• January 10, 2013 |

    Dealmaker: Benita Yu

    The Slaughter and May Hong Kong partner on time zone troubles, Prada and why lawyers aren't boring

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Law firms name first compliance officers for new regulatory regime

    Law firms across the UK have named the individuals who will take up the newly created compliance officer roles under the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) new regulatory regime. The SRA set a deadline of 1 January to approve law firms' compliance officers for legal practice (COLP) and finance and administration (COFA) – roles that have been brought in as part of the post-Legal Services Act shift to outcomes-focused regulation.

    1 minute read

  • January 10, 2013 |

    Shell advisers in focus as global panel review gets underway

    Royal Dutch Shell has kicked off a review of its global legal panel, in a move that will lead to the company's first overhaul of its primary legal advisers since 2010. General counsel Peter Rees QC confirmed that the energy and petrochemical giant had begun the process of reviewing its preferred advisers, with the new panel expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2013.

    1 minute read

  • January 3, 2013 |

    A&O and Slaughters take lead roles as Thomson Reuters acquires PLC

    Allen & Overy (A&O) and Slaughter and May have taken lead roles on a key legal publishing deal which has seen business information group Thomson Reuters acquire Practical Law Company (PLC). UK-based legal publisher PLC, which has more than 750 employees across its operations in London and New York, will become part of Thomson Reuters' legal product portfolio.

    1 minute read

  • January 3, 2013 |

    RPC sees off big-name rivals to win debut Ofcom role on 4G auction

    RPC has won a competitive three-way tender to advise UK telecoms regulator Ofcom on the forthcoming auction of the 4G mobile spectrum. The mandate marks a first-time appointment for RPC from Ofcom, with the firm's team led by competition head and ex-Ofcom in-house adviser Stephen Smith alongside corporate partner Karen Hendy.

    1 minute read

  • December 17, 2012 |

    The Transfer Window: recent moves including Addleshaws, DWF and A&O

    Addleshaw Goddard has bolstered its finance services team with the hire of Olswang regulatory partner Brian McDonnell. McDonnell will join Addleshaws early next year after almost five years at Olswang. He was previously a regulatory lawyer at the London Stock Exchange, and also spent 10 months on secondment at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

    1 minute read

  • December 14, 2012 |

    CC picks up role advising Autonomy founder against HP claims

    Clifford Chance is advising Autonomy founder Mike Lynch against allegations of financial impropriety and misrepresentation made by Hewlett Packard (HP), which acquired Lynch's software company last year for $11bn (£6.8bn). The magic circle firm also confirmed it is advising other former members of Autonomy's management. HP made the allegations in a press statement on 20 November, as it announced an $8.8bn (£5.5bn) write-down related to Autonomy in the fourth quarter of its 2012 fiscal year.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2012 |

    Partners scale back hopes for year ahead as economic woes hit business confidence

    The prolonged eurozone downturn and economic stagnation in the UK are continuing to dent business confidence within the legal profession, with one in three partners expecting revenues to fall or remain static at their firm over the coming year. Legal Week's latest business confidence survey found 28% of respondents forecasting static revenues for 2013 – almost double the proportion making the same prediction in July, when the survey was last conducted – while a further 7.5% expect revenues at their firm to drop next year.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2012 |

    Major firms join influential 30% Club initiative to boost female partners

    Clifford Chance (CC), Ashurst and Eversheds are among a band of ten firms to have signed up to a major new initiative to boost women partner numbers across professional services firms in the UK.

    1 minute read

  • December 12, 2012 |

    Freshfields, Sullivan, Cahill Gordon advise on record $1.9bn HSBC fine

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised HSBC on its record $1.9bn (£1.2bn) fine in a settlement with the US Department of Justice for breaching US money laundering and sanctions laws. The magic circle firm advised the bank on the UK law aspects of the settlement with a team led by global financial services head Michael Raffan and London corporate finance head Barry O'Brien.

    1 minute read