Referral fees are banned. The Bar Council’s new code of conduct explicitly states that barristers must not “pay or receive referral fees”, and additionally “making or receiving payments in order to procure or reward the referral…may also breach public trust.” Moreover, not only are barristers forbidden to receive payment for a referral (whether the client […]
Conyers Dill & Pearman has provided British Virgin Islands (BVI) advice to Guangzhou R&F Properties on the issue of $1bn (£600m) 8.50 per cent senior notes due 2019 by Trillion Chance, unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by R&F Properties (HK) Company, a subsidiary of Guangzhou R&F Properties, a PRC entity. Richard Hall, Felicity Lee, Charissa Ball […]
By Jenifer Casey and Chandni Rani In the latter half of 2013, two interesting trademark decisions were handed down by, respectively, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) (formerly the Patents County Court) in the case of Andrew Powell v Martin Robert Turner and the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in the matter of an opposition […]
Conyers Dill & Pearman has been listed among the top offshore law firms in the 2014 edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific, a guide to the leading law firms and lawyers in the region. In addition to the firm’s strong standing, three of Conyers’ lawyers in the Hong Kong office were recommended, with co-chair David Lamb, head […]
Conyers Dill & Pearman in Hong Kong has provided British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Cayman Islands advice to Miko International Holdings on the HKD420m (£32m) initial public offering (IPO) of a People’s Republic of China (PRC) children’s clothing retailer. The retail portion was oversubscribed 1,125 times, making it the eighth most wanted IPO ever in Hong Kong. […]
By Bruce Thompson and Evan M Migdail House Committee on Ways and Means chairman Dave Camp is on the verge of releasing a detailed proposal for comprehensive tax reform. The Camp proposal, which may be released in the form of a discussion draft and not in actual legislative language, may appear as early as the […]
By Brechje Van der Velden This quarterly edition of the European Finance Litigation Review contains coverage of the most interesting cases and developments from across Allen & Overy’s European network. Litigation concerning banks’ disclosure requirements during the sale of various financial instruments is a prominent theme. In January, the Italian Supreme Court ruled in favour […]
Allen & Overy has advised the shareholders of Entelios on the sale of all shares to EnerNOC, a NASDAQ-listed provider of energy intelligence with a registered office in Boston, Massachussetts. Entelios is active in the smart-grid field and operates a technology platform whose demand response solutions help market participants to profit from imbalances between power […]
Allen & Overy has advised JP Morgan Securities, Berenberg Bank, Deutsche Bank and Anoa Capital on the successful placement of €150m (£124m) secured convertible bonds issued by Grand City Properties. The five-year convertible bonds are secured by certain securities located in different jurisdictions and benefit from several covenants known from high-yield bonds. The Allen & […]
By Joe Cohen With effect from 1 January 2014, a new Customs Regulation came into force in the European Union (EU), which replaces the existing Customs Regulation. The new regulation gives customs authorities extended powers to detain suspected counterfeit and pirated goods at the borders of the EU and new powers to detain ‘small consignments’ […]
By Patrick Wheeler The UK laws relating to unjustified threats of infringement of patents, trademarks and designs have proved a minefield for rights owners and legal advisers alike. The Civil Procedure Rules set an expectation that parties to a dispute will set out details of their claim and defence before starting court proceedings, but an […]
According to the charity Mind, one in four people will experience a mental health problem each year. And in the high-pressure environment of City law, maintaining the right mental balance is harder than ever. Over to Hogan Lovells, which has been examining policies and procedures around workplace stress. The firm is now offering all of […]