By Alexandra Brown The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced it is conducting a formal investigation into suspected anti-competitive agreements and/or practices involving businesses in the property sales and lettings sector. Its concerns relate to the advertising of fee rates in media entities and the businesses’ approach to each other’s customers. The investigation is […]
Ashurst and Hogan Lovells have taken lead roles on Barclays’ innovative collaboration with alternative provider BlueBay Asset Management’s Direct Lending Fund. Ashurst finance partner Tim Rennie led the small team advising Barclays on the deal, with assistance from tax partner Paul Miller and finance and restructuring partner Dan Hamilton. The deal marks the first time […]
K&L Gates has hired two partners and four associates from two Japanese firms in Tokyo. Commercial dispute partner Takahiro Hoshino has joined K&L Gates from Hoshino & Partners, a firm he founded 18 years ago. He was also the firm’s managing partner prior to the move. Four associates have joined him in the move and […]
Eversheds has launched an online auto-enrolment compliance tool for employers that are due to reach their auto-enrolment staging date in 2014 and beyond. The tool, called aeready, will provide employers with online access to tailored, fixed-price legal advice on their auto-enrolment obligations. It is designed to complement the auto-enrolment services that will be available through […]
DLA Piper has advised UK Mail on an agreement with the Department for Transport to relocate its central distribution hub in the West Midlands to make way for the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail link between London and Birmingham. The current depot, in Bromford, stands on the site of the proposed line but will be […]
Conyers Dill & Pearman has advised Hony Capital Fund V and New Good Management on the $495m (£300m) privatisation of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) by way of merger. Simcere is a pharmaceutical company specialising in the development, manufacture and marketing of branded and proprietary pharmaceuticals in China. Conyers co-chair […]
Shoosmiths paid £1.5m in cash for Scottish firm Archibald Campbell & Harley, the firm’s inaugural LLP accounts have revealed. The acquisition saw Shoosmiths acquire £1.77m of net assets when it merged with Archibald Campbell on 1 October 2012 (21 June 2012), of which £1.47m was paid as a cash consideration. The outstanding £300,000 was accrued […]
Clifford Chance looks like it might just be the most popular kid in the playground right now. First it breaks new ground in Saudi, then today it announces an association with an Indonesian boutique. Its new association, with Linda Widyati & Partners, comes days after it launched its mixed partnership in Saudi Arabia, the first […]
No5 Chambers practice director Tony McDaid has commented following the proposed changes to legal aid and the resulting protest by nearly 100 barristers outside Birmingham Crown Court. The government plans to cut £220m from the legal aid annual budget by 2018–19, which barristers believe will destroy the criminal justice legal system. McDaid said: ‘What they […]
Melanie Chell, head of Shoosmiths’ asset finance team, has been included in this year’s Motor Finance Power 50, which lists the 50 most influential and powerful people in UK car finance. Ranked at 25, she is included in a list that features chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne and governor of the Bank of England […]
The legal enforceability of contracts in Europe and North America is widely regarded as a given. But contracts between foreign investors and Vietnamese entities or with a reference to Vietnam that establishes Vietnamese jurisdiction should always explicitly answer the questions “what institution will decide any disputes and in which language, and what national law is […]
Brecher managing partner Nicky Richmond visits the House of Ho. In Soho. Ho ho ho. Even the taxi driver laughed. This is the brainchild of Bobby Chinn, restaurateur, who already has two restaurants in Vietnam. According to his website, Bobby’s restaurant mixes French technique, Californian sensibility, a pinch of Middle Eastern spices and a touch of South-East […]