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  • April 30, 2008 |

    Hostile territory

    With all the hostile takeovers and proxy fights, Silicon Valley looks more like Wall Street - and some say the new attitude is here to stay. The question is: can the tech companies and their lawyers handle the more combative culture? Recent headlines illustrate the shift: Oracle's $8.5bn (£4.3bn) conquest of BEA Systems, Microsoft's $40bn (£20.3bn) pursuit of Yahoo! and, most recently, Electronic Arts' $2bn (£1.01bn) bid for Take-Two Interactive. Other tech companies - CNET, Sybase, Transmeta - are also doing battle with hedge funds or other investors seeking at least partial control.

    1 minute read

  • April 29, 2008 |

    NY rivals chew over $23bn Mars-Wrigley deal

    Elite Manhattan firms Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom have taken lead roles on Mars' merger with rival confectionary group Wm Wrigley Jr Co - one of the largest M&A deals of the year so far. The deal - worth approximately $23bn (£11.5bn) - sees Simpson Thacher client Mars acquire Wrigley, with Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway investment group taking a $2.1bn (£1.05bn) stake in Wrigley.

    1 minute read

  • April 23, 2008 |

    The right fit

    "Why are we here?" asks Dan Wilkins, director and head of London law firm recruitment at Hays Legal - a valid question, given the time (8.30am) and the bleary eyes around the table. Testament to law firms' appetites to hire and keep the best people, human resources (HR) managers recently met up to discuss recruiting and retaining assistants at top City law firms. The Legal Week roundtable discussion, held in association with Hays Legal and following up on the Legal Week Assistant report last year, saw some lively debate - despite the early start - on topics from CV-checking to the ethics of headhunters

    1 minute read

  • April 22, 2008 |

    Shearman parts with 30-lawyer Mannheim arm

    Shearman & Sterling has parted company with its Mannheim office, which has broken away to launch its own firm. The break-off of the Mannheim office was announced to partners in an internal email today (22 April), with Shearman set to lose around 30 lawyers, including nine partners.

    1 minute read

  • April 22, 2008 |

    US disputes firm taps Kirkland for City launch

    US litigation specialist Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges is set to become the latest US firm to open an office in London after hiring restructuring partner Richard East from Kirkland & Ellis. East had been rumoured to be joining New York firm Weil Gotshal & Manges but it is understood the talks broke down at the last minute with East now set to leave Kirkland for Quinn Emanuel later this week.

    1 minute read

  • April 22, 2008 |

    Jones Day joins NY elite on $7bn fundraising

    Jones Day has bagged a role alongside a clutch of leading New York firms on a $7bn (£3.5m) fundraising by US lender National City. Sullivan & Cromwell advised Cleveland-based National City alongside Jones Day, while Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advised Corsair Capital, the largest single investor. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton also landed a role advising Axon, another of the investors.

    1 minute read

  • April 17, 2008 |

    Weil in advanced talks for City restructuring man

    Weil Gotshal & Manges is in final stage talks to bring in a restructuring partner from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft for its City office. Partners have voted to bring Tony Horspool into the partnership. Horspool left Cadwalader yesterday (23 April) but Legal Week understands that some details of the move are still being finalised. It is thought the firm is also in advanced talks with one other City restructuring partner.

    1 minute read

  • 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