• January 14, 2013 |

    Watson Farley targets German business in Asia with Ashurst hire for Bangkok base

    Watson Farley & Williams has added a partner to its commercial practice in Bangkok with the hire of Ashurst intellectual property (IP) and commercial lawyer Marcus Nothhelfer. Nothhelfer, who specialises in copyright and media issues, is joining Watson Farley's office in the Thai capital in an effort to tap the German business community in Asia.

    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 9, 2013 |

    SNR Denton in lead role as Jessops becomes latest high-street casualty

    SNR Denton has been appointed as lead adviser on the administration of camera retailer Jessops, in the latest high-profile retail collapse amid tough times for high street businesses. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) was today (9 January) appointed as administrator of the company, which has 192 stores and around 2,000 employees across the UK.

    1 minute read

  • January 8, 2013 |

    Dechert, Wachtell take key roles on BoA's $11.6bn toxic loan settlement

    Dechert and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz have taken advisory roles on Bank of America's (BoA) $11.6bn (£7.2bn) settlement with US Government mortgage agency Fannie Mae to resolve mortgage purchase claims related to residential home loans. The settlement, which comes after the Manhattan US Attorney sued BoA last October for selling toxic loans, will see BoA make payments of $3.6bn (£2.2bn) and repurchase 30,000 loans for $6.75bn (£4.2bn), as well as paying $1.3bn (£808m) to Fannie Mae to resolve loan servicing fee obligations.

    1 minute read

  • January 2, 2013 |

    SJ Berwin launches in Luxembourg with addition of two new partners

    SJ Berwin has launched an office in Luxembourg with the addition of two new partners, including former Allen & Overy (A&O) lawyer Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine. The base, which opened today (2 January) will focus on corporate, finance, private equity, funds and tax, and will be led by Armstrong-Cerfontaine, who set up her own Luxembourg firm Armstrong Cerfontaine Avocats in 2009 after leaving A&O.

    1 minute read

  • December 20, 2012 |

    CMS, SJ Berwin and Ashurst line up as Apollo buys Mappin & Webb owner

    CMS Cameron McKenna, SJ Berwin and Ashurst are among the firms scoring roles on the private equity takeover of Mappin & Webb owner Aurum Holdings. The deal, reportedly worth around £180m, has seen US private equity house Apollo Global Management take over UK jeweller Aurum, which in addition to Mappin & Webb owns Goldsmiths and Watches of Switzerland.

    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 17, 2012 |

    Lloyds Banking Group appoints new GC with hire of FSA legal chief

    Lloyds Banking Group has appointed a new group general counsel with the hire of Financial Services Authority (FSA) GC Andrew Whittaker. Whittaker, who will begin his new role in the second quarter of 2013, will report to chief risk officer Juan Columbus at Lloyds. He has been GC at the FSA since April 2000.

    1 minute read

  • December 16, 2012 |

    King & Wood Mallesons and Ashurst lead on $1.6bn PetroChina-BHP deal

    King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has acted opposite Ashurst Australia on a $1.63bn (£1bn) transaction between PetroChina and BHP Billiton, marking the latest in a string of significant cross-border energy deals in Asia this year.

    1 minute read

  • December 13, 2012 |

    Property Team of the Year: Ashurst/Eversheds

    The award went to a joint submission from Eversheds and Ashurst for their work on the Shard, the tallest tower in Western Europe, which opened for business this summer. The two firms acted as lead advisers on the landmark project, advising landowners Teighmore, New London Bridge House, Sellar Property and the Qatari debt and equity investors. The deal was high profile and charged with major financing, planning and political issues, among them agreeing a structure that would work with existing transport and infrastructure. A

    1 minute read