Ogier Legal in Guernsey has advised X2 on the launch of its natural resources venture X2 Resources Partners LP, a $2.5bn (£1.5bn) Guernsey closed-ended investment vehicle. X2 Resources has been formed by the core executive team that built Xstrata into a $50bn mining major from a $500m debt-constrained company, led by former chief executive officer Mick […]
DLA Piper has collected the European Tax Disputes Team of the Year and US Tax Firm of the Year in Europe accolades at the International Tax Review (ITR) Awards 2014. The tax team was also part of the winning team for European Media & Entertainment Tax Deal of the Year for its work on the […]
Eversheds partner and specialist in judicial review proceedings Alison Oldfield has commented on judges rejecting an attempt by distant relatives of Richard III to force a public consultation over where he should be buried. Oldfield described the case as ‘fascinating’ and ‘founded on unique circumstances’. She said: ‘In reality, the legal battle was not actually about where Richard III […]
David Feist, real-estate litigation partner at Eversheds, has commented on the UK government’s proposed new rules regarding rights to access land in a bid to speed up the introduction of hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. Feist said: ‘The proposals to permit drilling for shale gas and oil under people’s homes and properties, even if they object, […]
Eversheds has advised Worcestershire County Council and Herefordshire Council on the variation of their £926m waste public-private partnership (PPP) by which the councils will fund the procurement by Mercia of a 200,000-tonne-per-annum energy-from-waste plant. The councils varied their 25-year waste PPP contract with Mercia Waste Management to reflect the contractor’s proposals to develop an energy-from-waste […]
Shoosmiths has welcomed partner Liz Sweeney and associate Ruth Evans to its banking team. Sweeney and Evans join the team from EOS Law and, before that, DLA Piper. Sweeney has expertise in real-estate finance, leveraged finance, acquisition finance, public-to-private transactions, restructurings, project finance and general corporate lending. She advises a range of lenders and borrowers […]
When you know, you know. After “overwhelming support” for the Patton Boggs and Squire Sanders merger from partners last Friday, the lovebirds aren’t waiting a minute longer. Despite delays understood to have been caused by Patton Boggs’ high-profile legal battle with Chevron, the US duo will officially tie the knot on Sunday. So what’s up […]
Ashurst’s Chinese alliance firm, Guantao, is taking a serious look at its long-term strategy, and is drafting in former Ashurst senior partner Geoffrey Green as an adviser. Green has a wealth of experience in Asia, having followed up his senior partner role with that of Asia managing partner until retirement last year – making him […]
Partners at Squire Sanders and Washington DC-based Patton Boggs have agreed to merge the firms and new outfit Squire Patton Boggs will launch within a week. The combined firm will have 1,700 lawyers in 45 offices across 22 countries. It will give Patton Boggs the international platform its clients are increasingly demanding and Squire Sanders a […]
Who’s making waves in the in-house community? The best way to find out is to make sure you read our weekly in-house interview, which covers sectors as diverse as mining and funds to retail and leisure. Below is a selection of our most recent profiles. Britvic GC: Message in a bottle Brookfield Rose legal chief: […]
Chinese firm Fangda has hired Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s China antitrust head Michael Han as a partner in Beijing, its second lateral hire from the magic circle firm in two years. Han joined Freshfields’ Beijing office in November 2007 as a senior counsel after spending a year and a half with the firm’s US antitrust practice […]
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has paid tribute to former corporate recovery head Stephen Gale after he committed suicide earlier this year. The firm paid tribute to a “hardworking and talented individual who was proud of this firm and his colleagues, and a man who went the extra mile for friends, clients and the numerous charities […]