With constant merger talks and two empty floors in its building, Davenport Lyons can’t shake the appearance of a firm that is desperate to be bought. Here’s why. Last month HowardKennedyFsi (HKFsi) called off merger talks with Davenport Lyons, weeks after the firm allegedly turned down a deal which “didn’t stack up financially” from Shakespeares […]
After a slump in Hong Kong IPO activity, the sector is hotting up again. There is fierce competition for adviser mandates, and it looks like US firms are winning the race against their UK counterparts. Between January 2013 and February 2014, US firms scored a total of 84 advisory roles in Hong Kong IPOs, compared […]
One Essex Court’s Tony Grabiner QC and Mishcon de Reya have picked up a role on private equity magnate Guy Hands’ long running battle against Citigroup over his ill-fated acquisition of EMI. It emerged last week that the case would be unexpectedly transferred to the English courts from the US after several court hearings in […]
Former Slaughter and May partner Dermot Rice has emerged at the company owned by billionaire property developers, Nick and Christian Candy, after leaving the firm in November. The real estate partner, who joined Slaughters in 1986, will join Candy & Candy as a director in May 2014, on the back of the appointment of Simon […]
Midlands-based HCB Solicitors has pulled out of talks to rescue Linder Myers as administration still looms for the ailing Manchester-based practice. Linder Myers signaled its intention to appoint administrators on 6 February, with a filing at the Manchester District Registry Court (6 February 2014). HCB incorporated a company called HCB Linder Myers the day after […]
Scandinavia’s biggest firm, Mannheimer Swartling, has recorded a decrease in revenue for the 2013 year following a sluggish corporate market in its home jurisdiction of Sweden. The firm has reported a 1 per cent fall in revenue, from SEK1.13bn in 2012 to SEK1.119bn (£105m) last year – or a fall from €132.7m to €126.4m when an […]
Weil Gotshal & Manges’ London office generated £73m last year, posting a 4.2 per cent growth for 2013. The result marks a slowdown in expansion for Weil’s City base, which the previous year had posted a 21.6 per cent increase in London revenue from £56m to £70m (25 March 2013). The slowdown in 2013 was […]
Allen & Overy partner Stephen Denyer is taking up a management role at the Law Society, but why has the solicitors’ representative body made such an appointment? The solicitors’ representative body has for years faced accusations that it doesn’t give the Square Mile a square deal. City solicitors view the Law Society with ambivalence at […]
Finance lawyers from Walker Morris have advised budget gym operator Xercise4Less on securing a £5.5m finance package from Lloyds Commercial Banking to facilitate expansion. The company, which was founded by former professional rugby player Jon Wright in 2006, plans to use the funds to launch 15 new sites across the UK this year and to […]
Walker Morris has held its third Food Leadership Dinner at the Cedar Court Hotel in York, which was attended by key figures from the UK food and drink sector. More than 25 chairmen, chief executives, finance directors and other senior executives from across the food and drink industry were led in a discussion by Tim […]
The sun was certainly shining on Clifford Chance’s corporate practice last week, as the firm retained trophy private equity client the Carlyle Group. No doubt there were sighs of relief at Canary Wharf. The firm’s relationship with one of its key clients did, after all, look a little hit and miss for a while following […]
Shoosmiths has hired Kenny Scott, who has expertise and specific experience of advising clients in a number of sectors, including regulatory and compliance, education, sports governance, retail, food and drink and manufacturing. Joining from McClure Naismith, Scott is praised by clients for his ‘knowledge and responsiveness’ and was named as ‘Associate to Watch’ in Chambers 2014. […]