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  • April 17, 2008 |

    Weil Gotshal hires O'Melveny man for City finance

    Weil Gotshal & Manges is set to boost its London finance practice with a partner hire from US rival O'Melveny & Myers. The New York firm has voted to bring in Stuart Hills to its City team, although the appointment is still to be finalised.

    1 minute read

  • April 16, 2008 |

    Duck the downturn

    Legal Week's career clinic recently received an anxious message from a newly-qualified corporate associate at a US firm. No doubt having heard stories of the gruelling hours put in at such firms, the associate expressed surprise - and concern - that they were not exactly run off their feet. "I am concerned that the lack of work coming into the department will mean that heads will start to roll and I may be picking up my P45 sooner or later."

    1 minute read

  • April 16, 2008 |

    US Focus: Legal aid

    When a London-based partner at a magic circle firm took an American colleague and his wife out to the opera recently, the conversation turned to politics.The English lawyer expressed surprise that the US partner appeared to be so familiar with the political views and activities of his fellow partners. Indeed, the US lawyer observed: "Partners are likely to have lunchtime conversation about politics or pull someone across the room and say 'did you read that article today about that speech by Obama?'"While in the UK there are numerous high-level politicians who initially trained as lawyers, on the other side of the Atlantic practising lawyers tend to be more engaged in politics, at both a local and national level. "In the US a large proportion of prominent lawyers are very politically active," says the US partner. "Many may run for office some day or, even if not, they are very politically connected. A significant reason for why lawyers become lawyers in the US is that they have political ambitions or interests - they would like to have some influence."

    1 minute read

  • April 16, 2008 |

    World class

    Georgetown University Law School unveils its take on global expansion as it prepares for the opening of the Centre for Transnational Legal Studies in London. Richard Lloyd reports

    1 minute read

  • April 16, 2008 |

    So near non-dom, so far

    At last, after months of searching for a US lawyer who was about to relocate across the Pond in protest at Alistair Darling’s cack-handed assault…

    1 minute read

  • April 16, 2008 |

    Skadden ploughs $10m into NY diversity venture

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has committed almost $10m (£5.07m) to a new programme backing students from minority backgrounds to address what the New York heavyweight called a "persistent lack of diversity" in the legal profession, writes the New York Law Journal. Skadden - the top-grossing firm on the Am Law 100 - will commit $9.6m (£4.87m) over the next decade toward an honours programme designed to encourage and support minority students at the City College of New York to become attorneys.

    1 minute read

  • April 10, 2008 | International Edition

    Simmons wins surprise UK role on Bear Stearns fire sale

    Simmons & Simmons has won a surprise role on the fire sale of Bear Stearns - advising the stricken Wall Street giant on the UK aspects of its sale to JP Morgan last month. Simmons' role on the high-profile sale will be seen as a coup for the top 10 City firm's corporate and finance practices, with the partners Jeremy Hoyland (financial markets) and Alan Karter (corporate) brought on board when it became apparent that the bank was in trouble.

    1 minute read

  • April 10, 2008 |

    Simmons wins surprise UK role on Bear Stearns fire sale

    Simmons & Simmons has won a surprise role on the fire sale of Bear Stearns - advising the stricken Wall Street giant on the UK aspects of its sale to JP Morgan last month. Simmons' role on the high-profile sale will be seen as a coup for the top 10 City firm's corporate and finance practices, with the partners Jeremy Hoyland (financial markets) and Alan Karter (corporate) brought on board when it became apparent that the bank was in trouble.

    1 minute read

  • April 10, 2008 |

    Big-ticket mining bids drive McCarthy to top spot in Q1 global M&A rankings

    McCarthy Tetrault has topped the value table for global M&A deals for the first quarter of 2008, knocking Sullivan & Cromwell and Linklaters into second and third place respectively. Mergermarket's global rankings for Q1 show the Canadian firm advised on 17 deals over the period with a value of $319.2bn (£160.4bn) including roles on the two largest deals of the quarter - BHP Billiton's $211bn (£105.7bn) bid for Rio Tinto and Altria's $106.9bn (£53.7bn) bid for Philip Morris. The Canadian firm also topped the value list for Q1 in 2007 but ended the year ranked 20th, with Sullivan heading the tables.

    1 minute read

  • April 10, 2008 |

    Nabarro boosts real estate with partner promotions

    Nabarro is the latest firm to announce its partnership promotions for 2008, with the top 20 City firm giving five associates the thumbs-up. The figure marks a slight drop from last year's total of seven promotions.

    1 minute read