The liquidators of Bernard L. Madoff feeder fund Fairfield Sentry, represented by British Virgin Islands (BVI) firm Forbes Hare and Macfarlanes, have lost two key points before the Privy Council in an important judgment. In a judgment handed down yesterday (16 April), the Privy Council rejected two points of contention between Fairfield Sentry and several […]
Australian firm HWL Ebsworth continues its growth spree with the acquisition of South Australian firm Kelly & Co. The combination between HWL Ebsworth and Adelaide-based Kelly & Co is set to complete on 1 July 2014. Kelly & Co’s 14 partners along with their legal and support teams will join national firm HWL Ebsworth to form […]
Partner lock-ins normally come at a time of turmoil or change for a firm – following a merger (27 January 2014), or to stem a slew of partner departures (4 April 2005). Bonelli Erede Pappalardo’s three-year ‘loyalty’ lock-in (8 April 2014) is slightly different. Yes, the firm has lost a couple of partners recently, but […]
Cuts to Legal Aid have seen student projects bridge the gap between the most vulnerable and justice. Pro bono has been an established aspect of law student training for decades, allowing students to practise their skills on real-live clients, and allowing clients with small-scale issues such as landlord and tenant disputes or arguments with an […]
Ex-Freshfields star Jan Paulsson’s decision to form a boutique with partners from Shearman and Covington has shaken up the arbitration world. With Peter Rees turning up at 39 Essex Street, this is a sector that is seeing plenty of movement. Freshfields’ Paulsson boutique co-founded with partners from Covington, Jones Day and Shearman Freshfields trio launch […]
What does it take to be an entrepreneur? For eBay’s Singapore-based associate general counsel Steven Liew, working at a tech giant first has proved a nifty way of catching the bug. The former Baker & McKenzie lawyer waved the online shopping giant farewell last week, ending eight years in the company’s legal department to take […]
All the latest partner hires and other appointments within Continental European firms and offices. Benelux Dutch firm Van Doorne is reopening its London office, six years after pulling out from the City, and is hiring three partners from rival Boekel de Nerée (11 April 2014). The trio of partners joining from Boekel includes the firm’s […]
Conyers Dill & Pearman has advised 58.com, providing Cayman Islands legal advice to the company and British Virgin Islands (BVI) legal advice to the BVI subsidiary, in connection with a follow-on offering in the US of 13,800,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.00001 per share of the company in the form of American Depository […]
Allen & Overy has advised dnata on the sale of a majority stake in mercator to private equity firm Warburg Pincus. The deal will enable mercator to strengthen its competitive position, increase its market share and accelerate global growth. It represents the first investment in the Middle East by Warburg Pincus. The UAE-based team was […]
Conyers Dill & Pearman has advised Aircastle in connection with its $450m (£270m) unsecured revolving credit facility with Citibank NA, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA and Royal Bank of Canada as joint lead arrangers and Citibank NA as agent. The bank group was expanded to nine institutions and the facility’s term […]
Professional negligence is a worry for all firms. The thought of being a defendant in the Supreme Court would fill most lawyers with dread. This is probably the case for Cheltenham-based BPE Solicitors, which is facing a visit to the top court after former client Richard Gabriel was granted the right to appeal a 2013 […]
Morgan Cole and Blake Lapthorn have finally decided that three’s a crowd and, after months of flirting with Boyes Turner, gone ahead with a traditional two-way merger. But what will the £72m couple, soon to be known as Blake Morgan, really look like? Boyes Turner might have fled the muted three-way agreement but Morgan Cole managing […]