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  • September 25, 2008 |

    Eversheds set for Hong Kong office launch

    Eversheds is launching an office in Hong Kong after hiring Heller Ehrman head of Asia Nick Seddon. Seddon, who previously headed DLA Piper's Asian practice until the end of 2007, will join Eversheds next week (1 October) and will start building the office immediately.It will be Eversheds' second base in the region as the law firm already has an 18-lawyer practice in Shanghai. Seddon's move comes only seven months after he joined Heller in March this year and as California-based Heller seemingly heads closer to dissolution following the collapse of a series of US merger talks. The law firm has held failed talks with both Baker & McKenzie and Mayer Brown in recent months and has lost rafts of partners in the US and Asia. Seddon told Legal Week that his decision to leave Heller stems from a difficulty to do his job during the current circumstances.He commented: "In reality the problem has been that with the merger discussions it did not make sense for me to do what I do, which is to grow the practice."He added: "My ambition would be to have a practice of around 50 lawyers in about three years time. If we got up to 50 we would have the critical mass to support Eversheds' client base."Eversheds has no other imminent hires in Hong Kong and does not yet have any office space but intends to build a full service office. Seddon cannot talk to other potential recruits from Heller until he formally leaves the partnership.Eversheds incoming UK managing partner Bryan Hughes said: "Hong Kong is a key jurisdiction. It will integrate effectively with the Shanghai office and be another piece of the jigsaw for Eversheds."

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  • September 24, 2008 |

    Heller's familiar fate

    They may not be quite as flaky as their banking counterparts, but news this week of Heller Ehrman's dissolution is a reminder that US law firms…

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  • September 22, 2008 |

    Former merger candidates eye up Heller teams

    Failed merger partners of Heller Ehrman could be set to pick up large parts of the firm, as the troubled West Coast giant moves closer to dissolution, writes The Recorder. In a partner conference call on Thursday (18 September), firm management said they expected to hear whether former merger candidates Winston & Strawn, Baker & McKenzie and Mayer Brown would be interested in picking up large chunks of Heller's offices, practice groups or both. Management told the partners that they expected to hear back from the firms over "the next few days."

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  • September 18, 2008 |

    West Coast giant Heller ponders dissolution

    Heller Ehrman appeared on the brink of dissolution this week, with some partners already looking to move with what amounted to tacit approval from firm management, writes The Recorder.In office meetings on Wednesday (17 September), partners were told that dissolution is one of several options facing the 119-year-old law firm, a Heller partner said. As a result, management said it was understood that partners would begin talking to other firms, and several individuals and groups have already begun talks, sources said.

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  • September 16, 2008 |

    15 partners quit Heller as Mayer Brown talks end

    At least 15 intellectual property (IP) partners are leaving Heller Ehrman to join US rival Covington & Burlington, as merger talks between Heller and Mayer Brown reach a conclusion, reports The Recorder. The end of the talks was announced in an email to the partnership from Mayer Brown chairman James Holzhauer on Monday morning, in which he praised Heller as a firm.News of the 15 partners leaving Heller had come in over the weekend and into Monday, according to one source who would not elaborate on whether the announcements precipitated the end of the merger talks or vice versa.

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  • September 9, 2008 |

    Legal profession snubbed on London advisory body

    The Mayor of London's decision to not appoint an active legal professional to a new business advisory body has been met with disappointment by the legal community. Boris Johnson's International Business Advisory Council for London (IBAC London) features business leaders from The Coca-Cola Company, British Airways and Adidas but has no practising lawyers. The 47-strong group will advise the Mayor on developing ideas and initiatives on improving the capital as a place to live and work.Vincent Keavney, a securitisation partner at Baker & McKenzie, commented: "It is disappointing given the importance of the legal industry

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  • September 9, 2008 |

    Proskauer secures Asia launch with Heller China team

    Proskauer Rose has secured its long-awaited Asia launch after hiring a two-partner team in Beijing from Heller Ehrman, including chief representative partner Joseph Cha, Legal Week can reveal. The departing office head is joined by partner Ying Li and one associate from the top 50 US law firm's new office. The New York-based Proskauer Rose has previously expressed interest in launching in Asia but does not yet have offices in the region.Following the loss, Heller's Beijing office has only one partner - dispute resolution specialist Ing Loong Yang, who shares his time between Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore - plus two associates and three legal consultants.

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  • September 4, 2008 |

    Proskauer's Paris arm signs up partner duo

    Proskauer Rose has bolstered its Paris office with the hire of a Gide Loyrette Nouel intellectual property (IP) partner, along with the addition of a partner from Baker & McKenzie. IP/IT partner Gregoire Goussu joined this week (1 September) from Gide, with antitrust partner Mireille Dany set to follow on Monday (8 September) from Bakers. Each partner will bring at least one associate with them.Dany was previously a partner with EY Law in Paris before joining Bakers in 2003.

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  • September 4, 2008 |

    Heller eyes Mayer Brown deal after Baker Mac talks collapse

    Just two weeks after merger talks between Baker & McKenzie and Heller Ehrman broke down over conflicts issues, Heller has entered into talks with Mayer Brown. News of the discussions was broken by Legal Week's sister title The American Lawyer last week, with sources close to both firms revealing that California-based Heller is aggressively pursuing other merger options, of which the most promising is a combination with Chicago-based Mayer Brown. Both firms have declined to comment on the claims but the talks are understood to represent a second effort to combine the two firms.

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  • September 1, 2008 |

    Heller Ehrman and Mayer Brown in merger talks

    Just two weeks after merger talks with Baker & McKenzie broke down due to conflicts, Heller Ehrmann...

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