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  • October 14, 2009 |

    Departures and cutbacks take Ashurst partner exits to 22

    Ashurst has seen 22 partners leave its limited liability partnership (LLP) since January - equating to around 10% of its partnership as it stood at the beginning of the current financial year. The top 10 City law firm, which had 235 partners at the beginning of May, has seen 22 partners leave the LLP since the start of the year, either voluntarily or at the request of management, with one further partner stepping down to become a counsel. In comparison, only four partners left the Ashurst LLP over the whole of 2008.

    1 minute read

  • October 14, 2009 |

    A&O takes top role on €1bn leveraged finance deal

    Allen & Overy (A&O) has advised on the €1.025bn (£955m) financing of the acquisition of a majority stake in Italian natural gas distributor Enel Rete Gas (ERG). The magic circle firm drafted in a team from its City headquarters to advise a consortium of 11 banks financing the deal, led by longstanding clients JP Morgan and Banca IMI. London projects partner Conrad Andersen took the lead for A&O, with leveraged finance chief Tim Polglase assisting.

    1 minute read

  • October 12, 2009 |

    Barlows boosts City insurance practice with Ashurst partner hire

    Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has hired its second partner in as many months, with the firm recruiting insurance specialist Ian Mason from Ashurst. Mason joined Barlows today (12 October) after nine years as a partner with Ashurst, becoming the firm's sixth corporate insurance partner in the City.

    1 minute read

  • October 9, 2009 |

    Leading firms nominated for 2009 British Legal Awards

    Allen & Overy (A&O), Bird & Bird and Norton Rose are among the nominees for a series of accolades at the 2009 British Legal Awards. The trio have been shortlisted for the prestigious Law Firm of the Year award alongside Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Clyde & Co, Kennedys and Stephenson Harwood. Norton Rose has also been nominated for a further two awards, including M&A Team of the Year, while Bird & Bird has secured nominations in three other categories, including Commercial Team of the Year.

    1 minute read

  • October 8, 2009 |

    Lovells and Hogan – something transatlantic this way comes?

    It's not Legal Week's style to make a fuss when we break stories. As far as we are concerned it's our job to break quality news on a daily basis, so readers will very rarely see references in our stories to Legal Week "revealing" things. But once in a while a story is worth the self-regarding tip, and the merger discussions between Lovells and Hogan & Hartson, revealed exclusively today on legalweek.com, is in that select camp.

    1 minute read

  • October 7, 2009 |

    Ashurst recruits new head of Spanish litigation

    Ashurst has hired a new head of its Spanish litigation and arbitration practice, with an appointment from a local firm. Daniel Jimenez will join the top 10 City firm as a director later this month from Spanish law firm Diaz-Bastien & Truan, where he was the partner in charge of the civil litigation department.

    1 minute read

  • October 7, 2009 |

    Freshfields counsel makes partner at Stephenson Harwood

    Stephenson Harwood has added to its London finance practice with the hire of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer lawyer Richard Parsons as a partner. Parsons, who was a counsel at Freshfields, joined Stephenson Harwood's City headquarters earlier this week (5 October), taking the total partner count in the London finance practice to 15.

    1 minute read

  • October 7, 2009 |

    Care home operator debt restructure hands roles to Macfarlanes and A&O

    Macfarlanes and Allen & Overy (A&O) have scored roles as care home operator Four Seasons Healthcare restructured its £1.5bn debt pile after more than a year of negotiations with lenders. The deal, which signed last week (28 October), saw some 30 lenders agreeing a debt-for-equity swap that effectively halves Four Seasons' debt to around £780m and leaves primary lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) with a 40% stake in the company.

    1 minute read

  • October 7, 2009 |

    Ashurst grows Abu Dhabi presence with corporate partner transfer

    Ashurst has added a partner to its Abu Dhabi base with the relocation of City corporate specialist Nick Williamson. Williamson joined the top 10 UK firm's Middle East practice last month, becoming the third partner in Abu Dhabi alongside projects partner and office head David Wadham and real estate partner Matthew Hooton.

    1 minute read

  • October 6, 2009 |

    Global 100: Emerging markets

    From Russia's grey gloom to Brazil's red-hot ambitions, a look at the state of five emerging legal markets

    1 minute read