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  • June 22, 2007 |

    Legal Week Lunchbox: 22/6/2007

    The five most popular stories on legalweek.com on a very busy Friday; plus the pick of readers' comments; and the latest indispensable entry to Legal Village

    1 minute read

  • June 21, 2007 | International Edition

    KKR/Boots stand-off on pensions raises the stakes

    Ashurst and Sacker & Partners may not have taken the main roles on Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co's (KKR's) £11bn takeover of Alliance Boots, but their involvement on behalf of the pension fund's trustees certainly proved crucial. The pair advised the trustees on last-minute talks with KKR to guarantee the future of the retailer's pension fund in an instruction that not only demonstrates the growing pressure on private equity deals in the UK but the increasing power of pensions funds in takeovers in general.

    1 minute read

  • June 21, 2007 |

    O'Melveny hires Watson Farley duo

    O'Melveny & Myers is launching a London litigation and arbitration practice with the hire of two partners from Watson Farley & Williams. The US firm is bringing in Watson Farley international litigation head David Kavanagh, together with fellow contentious partner David Foster. The hires are O'Melveny's first partner-level appointments in London since the firm hired former Ashurst corporate partner Chris Ashworth at the end of 2005.

    1 minute read

  • June 21, 2007 |

    Bevan Brittan bolsters City property team

    Bevan Brittan has lured a new partner to its expanding property practice in the capital. Charlie Proddow joins the Bristol-based firm's City arm this week from local practice Devonshires, where he was also a partner. Proddow, who was previously a commercial property lawyer at City giant Ashurst, will take on a senior role in the 67-partner firm's specialist housing team.

    1 minute read

  • June 21, 2007 |

    Summer surge gifts top City firms big-ticket IPOs

    A busy seven days for initial public offerings (IPOs) has gifted corporate mandates to a raft of City law firms as the number of companies coming to market surges before the summer break. White & Case, Norton Rose and Baker & McKenzie were among the main recipients of the listings, which had a combined value of more than £3bn.

    1 minute read

  • June 21, 2007 |

    KKR/Boots stand-off on pensions raises the stakes

    Ashurst and Sacker & Partners may not have taken the main roles on Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co's (KKR's) £11bn takeover of Alliance Boots, but their involvement on behalf of the pension fund's trustees certainly proved crucial. The pair advised the trustees on last-minute talks with KKR to guarantee the future of the retailer's pension fund in an instruction that not only demonstrates the growing pressure on private equity deals in the UK but the increasing power of pensions funds in takeovers in general.

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2007 |

    Dealmaker: Stephen Lloyd

    Apax regular Stephen Lloyd is a partner in Ashurst's much-touted private equity team.

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2007 |

    Employment: Gainful employment

    "Employment practices and employment lawyers used to be the poor cousins in the legal world, servicing law firms' corporate departments. That has changed. Now we have a seat at the table," says Edward Goodwyn, employment partner at Pinsent Masons. Just 15 years ago, former Simmons & Simmons partner Janet Gaymer founded the Employment Lawyers Association, having already set up Simmons' own employment department and begun the long process of raising the profile of her chosen practice area.

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2007 |

    News in pictures

    London was calling City firm Clashurst this week at familiar-sounding charity do Party Near The Park (lucky no IP lawyers were present, eh?). Folk from the party-hard world of commercial property gathered to dress up as elderly rockers and prove it's not just Mick Jagger who'll surrender his creaking dignity on stage to drum up a few quid.

    1 minute read

  • June 20, 2007 |

    The Diary on tour, part 643: Barcelona

    Last week El Diary was in the Catalonian capital for sun, sangria and structured finance as 4,000 delegates descended on the catchily-named Annual Global Asset-Backed Securities Conference, which was every bit as fun as it sounds.

    1 minute read