Filter This View

  • December 6, 2012 |

    Slaughters among firms advising on Autumn Statement lending initiative

    Slaughter and May is advising the Treasury on the first set of investments made as part of the Government's Business Finance Partnership venture, announced yesterday (5 December) in Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's Autumn Statement. The Government will invest £600m in the venture, which is intended to increase the supply of capital through non-bank lending channels, with fund managers Alcentra Limited, Haymarket Financial, M&G Investment Management and Pricoa Capital to raise a further £650m. An additional £100m is expected to be invested with a fifth fund manager.

    1 minute read

  • December 5, 2012 |

    Ashurst boosts Asia litigation with double partner hire

    Ashurst has boosted its disputes practice in Asia with the hire of two Herbert Smith Freehills lawyers as partners. Rob Palmer will join the firm in Singapore early next year where he will work with an existing team led by energy disputes specialist Ben Giaretta. Chris Bailey will initially join Ashurst in Singapore before relocating to Tokyo, where he will launch the firm's dispute resolution practice in Japan.

    1 minute read

  • December 4, 2012 |

    K&L Gates and Australia's Middletons approve January merger

    K&L Gates is to merge with Australian firm Middletons from January next year, creating a 2,000 lawyer law firm with 46 offices worldwide. Confirmation of the tie-up earlier today (4 December) comes after 533 equity partners across both firms voted unanimously this week to combine their resources through a full financial and operational merger from 1 January, 2013.

    1 minute read

  • November 30, 2012 |

    Diversity initiative PRIME surpasses work experience targets by 10%

    Social diversity initiative PRIME has exceeded its target for the number of work experience placements offered, with 10% more opportunities offered at law firms than was aimed for.

    1 minute read

  • November 29, 2012 |

    Carillion to drive panel firm work through new low-cost legal arm

    Carillion is to make all of its recently appointed panel firms use its new low-cost arm in Newcastle for commoditised work as the FTSE 250 construction group considers offering the service to other companies or law firms. The Newcastle base, known as Carillion Advisory Services (CAS), currently houses 60 paralegals providing support to Carillion on the commoditised elements of deals and other work, as well as providing legal aid advice to clients.

    1 minute read

  • November 29, 2012 |

    Asia lawyers forecast market upturn after landmark leadership changeover in China

    International law firms in Asia are eyeing an increase in market activity following the change in China's leadership, citing a possible return to investment by the country's largest companies. This month saw the confirmation of Xi Jinping as China's new president, succeeding Hu Jintao after almost 10 years at the top of the Communist Party. Jintao's presidency will formally come to an end in March next year, with many lawyers in the region believing the succession will lead to a revival in work levels.

    1 minute read

  • November 28, 2012 |

    Simmons and Stephenson Harwood announce half-year financials

    Simmons & Simmons has reported a 3% decrease in revenue for the first half of the financial year, while Stephenson Harwood has seen H1 revenues hold steady. Simmons has posted a revenue figure of £124.8m for the first six months of 2011-12, with the 3% drop equating to a total of around £121m for the first half of 2012-13.

    1 minute read

  • November 27, 2012 |

    Weil and Hogan Lovells among law firms on $6.5bn Lehman sell-off

    Weil Gotshal & Manges and Hogan Lovells are among a line-up of firms to have advised on Lehman Brothers Holdings' $6.5bn (£4.1bn) cash and equity sale of property group Archstone Enterprise. Archstone, Lehman's single largest asset, is set to be sold to real estate investment trusts Equity Residential (EQR) and AvalonBay (AVB). EQR will acquire 60% and AVB the remaining 40% stake.

    1 minute read

  • November 26, 2012 |

    Ashurst defers quarterly profit distributions after tough half year

    Ashurst is deferring payment of profits to partners this quarter as the firm responds to a drop in revenues in the first half of 2012/13.

    1 minute read

  • November 23, 2012 |

    Ashurst cites currency fluctuations & tough markets as H1 revenues dip 6%

    Ashurst has reported a 6% drop in half-year revenues, citing tough markets and currency fluctuations as the reasons behind the dip. The £145m figure for the first half of 2012-13 contrasts with a strong H1 in 2011-12, which saw the firm take in £154m.

    1 minute read