• May 29, 2013 |

    Ashurst adds two senior figures to top team ahead of Australia merger

    Ashurst has made two big-name additions to its leadership team with the appointment of its first-ever independent board members, ahead of the firm's full merger with its Australia arm. The firm has appointed Robert Gillespie, the former director general of the Takeover Panel, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia chairman David Turner to the boards of Ashurst LLP and Ashurst Australia respectively.

    1 minute read

  • May 23, 2013 |

    Middle East legal community out in force to celebrate region's recovery at CCME Awards

    The Middle East legal community came out in force in Dubai last week to celebrate the achievements of lawyers, law firms and in-house legal teams at the Corporate Counsel Middle East (CCME) Awards. On 16 May, 300 lawyers attended the event at the Westin Mina Seyahi hotel, collectively reinforcing the impression that the legal sector is growing in self-confidence in line with the region's steady recovery from the financial crisis of 2009.

    1 minute read

  • May 20, 2013 |

    Hong Kong ranks third most popular destination with expat lawyers - survey

    Hong Kong is the third most popular destination in the world for expatriate lawyers, according to a new report commissioned by business school ESCP Europe and recruiter Hydrogen. Some 9% of legal professionals surveyed ranked the North Asian financial hub as their preferred relocation destination, beating Australia, which was the favourite of 7%, and Canada which was number one among 6%.

    1 minute read

  • May 19, 2013 |

    Ashurst, Slaughters lead on Ocado's online retail tie-up with Morrisons

    Ashurst, Slaughter and May and Hogan Lovells have advised on a deal which will see supermarket chain Morrisons launch an online grocery service with Ocado next year. Ashurst took the lead role for Morrisons on the deal, which includes a sale and leaseback of equipment at internet grocer Ocado's recently opened Dordon distribution centre in Warwickshire.

    1 minute read

  • May 17, 2013 |

    A&O, Al Tamimi, Emirates among winners at Middle East legal awards

    Al Tamimi & Company and The Emirates Group were among the big winners at the Corporate Counsel Middle East (CCME) Awards last night (16 May). The awards saw Emirates secure the Large Team Legal Department of the Year...

    1 minute read

  • May 17, 2013 |

    Eversheds recruits ex-Dewey partner from Morgan Lewis in Beijing launch double hire

    Eversheds has recruited Morgan Lewis energy partner Ingrid Zhu-Clark to head up its new Beijing office ahead of its formal opening next week (20 May). Ex-Dewey & LeBoeuf partner Zhu-Clark, who moved to Morgan Lewis following the collapse of the US firm last year, will be joined at the new Beijing base by Uria Menendez special counsel Jay Ze.

    1 minute read

  • May 16, 2013 |

    Ashurst leads on Commerzbank's £4bn real estate loan portfolio sale

    Ashurst has picked up a lead role advising on the potential £4bn sale of a portfolio of UK property loans by Germany's Commerzbank. The bank is in discussions to sell its Eurohypo UK operation to US bank Wells Fargo and private equity group Lone Star, with the loan portfolio valued at between £3bn and £5bn. According to reports in the Financial Times the potential acquirers would divide the portfolio between them, with Lone Star to take on the distressed loans and Wells Fargo the performing deals. Should it go ahead, the deal would reportedly be one of the largest disposals of real estate debt by a European bank since the start of the financial crisis.

    1 minute read

  • May 12, 2013 |

    Herbert Smith seeks cash injection of up to £20m from equity partners

    Herbert Smith has issued a cash call to its equity partners, of up to £20m, ahead of its full financial merger with legacy Australian firm Freehills. The outfit, whose partnership with Freehills went live on October 1 last year, has asked its equity partners to pay £2,000 per equity point into the firm, in a bid to improve its capital structure.

    1 minute read

  • May 9, 2013 |

    Magic circle trio among host of global firms to land spots on Deutsche Bank's domestic panel

    A raft of international firms including magic circle trio Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Clifford Chance have been appointed to Deutsche Bank's domestic legal panel. The review of the bank's German panel, which was completed last month, has seen a host of firms win roles to advise on domestic matters, with US firms Latham & Watkins, White & Case and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton also taking places. UK firm SJ Berwin has also won a role, alongside German firms Hengeler Mueller, Gleiss Lutz and CMS Hasche Sigle.

    1 minute read

  • May 7, 2013 |

    Ashurst moves six 'super-plateau' partners down from top of lockstep

    Ashurst has moved six partners down from the top of its lockstep for the first time since the firm's modified system was introduced six years ago. The move comes after the firm brought in the 'super-plateau' 65-point level in 2007, in an overhaul of its remuneration system which saw it rebase its lockstep from a 20-50 point ladder to a wider 25-65 point scale, allowing to better reward star performers.

    1 minute read