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  • April 20, 2011 |

    The future of legal education - a shopping trolley?

    Frank Zappa had a point when he said: "If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library." I'm in the midst of a series of podcasts and blog posts about the future of legal education. Two weeks ago I talked to Baroness Deech, chair of the Bar Standards Board. In the course of our podcast conversation, we touched on the reform of legal education being undertaken by the profession. I asked her what she thought about the agenda of the big vocational law schools and the role of the profession in the academic stage of legal education provided by the universities at degree level.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    Camerons leads for Royal Mail on facilities deal worth £1.8bn

    CMS Cameron McKenna has won the lead role for Royal Mail on its largest transaction since cutting down its legal panel to just three firms at the end of last year. The UK top 15 law firm advised Royal Mail on an agreement to extend its facilities management contract with joint venture (JV) company Romec for a further 10 years, with the deal worth up to £1.8bn.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    Slaughters corporate partner takes on Royal Mail general counsel role

    Royal Mail Group has appointed Slaughter and May corporate partner Jeff Triggs as its interim general counsel, following the departure of former legal chief Doug Evans. Triggs, who has worked with Royal Mail for more than 20 years, will serve as GC while the company looks for a permanent replacement for Evans, who joined pub operator Mitchells & Butlers as company secretary and general counsel in January.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    A looser grip? – a new style beckons at Linklaters

    While it is common to overplay the significance of individuals within businesses, there is no doubt that the end of David Cheyne's term as senior partner at Linklaters will mark the end of an era for one of the City's proudest brands. That is less because Cheyne personally embodied Linklaters - like Nigel Boardman at Slaughter and May, he remained too individualistic and self-contained for that - but he obviously represented the spiritual heartland of the firm: its City corporate practice. Given the huge changes the firm has seen over the last 15 years, and considering the three candidates it is currently considering to replace him, the new senior partner will, to a certain extent, represent the new face of Linklaters, particularly in terms of the huge expansion in its banking practice and international network. A new senior partner also seems likely to signify a shift to a more contemporary or informal style - less so in age, but certainly in personal approach.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    Santander reviews UK advisers as Barclays quizzes panel on hospitality

    Banco Santander has kicked off a review of its external legal advisers in the UK as it emerges that Barclays is set to grill its global panel firms on corporate hospitality spending for the first time. Santander's review of its own-account legal panel began around two weeks ago and covers the legacy Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley brands.

    1 minute read

  • April 11, 2011 |

    Linklaters makes up six in London in 18-strong global partnership round

    Linklaters has become the latest magic circle firm to announce its partner promotions, with six London lawyers joining the partnership in a global round of 18. The promotions, which will take effect next month (1 May), come after the firm's annual partners' conference in Paris last week.

    1 minute read

  • April 11, 2011 |

    Slaughters, CC and Linklaters score top roles on Arsenal takeover bid

    Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance (CC) and Linklaters are among a line-up of firms to have won roles on US businessman Stan Kroenke's full takeover bid for Arsenal Football Club, which values the North London club at £731m. The deal has also handed roles to Herbert Smith and White & Case, with the duo advising on the financing. Kroenke, who has turned to CC City partner Tim Lewis for advice, agreed to launch a mandatory full takeover this weekend after his company Kroenke Sports Enterprises (KSE) acquired a majority stake in the club. He now holds 62.89% of shares in the Premier League club.

    1 minute read

  • April 6, 2011 |

    Linklaters and Norton Rose win Prudential panel spots after five-month competitive tender

    Linklaters and Norton Rose have won hotly-contested places on Prudential Group's new global legal panel following a five-month competitive tender process. The review, which kicked off in October and closed last month, also saw legacy advisers Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells reappointed.

    1 minute read

  • April 5, 2011 |

    BLP announces largest partnership promotions round since 2006

    Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has made up 13 new partners, marking the firm's largest partnership round since 2006. The majority of the new partners, who will be made up as of 1 May, are based in the firm's City headquarters, which receives nine promotions, while three are based in Moscow and one in Singapore. The firm's corporate department sees the largest number of new partners with five, followed by three each in finance and litigation. Tax and real estate receive one new partner apiece.

    1 minute read

  • April 5, 2011 |

    King & Spalding builds in London with Bracewell corporate partner hire

    King & Spalding has added to its London corporate practice with the hire of partner Martin Hunt from New York firm Bracewell & Giuliani. Hunt, who is UK qualified, advises on M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and private equity with a focus on oil and gas, telecoms, water, construction and chemicals. His main client is Shell.

    1 minute read