Bruce Dear, head of London real estate at Eversheds, has commented on news that Maya Capital plans to spend £100m on office buildings in cities across the UK. He said: “With Grexit looming and bond rates historically low, the UK regions offer strong and stable value compared with Europe. “Right now, a well-let property in […]
Tim Jones, a member of No5 Chambers’ planning and environment group, recently represented one of the claimants in a High Court case, which ruled that the secretary of state discriminated against travellers by intervening in appeals involving green belt pitches. According to No5 Chambers, his ruling could trigger the review of many cases. Tim Jones […]
Clifford Chance’s global corporate leader Guy Norman knows that the firm has to change – but believes that natural progression, rather than cultural overhaul, is the way to go. In today’s interview with The Lawyer, Norman outlines his strategy to focus on private equity, financial services, mining, utilities and oil and gas. But for this […]
The Law Society is taking its fight over Government cuts to criminal legal aid to the Court of Appeal after the High Court threw out a judicial review into criminal legal aid contracts. The High Court today (18 February) upheld Government reforms to legal aid in a decision deemed “deeply disappointing” by the Law Society […]
There is a tangible air of determination around Clifford Chance these days; a sense that change is not just preferable, but vital. Guy Norman, Clifford Chance’s global practice area leader for corporate, is brutally candid about the need for change at his firm. Still, he describes what’s required as a natural progression rather than a […]
Fountain Court has appointed its first permanent member of staff for its Singapore office and unveiled plans to expand its presence in London. Caroline McConnon has been appointed to the new role of practice manager, Asia – the chamber’s first member of staff in its Singapore office since it opened in September 2014, and “the […]
Scottish firm Macroberts has hired a four-strong team of partners from DWF to expand its construction and real estate practice. DWF’s Scottish head of construction, infrastructure and projects Neil Amner, PPP and PFI specialist Martin Gallaher, head of wind power Martin Sales and DWF’s Scottish education sector head Robin Corbett will join MacRoberts, growing its […]
Shearman & Sterling, Slaughter and May and Sullivan & Cromwell (S&C) have played key advisory roles on today’s (17 February) £1.22bn takeover bid by Fairfax Financial Holdings for insurance company Brit. Fairfax is a Toronto-headquartered financial services holding company, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Slaughters acted for Brit on the recommended takeover. […]
Research from Citi Private Bank, which reveals solid increases in revenue at some of the world’s largest US firms, has underlined that the place to be is global, transactional and cost conscious. Rocket science it is not, but the Citi data does at least highlight the improving financial position for many US firms. Its survey […]
Eversheds has expanded its financial services offering with the formation of a regulatory compliance team. It will be headed by financial services regulatory partner David Saunders, formerly at Nationwide Building Society. The firm has already recruited six senior consultants and developed a team of compliance contractors in Agile, its flexible resource function. The firm plans […]
No5 Chambers barristers Abid Mahmood, Vinesh Mandalia and Ravinder Bagral have been appointed Deputy Upper Tribunal Judges of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. They will primarily sit at Field House, London, but will also be required to sit at other Upper Tribunals around the country. The Upper Tribunal is a superior court of record and deals […]
Derwent London plc has exchanged contracts with LaSalle Investment Management, the global real estate investment manager, to acquire a minimum 175-year long leasehold of 20 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell EC1 in London’s Tech Belt. LaSalle will retain the building’s virtual freehold with the right to receive 10 per cent of all rents. In return, Derwent London […]