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  • February 6, 2014 |

    Calling the tune – PPL legal director David Harmsworth on music licensing, litigation and his pop picks of the year

    Next time you are placed on hold by a phone operator or patiently queuing at the hairdresser, listen out for the background music. If it is a piece by an artist you recognise, there's a fairly good chance PPL legal director David Harmsworth and his team have had a role in that recording reaching your ears. If they haven't, they still may need to get involved. PPL – or Phonographic Performance Limited – is a non-profit organisation that grants companies licences to play music recorded by its members, which range from performers and session musicians to studio producers and composers. Given music played for personal consumption at home or at a private party are the only real exceptions, this adds up to a lot of licenses. At the last count, it was more than 300,000. When I meet Harmsworth at PPL's offices – the Bob Marley room to be exact – I cannot hear any background music, despite him assuring me he is a firm believer in workplace music. Which means PPL itself also has to have a PPL licence.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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).

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read

  • 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."

    1 minute read

  • 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.

    1 minute read