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  • September 9, 2011 |

    23 major law firms come together for ground-breaking diversity initiative

    Twenty-three UK and Irish law firms have come together for a groundbreaking initiative to boost social mobility in the profession with a wide-ranging work experience scheme. The project, dubbed PRIME, will see the firms involved commit to provide significant work experience programmes for state school children from non-privileged backgrounds in a profession-wide bid to improve social diversity in law.

    1 minute read

  • September 7, 2011 |

    Magic circle quartet secure roles on €2bn Endemol debt restructuring

    Four of the magic circle are among a raft of firms to have won roles on the 
multi billion-euro debt restructuring of Endemol, the TV production company behind shows such as Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. Endemol is owned by a consortium comprising Mediacinco, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and Cyrte Investments, which are being advised by Clifford Chance (CC), Sullivan & Cromwell and Benelux leader Stibbe respectively.

    1 minute read

  • September 7, 2011 |

    The merger master - how James Retallack's merger experience served him well on the board of takeover target

    Aggregate Industries' (AI's) former legal and compliance director James Retallack knows a thing or two about mergers. In the glare of the public eye he guided Birmingham and London law firm Edge Ellison through the rocky aftermath of dramatically collapsed merger talks with then Pinsent Curtis (now Pinsent Masons) in 1997 and, after an oft-challenging three years, into a union with legacy Hammond Suddards. Only four years later, at major heavy building materials company AI, he was part of the board guiding the FTSE 250 company through a £1.8bn merger with Swiss-founded aggregate and cement giant Holcim.

    1 minute read

  • September 5, 2011 |

    Leading law firms make public pledge to slash CO2 emissions

    Linklaters, DLA Piper and Allen & Overy are among a raft of major law firms to have signed up to a public commitment to cut their carbon emissions. The firms are among 20 'executive' members of the Legal Sector Alliance - a group of law firms and organisations working to reduce Co2 emissions in the legal industry - to agree public targets from the next financial year.

    1 minute read

  • September 2, 2011 |

    Slaughters and A&O win roles on $2bn Cathay Pacific bond programme

    Slaughter and May has advised Cathay Pacific Airways on its application for the listing of a $2bn (£1.2bn) medium-term note programme on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, reports The Asian Lawyer. According to the Hong Kong airline, the programme will broaden the company's sources of funding and increase its financial flexibility.

    1 minute read

  • August 31, 2011 |

    Partners fear takeover phobia will hamper M&A recovery

    Last month's £7.1bn bid for UK software company Autonomy by Hewlett-Packard has led to renewed calls for the Government to bring in new laws protecting UK businesses from the threat of overseas takeovers. The political flare-up following the largest overseas takeover of a UK company since last year's controversial acquisition of Cadbury by US food group Kraft has prompted collective eye-rolling among corporate partners across the City.

    1 minute read

  • August 31, 2011 |

    UK and Indian firms take lead as India's Piramal buys Vodafone Essar stake

    Stephenson Harwood and Linklaters have advised alongside Indian firms on Piramal Healthcare's acquisition of a $640m (£389m) stake in Indian mobile operator Vodafone Essar. The trio advised on English law aspects of the deal, which saw Indian pharmaceutical group Piramal take on a 5.5% stake in Vodafone Essar.

    1 minute read

  • August 25, 2011 |

    Line-up of top UK firms pitch in with pro bono help for riot-hit businesses

    Linklaters, Eversheds and DLA Piper are among a list of leading UK law firms to have offered pro bono legal support to victims of the London riots. Legal charity LawWorks has launched a dedicated helpline to offer free legal advice and support to those affected by the recent riots, in particular owners of small independent businesses to have suffered as a result of the unrest.

    1 minute read

  • August 25, 2011 |

    Olswang, Freshfields among firms on major German real estate deal

    Olswang's Berlin office has won a key role on Germany's largest commercial real estate deal so far this year, with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer also advising on the €740m (£652m) transaction. The deal, which has handed roles to a raft of law firms, saw Dundee International become the first-ever Canadian real estate investment trust (REIT) to enter the European market, investing around €740m in a German real portfolio.

    1 minute read

  • August 23, 2011 |

    Ashurst partner takes up two-year secondment at Takeover Panel

    Ashurst corporate partner Tom Mercer has begun a two-year secondment at the Takeover Panel, becoming the latest City partner to take up a role at the regulator. Mercer, who is based in London and was promoted to Ashurst's partnership earlier this year, has been appointed by the panel as a new secretary for a period of two years beginning next month (12 September).

    1 minute read