Allen & Overy has advised Imperial Tobacco on its $7.1bn (£4.1bn) acquisition of the US Winston, Kool, Salem and Maverick tobacco cigarette brands and the US/UK blu e-cigarette brand from Reynolds American following its acquisition of Lorillard — tripling Imperial’s US market share. Reynolds has agreed to sell these brands to Imperial on the closing […]
David Hinchliffe, head of the sports group at Walker Morris, has been named Sports Lawyer of the Year at Finance Monthly’s Law Awards. Hinchliffe has particular expertise in football club finance. In particular, he has developed specialist expertise advising on the acquisitions and disposals of football clubs and has been the lead adviser on a […]
Schoenherr has advised Rasperia Trading on its exercise of a call option to purchase shares and increase its shareholding in Vienna Stock Exchange-listed STRABAG SE to a blocking minority of 25 per cent and one share. Rasperia, a company of Russia-based industrial conglomerate Basic Element, previously held 19.4 per cent in the Vienna-based construction conglomerate. […]
Richard Hignett has successfully represented a small employer at the Birmingham Employment Tribunal, securing a sizeable costs award. The tribunal awarded costs of £5,000 against a claimant who brought misconceived discrimination claims against a firm of landscape architects based in the Jewellery Quarter. Hignett successfully represented the employer at the final hearing in April and […]
Ian Dove QC and Nina Pindham from No5 Chambers have secured planning permission and a partial costs award for a site in Northumberland, which may hold the record for the most tortuous planning history. An initial hybrid application for the development of 200 residential dwellings and ancillary commercial development was refused by Northumberland County Council; […]
DLA Piper has announced that Maria Rodriguez has been named to the Daily Journal’s 2014 list of ‘Top Labor and Employment Lawyers’, which recognises the top employment litigators, counsellors and advisers in California. The Daily Journal highlighted Rodriguez’s work on behalf of Princess Cruise Lines, which faced allegations of age and disability discrimination, retaliation and defamation. Rodriguez obtained dismissals of […]
A real-estate lawyer at Shoosmiths has completed the second edition of the successful and popular industry handbook Property Development: A Practical Guide. Gavin Le Chat saw his first legal handbook published in April 2010 after spotting a gap in the market for a comprehensive guide on the subject. Following sales that exceeded expectations and a […]
What do Slater & Gordon and Tom Cruise have in common? Both make people think of Long Island Ice Teas, according to brand consultancy Intangible Business. The consultancy asked focus groups of law firm clients to compare recent mergers with well-known cocktails in a bid to assess their perception of brand new law firm brands. […]
Recoverable success fees and after-the-event insurance may have breached the European Convention on Human Rights, Lord Neuberger warned last week. Neil Rose investigates The pre-Jackson regime of recoverable success fees and after-the-event (ATE) insurance may breach the European Convention on Human Rights, with “very serious consequences for the government”, the Supreme Court suggested on Wednesday […]
Osborne Clarke’s Simon Beswick, now in his final stint as managing partner, is hunting further international growth. Asia beckons. When he took up the reins at Osborne Clarke back in 2002 the Bristol-headquartered firm was a six-office regional player with a turnover of £60.9m. By the time he steps down from his third and final […]
BP has appointed nine firms to its specialist legal panel, including Baker & McKenzie and Hill Dickinson. Fieldfisher, Holman Fenwick Willan, Reed Smith, Stevens & Bolton, Sullivan & Cromwell, Watson Farley & Williams and recently-established arbitration boutique Three Crowns have also won spots on the niche roster. Each of the firms has been appointed for […]
After Wonga and others were caught sending fake legal letters, what are the professional risk implications for in-house lawyers of using pseudo-solicitors to chase debts? The profession needs to grapple with serious legal and ethical issues following recent reports of some retail lenders and banks using pseudo law firms to chase consumers for outstanding debt. But has […]