• February 4, 2014 |

    White collar lawyers prepare for introduction of new SFO powers

    A type of plea bargain that will radically alter City-based white collar partners' dealings with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), will come into effect at the end of this month. Deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), which are heavily used in the US, allow self-reporting companies to strike a deal with the SFO to pay a fine rather than face the uncertainty of a criminal prosecution.

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  • February 4, 2014 |

    Candidates emerge for HSF disputes head as Leydecker prepares for CEO role

    Candidates have emerged for the role of global dispute resolution head at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) as Sonya Leydecker prepares to take up the role of the firm's joint-CEO in May. In December the firm named current global disputes head Leydecker and managing partner Mark Rigotti as its new joint chief executives. The new appointments will take effect from 1 May 2014 for a three year term.

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  • February 3, 2014 |

    HSF grows Germany practice with first disputes partner hire

    Herbert Smith Freehills has hired Baker & McKenzie dispute resolution partner Mathias Wittinghofer to join its growing Germany practice.m's dispute resolution group.

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  • January 23, 2014 |

    McLaren F1 team puts Norton Rose in driving seat as firm secures global adviser mandate

    Norton Rose Fulbright has becoming the first law firm to form a partnership with Formula 1 team McClaren Mercedes. The firm will work closely with McLaren Group's in-house legal team to advise on corporate and M&A, contractual and intellectual property, real estate and employment law.

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  • January 21, 2014 |

    Bakers and Freshfields on hand for $2.9bn Russian energy JV

    Baker & McKenzie and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have landed the mandates on a major Russian energy deal which sees Novatek and Gazprom Neft jointly acquire a 60 per cent stake in Artic Russia for $2.94bn (£1.8bn).

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  • January 16, 2014 |

    Dechert's Asia departures continue as two more senior lawyers exit

    Dechert is to lose another two senior lawyers in Asia following the departure of its Hong Kong managing partner Basil Hwang. Asia litigation head David Chu is moving to New York firm Prosauker Rose to launch a regional disputes practice, leaving Dechert on 23 January, while corporate counsel Peter Wang is taking a partner role at a top Chinese firm also towards the end of the month.

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  • January 15, 2014 |

    Magic circle breaks into Stonewall list as Freshfields makes top 100

    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has become the first magic circle firm to break into the top 100 UK employers for LGB staff, according to the charity Stonewall's annual index.

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  • January 13, 2014 |

    Shell GC Peter Rees to step down after three years in the role

    Peter Rees QC has stepped down as legal director of Shell, just three years after joining the company from Debevoise & Plimpton. In a statement, a spokesperson for the energy giant said: "Shell can confirm that Peter Rees is stepping down as Legal Director of the Company with effect from 10 January 2014 to pursue other interests."

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  • January 9, 2014 |

    Clifford Chance moves into Indonesia with local tie-up

    Clifford Chance has launched in Indonesia after entering into an association with local outfit Linda Widyati & Partners (LWP). The tie-up comes some months after the firm first began analysing the market, which it was previously servicing from Singapore.

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  • January 7, 2014 |

    Transfer Window Asia: recent moves including DLA, Clydes and HSF

    DLA Piper has boosted its corporate practice in Bangkok with the hire of O'Melveny & Myers lawyer Tim Tan. Tan, who was previously a counsel with O'Melveny in Singapore in the firm's corporate finance practice, focuses on banking and leverage finance, corporate debt and restructuring and special situations investment transactions.

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