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  • September 30, 2011 |

    DLA and Ashurst head up pre-pack rescue deal for clothing retailer

    DLA Piper and Ashurst have taken lead roles on the pre-pack administration of Alexon Group, a deal which has seen the troubled clothing retailer sold into private equity ownership. The deal, which is expected to save as many as 2,700 jobs, closed yesterday (29 September) with a sale to Sun Capital, after shares in Alexon were suspended following the appointment of KPMG as administrators.

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  • September 30, 2011 |

    Dewey recruits Stephenson Harwood partner for London energy team

    Dewey & LeBoeuf has added a partner to its London energy practice with the hire of Stephenson Harwood partner Marc Hammerson. The hire takes energy partner headcount in Dewey's London office to seven, with the group led by oil and gas sector head John LaMaster. Hammerson's practice focuses on energy transactions including M&A, project financing, energy derivatives, private equity and listings, in particular projects in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

    1 minute read

  • September 28, 2011 |

    Asia growth and partner shake-up on agenda as Ashurst seals Blakes deal

    Ashurst will move to ramp up its lawyer headcount in Asia and shake up its partner remuneration over the next three years in the wake of its ambitious tie-up with leading Australian firm Blake Dawson. The City law firm, which agreed the union with Blakes last week (23 September), is planning to sharply increase joint lawyer numbers in Asia from around 155 lawyers at present. One Ashurst partner predicted the Asia headcount could double by 2014.

    1 minute read

  • September 28, 2011 |

    Finally, a decisive step: Ashurst's long journey to a globally transformative merger

    After more than a decade overshadowed by strategic angst and a string of aborted merger attempts, Ashurst has finally travelled halfway around the globe to secure what it hopes will be a transformative deal. The firm's tie-up with Australian leader Blake Dawson, which was confirmed in a dual partner vote on Friday (23 September), comes after failed merger talks with Latham & Watkins and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson in 2000 and 2003 respectively. There is no doubt that the union, which will see the two firms unite under the Ashurst brand and combine operations in Asia next March ahead of a vote on a full financial merger in 2014, represents a major and high-stakes change of direction for the UK firm, which has previously been seen as a byword for City conservatism.

    1 minute read

  • September 28, 2011 |

    The new equation - Ashurst does the math on a fast-changing world

    What is the world coming to when Ashurst – of all firms – pulls off a deal that is both globally transformative (for it) and hugely illustrative of the current shifts in the international market? True, you wouldn't necessarily know the deal carries that much weight from the initial reaction. That's largely due to the novel structure used to bind the two firms, which has left rivals somewhat nonplussed.

    1 minute read

  • September 28, 2011 |

    Will touted new venture Acculaw provide new route to law or fuel lawyer sub-class?

    Even without another downturn, the outlook for law students remains far from rosy. The number of training contracts on offer last year shrunk to 4,874, a fall of 23% against its peak in 2007-08, while the pool of legal practice course (LPC) graduates without an offer continues to grow monthly. Yet law firms eyeing the uncertain market are in some cases still scaling back their future intakes. In this context, former Lovells lawyer Susan Cooper claims to have found a workable solution with her newly-founded business Acculaw. The unusual venture will see Acculaw offer training contracts to LPC graduates and oversee their development by providing training and seconding them to law firms.

    1 minute read

  • September 26, 2011 |

    Ashurst aims for global leader status with Blake Dawson tie-up

    Ashurst has taken a dramatic step to reposition itself as a credible global contender after agreeing a tie-up with Australian leader Blake Dawson. The structure of the union will see the firms combine their Asian operations, while Blakes' domestic Australian operation rebrands as Ashurst in March 2012, bringing the combined business under a single brand.

    1 minute read

  • September 26, 2011 |

    Stephenson Harwood signs up Ashurst partner to lead new London practice

    Stephenson Harwood is set to launch a dedicated employee benefits and incentives practice in London with the hire of Ashurst partner Barbara Allen. Allen, whose start date has not yet been agreed, will join as head of the team and will be the sole partner dedicated to the practice.

    1 minute read

  • September 22, 2011 |

    Blake Dawson hires for Asia employment launch ahead of potential Ashurst tie-up

    Blake Dawson is set to launch an Asian employment practice with a partner hire from Australian rival Freehills. Employment partner George Cooper will join Blake Dawson's Singapore office from mid-October, and will head up the new employment practice across Asia.

    1 minute read

  • September 21, 2011 |

    Beachcroft and SNR Denton lead on new Westfield lettings

    Beachcroft and SNR Denton have helped fill the new Westfield Stratford City shopping mall, with the pair advising Westfield on lease agreements for 300 stores inside the centre. Beachcroft's real estate team, led by relationship partner David Esam, completed 50% of the mall's lettings, with SNR Denton advising on the remaining 150 agreements, led by retail occupiers sector group head Chris Denny. The roles take the number of top 50 UK law firms to have picked up advisory mandates for Westfield in relation to the new Stratford centre, which opened last week, to five.

    1 minute read