• June 21, 2007 |

    Nine bluechips sign up 60 firms for cutting-edge legal network

    A group of the world's leading companies, led by Cisco, have developed an innovative networking website that will give them free access to major law firms' precedents. The computer company is joined by Microsoft, General Motors and investment banking giants Citi and Merrill Lynch in the venture, dubbed Legal OnRamp, which will offer clients access to legal advice, precedents and updates as well as networking facilities such as 'wikis' and online chatrooms.

    1 minute read

  • June 21, 2007 |

    Summer surge gifts top City firms big-ticket IPOs

    A busy seven days for initial public offerings (IPOs) has gifted corporate mandates to a raft of City law firms as the number of companies coming to market surges before the summer break. White & Case, Norton Rose and Baker & McKenzie were among the main recipients of the listings, which had a combined value of more than £3bn.

    1 minute read

  • June 14, 2007 |

    CC, Freshfields defend banks in new Parmalat case

    Clifford Chance (CC) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are among a raft of firms that will continue to benefit from the Parmalat collapse after four investment banks were yesterday (13 June) indicted in connection with the scandal. Milan judge Cesare Tacconi ordered banking giants Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Morgan Stanley to stand trial alongside 13 individuals for alleged market-rigging in connection with the dramatic collapse of Parmalat in 2003.

    1 minute read

  • June 13, 2007 |

    Dewey adds two to NY restructuring practice

    Dewey Ballantine has bulked up its restructuring practice in New York. William Schrag, formerly a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius, has joined the firm as a partner, while Bingham McCutchen lawyer William Heuer has joined the firm as counsel. Dewey is the latest in a series of US firms to have brought in restructuring lawyers in recent months. Other firms to have made similar moves include O'Melveny & Myers, Morrison & Foerster and Cravath Swaine & Moore.

    1 minute read

  • June 12, 2007 |

    Government names record 48 firms on super-panel

    A record 48 firms have bagged places on the Government's legal panel, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) announced today (12 June). The OGC estimates the contracts will be worth a total of around £240m over the next four years.

    1 minute read

  • June 7, 2007 |

    A&O boosts online capacity with £1m derivatives launch

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has invested more than £1m in a database product for the derivatives industry that the City giant hopes will further build on its suite of cutting-edge online banking tools.

    1 minute read

  • June 6, 2007 |

    Links conflicted out as A&O bags Investec corporate first

    A Linklaters conflict has given Allen & Overy (A&O) its first corporate deal for Investec - advising the banking group on its £283m acquisition of Kensington Group.

    1 minute read

  • June 6, 2007 |

    Technology, Media & Telecoms: The mobile future

    What makes Virgin Mobile UK different to O2, H3G, Vodafone and Orange? It does not have its own core infrastructure, nor does it have a spectrum licence; it is a virtual operator. More importantly, Virgin Mobile UK was the first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to achieve commercial success.

    1 minute read

  • June 4, 2007 |

    High-billing Sebastian quits Dentons for client L&R

    One of Denton Wilde Sapte's highest billers has left the City firm to join top property client London & Regional Properties (L&R) in a move that will be watched keenly by rival advisers. Leonard Sebastian left Dentons at the beginning of May and, according to the L&R website, has become the company's chief legal counsel and a member of the its five-strong board. It is understood to be the first time the real estate giant has appointed an in-house counsel.

    1 minute read

  • June 1, 2007 |

    Weil Gotshal makes hay with $45bn US deal double

    Weil Gotshal & Manges has landed roles on two major US deals in a week, worth more than $45bn (£22.7bn), acting on the management buy-out of Kinder Morgan and the acquisition of Archstone-Smith by Tishman Speyer. Weil Gotshal is advising Kinder Morgan management on the privatisation of the energy transportation and storage company, which is valued at approximately $23bn (£11.6bn).

    1 minute read