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  • February 7, 2013 |

    US law firms grow City presence by 8% in face of tough market

    US law firms grew their London offices by an average of 8% last year, despite continued depression in the UK and European legal markets. Research by Legal Week into the activities of 47 US firms in London found that partner headcount increased from 1,205 at the start of 2012 to 1,300 by the first day of 2013, with non-lawyer headcount also rising by a similar proportion. The increase in partner numbers comprises internal promotions, relocations and external hires.

    1 minute read

  • February 7, 2013 |

    Govt unveils competition reforms in 'quantum leap' towards US-style class actions

    The Government has unveiled a new 'opt out' collective redress system, described as "a quantum leap towards US-style class actions", as part of a series of wide-ranging competition law reforms following a consultation last year. The measures, unveiled by business secretary Vince Cable last month, have received broad approval from senior lawyers, after initial proposals were put forward for consultation by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) in April last year.

    1 minute read

  • January 31, 2013 |

    Bakers, Norton Rose among advisers on £700m private equity hospitals deal

    Baker & McKenzie and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are among a group of top firms leading on a £700m refinancing deal for Spire Healthcare Group, which has seen the sale and leaseback of 12 UK hospitals to a consortium of international investors. The consortium features Malaysian pension fund Employees Provident Fund (EPF) – which was last year part of a group of Malaysian investors that bought London's Battersea Power Station – alongside US hedge fund Och-Ziff Capital Management and private equity group Moor Park Capital Partners.

    1 minute read

  • January 31, 2013 |

    Down but not out – global firms still eye Japan success despite a tidal wave of economic strife

    When the Japanese Government allowed foreign law firms to open offices in the country in 1987 to provide international advice, UK and US advisers started piling onto the bustling streets of Tokyo, then lured by the presence of the world's biggest banks and insurance companies as well as its booming technology and automobile industries.

    1 minute read

  • January 29, 2013 |

    Norton Rose hires Bakers partner in Beijing

    Norton Rose has strengthened its Beijing office with the hire of corporate partner Barbara Li from the local arm of Baker & McKenzie. Li, who is dual qualified in the UK and China, is an M&A lawyer with particular expertise in mining, energy and infrastructure. Her hire takes the total number of partners in Norton Rose's Beijing office to eight and comes as part of a push by the firm into Chinese inbound and outbound investment work.

    1 minute read

  • January 29, 2013 |

    A&O, Bakers and Latham among legal line-up on $1bn Thai oil bond issue

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Baker & McKenzie and Latham & Watkins have all taken roles on a $1bn (£636m) bond issuance by Thai Oil, one of the largest petroleum refineries in Thailand. The publically-listed refining and petrochemical company, which is owned by Thailand's PTT Group, issued a dual tranche of senior unsecured fixed-rate notes to foreign institutional investors earlier this month.

    1 minute read

  • January 22, 2013 |

    Bakers appoints Rawlinson to succeed Senior in London MP role

    Baker & McKenzie has appointed intellectual property partner Paul Rawlinson to succeed outgoing London managing partner Gary Senior from 1 July 2013.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    On the crest of a wave – rounding up the best legal briefings from the last quarter of 2012

    After summer 2012's relative lull, Legal Week Law saw an eventful three months as business activity across the legal and commercial sectors picked up. Indeed, following November's flurry of regulatory developments – including the publication of the Leveson report, the Chancellor's Autumn Statement and the release of new guidance on US anti-bribery laws – Legal Week Law witnessed the year's highest monthly download figures. As in previous quarters, popular briefings on contract law and employment law, as well as 'back-to-basics' legal guides, continue to resonate strongly with Legal Week Law's 18,000 users. However, more so than in previous reviews, this quarter's data highlights how law firms are beginning to think more creatively when it comes to making an impact.

    1 minute read

  • January 17, 2013 |

    DLA UK managing partner heads Down Under for new Australia role

    DLA Piper's UK managing partner Andrew Darwin is relocating to Australia to become managing partner of the firm's Australian arm. The new role, which Darwin will take up in March, will see him work alongside Asia-Pacific managing director Bob Charlton, freeing up the latter to concentrate on matters across Asia.

    1 minute read

  • January 16, 2013 |

    Bakers ups chargeable hours target for London associates

    Baker & McKenzie has increased its annual chargeable hours target for London lawyers from 1,600 to 1,700, following an overhaul of the firm's associate career structure and pay system. The increase, which equates to around half an hour of extra billable work per day, is not being accompanied by a salary uplift. The news was first reported on RollOnFriday yesterday (16 January).

    1 minute read