Forget Hurricane Gonzalo. A bigger storm is brewing in the States between two giants. One side is tech titan Facebook; on the other, legal behemoth DLA Piper. Facebook has launched a lawsuit in New York claiming that DLA Piper, along with a number of other firms, conspired to file a “fraudulent lawsuit” based on “fabricated […]
Linklaters achieves top law firm ranking in Superbrands index Magic circle firms lose ground in brand rankings to Norton Rose Fulbright and DLA Piper In-housers name Freshfields and Herbies as most popular brands Riddle of the brands: the secret formula of kudos Baker & McKenzie remains leading law firm brand among in-housers
Facebook has launched a lawsuit against DLA Piper and a raft of US law firms alleging they represented a fraudulent claimant pursuing Facebook for 50 per cent ownership of the social network. In court documents filed in the Supreme Court in New York by Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg four DLA lawyers including San Diego managing […]
After a year and a half of just co-operating with each other, Bird & Bird and its Australian ally Truman Hoyle have now opted for a full merger. The deal comes after the UK firm put growth in Asia at the centre of its strategy, sealing co-operation agreements with firms in South Korea and Indonesia […]
Burges Salmon, Eversheds and Pinsent Masons have won spots on the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) reduced legal panel. The new panel has been reduced from five firms to three following the review. Neither DLA Piper, Fieldfisher or Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was replaced on the panel after first being appointed in 2010 with Fieldfisher understood not […]
When Kennedys’ human resources director Caroline Wilson joined the firm almost four years ago, its qualified lawyers were distinguishable only as solicitors or partners. Not only that but there were no defined career paths, no universal standards by which career development was measured and no appraisals. Wilson has ushered in a new era of formal […]
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is understood to be negotiating to take the seventh floor at 41 Lothbury having taken over Bingham McCutchen’s lease on the fifth and sixth floors with immediate effect. In the meantime Akin’s London team will occupy space both in its original base at Ten Bishops Square and the newly […]
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has made its second major hire in a week, appointing Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe’s London tax chief Nick Thornton. The move marks a return to Fried Frank for Thornton, who was formerly a senior associate at the firm before quitting to join Orrick’s London base in 2010. During his […]
No doubt Slaughter and May and Herbert Smith Freehills are busy scrabbling to save AbbVie’s $55bn takeover of Shire, following President Obama’s recent move to crack down on tax inversion deals. But the new rules don’t seem to have put off the latest candidate looking to cut its tax bill by moving its headquarters onto […]
Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co has strengthened its Paris office with the appointment of a new competition team. Yohann Toreau, partner from DS Avocats, joins with fellow competition and distribution specialist Inès Daulouede. Toreau has extensive knowledge of anti-competitive practices — restrictive practices — mergers, compliance programmes and distribution law. With nearly 15 years’ experience working with […]
The John Lewis Partnership has hired former BG deputy general counsel Keith Hubber to join the company as general counsel from February 2015. Hubber, who spent 13 years at BG group as corporate lawyer, company secretary and then deputy general counsel, will be in charge of the partnership’s legal team after an induction to his […]
In the last two months, Shoosmiths has advised developer Court Collaboration on two Chinese-backed real-estate deals in Birmingham. The latest deal concerns the 1960s former Cadbury office building, Franklin House in Bournville, which is now being lined up for a high-quality residential scheme with up to 96 units. It has been purchased by Court Collaboration […]