Dentons has ramped up its war of words with the media and industry analysts over financial transparency. The firm has responded to critical questioning in the American Lawyer over its decision to stop reporting average profit per equity partner (PEP). The magazine’s article, “In Defense of PPP”, referred to Dentons’ move, which the firm defended as […]
Banks seem to have woken up to the idea that litigators are better together and have been reorganising their legal teams accordingly. In an era of high-profile bank litigation and squeezed budgets, banks have been bringing their litigation teams into centralised groups. Gone are the days when litigators were sprinkled among business divisions, reporting to […]
Greedy corporate raiders, shareholder wrangling and bullyboy tactics – investor activism has long been seen as one of the more brutal parts of the corporate law landscape. Broadly, investor activism refers to investors actively buying up shares in a company with the intention of gaining enough control to demand changes be made to the business. Those […]
Kennedys has reported a 10 per cent increase in turnover to £128.5m for 2013/14 from £117m in 2012/13. It was the third consecutive year of growth for the firm, following a 9 per cent rise in turnover from £109m in 2011/12, and an 11.6 per cent rise the previous year. Around a third of the […]
DLA Piper has advised Rizhao Port (Hong Kong) Company on its issue of RMB850m (£82m) worth of credit-enhanced bonds, its first ‘Dim Sum’ bond offering in Hong Kong, in mid-May. The law firm acted as Hong Kong counsel for the bond issuer, Rizhao Port, and its PRC-based parent company, Rizhao Port Group Co. DLA Piper […]
China’s biggest life insurer China Life is set to buy Clifford Chance’s Canary Wharf headquarters in a £780m deal, according to media reports. The state-owned Chinese investor is said to be in high-level talks with property owner Canary Wharf Group (CWG) to buy the 32-floor 10 Upper Bank Street property. There are currently 16 vacant […]
Slaughter and May corporate partner Nigel Boardman has won a lead role advising British Olympic Association chair Lord Moynihan on his private member’s bill, ‘The Governance of Sport’. The bill aims to spark debate about difficult issues in sport, proposing a raft of new measures including national anti-doping provisions, visa and immigration rules for elite […]
Apparently something is going on right now in Brazil. Yes, as you’re aware, the world’s top law firms including Norton Rose Fulbright, Baker Botts and Hogan Lovells have been queuing up in recent years to open up shop in and around Rio de Janeiro. And then there’s the World Cup. This is a football tournament, […]
There’s a small matter of a football tournament beginning this week. Is your workplace prepared? Check out the following pieces by Allen & Overy, Eversheds, Gateley, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Shoosmiths to make sure you’re covered. Come clean on the road to RioGateley: World Cup 2014 — are you ready for kick-off?Shoosmiths: FIFA World […]
The UK’s water industry watchdog Ofwat has been gasping for a general counsel since it started interviewing candidates in December. Despite the market’s whirlpool of talent, finding the right person for the job was surely thirsty work. This is the regulator’s first-ever GC slot, with winning candidate Elizabeth Hillman to be in charge of legal […]
Covington & Burling has introduced a European head of public policy and government affairs role to the firm as it looks to beef up its offering in Brussels. According to sources the firm was in competition with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for the hire of Sebastian Vos, who worked at the magic circle firm’s antitrust, competition and […]
BP’s ongoing panel review process is drawing to a close, with firms expecting to be told if they have scooped a UK panel place before the end of June. However the parallel US panel review could drag out beyond the end of the month, although some firms pitching for spots on both the UK and […]