in nominations for the top practice awards as the shortlist for the 2013 British Legal Awards has been unveiled. The magic circle has nominations M&A, banking, financing or restructuring, and commercial team of the year categories. However, it missed out on the law firm of the year shortlist.

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  • October 9, 2013 |

    CC private equity partner re-joins David Walker at Latham

    Latham & Watkins has raided Clifford Chance's (CC) private equity practice for the second time this year with the hire of Tom Evans as partner. Evans joins just months after CC private equity chief and key Carlyle relationship partner David Walker made the switch.

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  • October 9, 2013 |

    Norton Rose Fulbright and Pinsents advise on Falklands oil and gas merger

    Norton Rose Fulbright and Pinsent Masons have landed the leading roles on a deal that will see Falkland Oil & Gas (FOGL) acquire fellow exploration company Desire Petroleum. The combination of the two Falklands companies, which will create an entity worth around $250m (£156m), will see FOGL's shareholders own 60% of the combined group's issued share capital after the offer closes, with Desire stakeholders owning the remainder.

    1 minute read

  • October 6, 2013 |

    Former Fulbright competition co-head joins Brodies in Edinburgh

    Brodies' Edinburgh office has re-hired Norton Rose Fulbright regulatory and competition partner Rod Lambert. Lambert, who trained at the Scottish firm before moving to London, joins Brodies' public law and regulatory team, where he will advise clients on antitrust litigation matters including cartel defence, antitrust compliance and merger control.

    1 minute read

  • October 3, 2013 |

    Cleary moves out of Hong Kong's Central district as faltering deal flow forces firms to downsize

    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has become the first Wall Street law firm to move out of Hong Kong's main business district in Central after signing a lease on a property in neighbouring Causeway Bay. The move comes as growing numbers of overseas firms based in the city's most expensive district have downsized or sublet space.

    1 minute read

  • October 2, 2013 |

    HSF ramps up in Australia with hires from Bakers, Norton Rose Fulbright

    Herbert Smith Freehills has ramped up in Australia with the hire of two new partners. Corporate partner David Ryan joins the Sydney team from Baker & McKenzie, whilst finance partner David Lyons has moved to HSF in Brisbane from Norton Rose Fulbright. Ryan was global head of mining and metals with Bakers, and had a strong energy and resources practice focusing on M&A in the electricity and gas sector. He will continue to concentrate on M&A and offer more general commercial advice in his new role.

    1 minute read