• March 14, 2007 |

    Offshore: Fund raiser

    Guernsey recently witnessed the conclusion of an innovative securitisation deal which has boosted a new fund concept. The development of this highly successful product for Dominion PCC Limited saw aspects of the new funding structure breaking new ground. Established in December 2004, Dominion, a Guernsey open-ended investment fund structured as a protected cell company (PCC), offers 12 cells that invest either through life policies in the with-profits funds of Prudential International Assurance or Norwich Union International on either a leveraged or unleveraged basis.

    1 minute read

  • March 12, 2007 |

    London transport bodies to run joint projects panel

    Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground have united to appoint a joint panel for major projects work. A shortlist of 18 firms have been invited to tender for panel places, with the new panel - which carries a four-year term - set to take effect from July when London Underground's present panel arrangements expire.

    1 minute read

  • March 7, 2007 |

    Diary managerial masterclass: brand on the run

    "Does anything get the pulse racing quite like a re-branding exercise? What's that, you say? A £20bn buy-out with more leverage than a DLA Piper associate conference? Perhaps for you, sunshine. But not in the mid tier."You see, time is money. And if there's one thing our clients have plenty of, it's time. And money. But mostly time. And they can't afford to have it wasted with lengthy law firm names. Particularly not if they have to pronounce the entire name each time they need a spot of conveyancing done."

    1 minute read

  • March 6, 2007 |

    Ashurst joins Slaughters on £1bn Countrywide sale

    Ashurst has bagged a major role opposite Slaughter and May acting for longstanding client Countrywide on the £1bn takeover approach from US private equity group Apollo Management. Ashurst is advising Countrywide - the UK's largest estate agent - on a bid that values the group at 590p per share.

    1 minute read

  • March 5, 2007 |

    Blackstone backs Ashurst on £1bn Tussauds deal

    Ashurst has bagged a lead role advising on the £1bn acquisition of the Tussauds Group by private equity giant Blackstone. The City giant is advising Blackstone and its leisure parks business, Merlin Entertainments, on its £1.03bn purchase of the Tussauds Group from Dubai International Capital (DIC) Corporate partner Charlie Geffen is leading the Ashurst team, alongside associates Mark Sperotto, Gavin Gordon and David Arnold.

    1 minute read

  • March 5, 2007 |

    Fulbright raids Ashurst for energy partner

    Fulbright & Jaworski has bolstered its London office with the hire of Ashurst energy partner Jeremy Sheldon. Sheldon left Ashurst on Friday (2 March) and is expected to join Fulbright in mid-March. Sheldon became a partner in 2000 and has a particular focus on domestic and international electricity and oil and gas deals both from a corporate and infrastructure perspective. He spent part of his time with Ashurst in India.

    1 minute read

  • March 5, 2007 | International Edition

    Fulbright raids Ashurst for energy partner

    Fulbright & Jaworski has bolstered its London office with the hire of Ashurst energy partner Jeremy Sheldon. Sheldon left Ashurst on Friday (2 March) and is expected to join Fulbright in mid-March. Sheldon became a partner in 2000 and has a particular focus on domestic and international electricity and oil and gas deals both from a corporate and infrastructure perspective. He spent part of his time with Ashurst in India.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2007 |

    Top LBO trio tighten grip but primary market slows

    With the acquisition finance market slowing after a hectic 2006, leading finance partners are more eager than ever to position themselves with the select band of sponsors and arranging banks still getting deals to market. Recent months have seen established teams such as Clifford Chance (CC), Allen & Overy (A&O) and Ashurst tighten their grip on the market with the trio signing a string of a multibillion-pound deals (see table below), despite the recent struggle of sponsors to secure acquisitions in Europe.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2007 |

    Lovells calls in BLG to prepare case for the defence in JP Morgan court contest

    Lovells has instructed Barlow Lyde & Gilbert to defend it in a High Court battle against JP Morgan. The top 10 City firm is being sued by the investment bank in relation to advice it gave Finnish insurer Sampo on its £143m acquisition of Norwich Union's Polish life and pensions businesses in 2000.

    1 minute read

  • February 28, 2007 |

    Norton Rose beats Ashurst to head Hemscott corporate adviser league

    Norton Rose has topped rankings of corporate advisers, taking over from Ashurst as the firm with the most quoted UK clients. Hemscott's quarterly corporate adviser rankings show Norton Rose in pole position with 120 stock market clients, Slaughter and May in second with 113 quoted clients, Ashurst and Eversheds in equal third place with 110 clients and Pinsent Masons in fifth place with 97 clients.

    1 minute read