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  • September 8, 2010 |

    Switzerland: Letting the outside in

    Switzerland's legal market has long been dominated by domestic law firms but recent changes in the banking sector and in financial legislation are encouraging a more international outlook, says Suzanna Ring

    1 minute read

  • September 8, 2010 |

    Business as usual - the next step for Rio Tinto's outsourcing deal

    Leah Cooper's decision in February to quit her job as Rio Tinto managing attorney and EMEA general counsel to take a business development role at legal outsourcing provider CPA Global caused quite a stir. At the time, the outsourcing deal she struck with CPA on behalf of Rio - which since last May has seen the mining giant send out low-level legal tasks to a team of CPA lawyers in India - was less than a year old. And few expected the brains behind - and recognisable face of - the headline-grabbing initiative to jump ship so soon.

    1 minute read

  • September 8, 2010 |

    Reviews put UK firms on alert for high-profile panel places

    The UK's leading law firms are set to compete for a raft of coveted panel roles as adviser reviews at Rio Tinto, Nomura and Ireland's National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) reach the advanced stages. Mining giant Rio Tinto is set to launch a global review of its panel relationships - overseen by group executive of legal and external affairs Debra Valentine - aimed at streamlining the number of firms it instructs.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2010 |

    City lawyers protest Government's proposed cap on immigration

    The City has hit out at Government proposals to impose a cap on UK immigration, saying that the move could damage competitiveness of international law firms. The plans, which would come into effect in April 2011, have been criticised by law firms and the Law Society for reducing the freedom to move lawyers into the UK from international offices.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2010 |

    Dentons Moscow arm boosted with Dewey hire

    Denton Wilde Sapte is set to boost its Moscow corporate practice with the hire of a partner from Dewey & LeBoeuf's London office. Dentons has hired corporate partner Igor Krivoshekov, who specialises in M&A and private equity. He has joined Dentons in London in a bid to integrate with the corporate team but will relocate to the firm's Moscow arm in January.

    1 minute read

  • September 1, 2010 |

    CEE-ing potential

    Elections have taken place across the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region this year, including in Hungary and the Czech and Slovak republics. The resulting coalition Governments have had important ramifications for the way businesses operate in each country, with a knock-on effect for local law firms. Many advisers are still focused on the busy infrastructure sector in the region, in particular flagship road projects and the much-touted alternative energy industries.

    1 minute read

  • August 24, 2010 |

    Five-partner Hogan Lovells IP team quits for move to DLA Piper in LA

    DLA Piper has recruited a five-partner team from Hogan Lovells' intellectual property (IP) practice in Los Angeles, reports The National Law Journal. The group includes Richard de Bodo, a former IP practice leader at Hogan Lovells whose clients have included Dow Jones, News Corp and Panasonic.

    1 minute read

  • August 18, 2010 |

    Herbert Smith and A&O advise on billion-dollar Gazprom financing

    Herbert Smith and Allen & Overy (A&O) have taken lead roles on a major Russian finance deal which has seen Gazprom Neft secure loans of up to $1.5bn (£963m). The oil unit of Russia energy giant Gazprom has lined up financing of $1.35m (£866m) so far, a figure which could rise to $1.5bn if more lenders are signed up. Herbert Smith is advising Gazprom Neft with a team led by Moscow-based energy finance partner Ed Baring.

    1 minute read

  • August 17, 2010 |

    Trio of firms head up BP's $5bn oil revenue loan deal with major banks

    Linklaters has taken the lead role for BP as the oil giant moves to borrow $5bn (£3bn) by pledging sales revenues from two oil fields. BP has raised the multibillion-dollar sum via a banking deal involving oil revenues from two separate fields in Azerbaijan and Angola, with Herbert Smith advising the arranging banks on the $3bn (£2bn) Angola loan and Baker & McKenzie advising the banks on the Azerbaijan deal.

    1 minute read

  • August 17, 2010 |

    Mayer Brown adds partner duo to Asia offices

    Mayer Brown JSM has bulked up its Beijing and Hong Kong offices with the hire of two partners from Winston & Strawn and Sidley Austin. Xiang Yang Ge joined Mayer Brown last month to head up the Beijing projects practice from Winston & Strawn's local office, where he was also office head. Prior to joining Winston & Strawn in 2009 he had spent 18 years at Baker & McKenzie.

    1 minute read