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  • May 5, 2011 |

    CC adds London antitrust partner with hire of ex-Freshfields lawyer from OFT

    Clifford Chance (CC) has strengthened its London competition practice with the hire of Alastair Mordaunt as a partner from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The ex-Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer lawyer is set to join CC's Canary Wharf headquarters as a partner in the late summer. He is currently a director at the OFT, heading up a dedicated competition enforcement team.

    1 minute read

  • May 5, 2011 |

    Ashurst rebuilds US securities team with ex-Linklaters veterans

    Ashurst has moved to rebuild its US securities practice in London after all three partners in the group handed in their notice earlier this year. The top 10 City law firm has hired two partners for the team - Linklaters corporate finance partner Ray Fisher, who is currently based in the magic circle firm's New York office, and Jennifer Schneck, who left Linklaters' London office in 2009. Both joined Ashurst this week.

    1 minute read

  • May 5, 2011 |

    Links and Simmons lead on HMV but restructuring work remains subdued

    Linklaters and Simmons & Simmons have picked up lead advisory roles on the high-profile restructuring of entertainment retailer HMV. The deal, which sees Simmons advising HMV and Linklaters advising the company's banks, including Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group, is one of a handful of high-profile restructuring mandates so far this year, as advisers concede that the flood of administrations predicted at the height of the financial crisis has yet to materialise.

    1 minute read

  • May 5, 2011 |

    A&O beats City rivals to lead in Q1 bank roles for Euro capital markets

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has topped Thomson Reuters' EMEA debt capital markets rankings for the first quarter of the 2011 calendar year by manager, with US firm Sidley Austin topping the equivalent table by issuer. A&O was the most active adviser to managers on international bond issues, advising underwriters on 129 deals generating proceeds of $92.8bn (£56bn). The tally gave the firm a 7% share of the market by volume, ahead of Linklaters, Clifford Chance (CC), Cahill Gordon & Reindel and Davis Polk & Wardwell.

    1 minute read

  • May 5, 2011 |

    Picking up new business - is the Nordic legal market on the verge of substantial change?

    The fragmented Nordic legal market is potentially on the verge of substantial change. Unlike in many legal markets globally, the force of change appears to be coming from two ambitious local players, Finnish firms Roschier and Hannes Snellman, which have embarked on a pan-Nordic expansion. Both firms have opened offices in Stockholm in recent years, which has placed them in head-to-head competition with Sweden's biggest firms, Mannheimer Swartling and Vinge. Hannes Snellman has also opened in Copenhagen, dominated by local Danish firms, of which the largest is Kromann Reumert.

    1 minute read

  • April 21, 2011 |

    Trio of City firms lead on Battersea Power Station debt restructuring

    Ashurst, Clifford Chance (CC) and Linklaters are among a raft of firms to have advised on the £1.96bn debt restructuring of the ownership of Battersea Power Station. The deal will see the iconic power station transferred to a new holding company, with £437m of debt converted to equity. Ashurst took the lead role for the power station's owner, property company Real Estate Opportunities (REO), with a team led by corporate partner Nigel Stacey alongside finance partners Sarah Watkinson and Dan Hamilton and tax partners Richard Palmer and Simon Swann.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    Ashurst makes up London trio among 12 promotions to partnership

    Ashurst has promoted three London lawyers to its partnership as a part of a 12-strong global promotions round. The appointments, which will take effect on 1 May, are spread across the firm's antitrust, corporate, dispute resolution, energy, finance, infrastructure and real estate practices. The London promotions are Chris Bates and Tom Mercer in corporate, as well as Ross Mackenzie in competition.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    Ashurst plans Hong Kong dispute resolution practice launch with Simmons hire

    Ashurst is set to launch a Hong Kong dispute resolution practice with the hire of Simmons & Simmons China disputes head Gareth Hughes. Hughes, who specialises in disputes relating to banking and financial services, will become the eighth partner in Ashurst's Hong Kong base.

    1 minute read

  • April 14, 2011 |

    City partners concerned over potential negative impact of Vickers' UK banking reform proposals

    City lawyers have reacted critically to the Vickers report's proposals for reform of the UK banking sector, highlighting the potentially damaging impact on the City's status as a global banking hub. Key proposals contained within the interim report from the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) include the suggestion that UK banks should ring fence their retail divisions from their investment banking arms and that there should be increased capital requirements for "systemically important banks".

    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