Common sense prevails in major patent case Should procedural errors made during the process for granting a patent allow one to challenge its existence? In a recent case, the alleged error went to the heart of the patent, it being claimed that the owner had excluded the UK from the ambit of its application for […]
Eversheds’ Leeds-based head of health and life sciences Bill Gilliam has left the firm for Addleshaw Goddard. Gilliam joined Addleshaw Goddard as a commercial litigation partner this month. His appointment is part of an ongoing strategy by Addleshaw Goddard to strengthen its offering in Leeds and invest in its capability to handle complex disputes in […]
The New Year has kicked off with major headaches for finance teams across the UK, as they start in earnest to wrestle with HMRC’s national insurance contributions (NIC)-related early Christmas present. In case you missed it, late last year HMRC unveiled its proposals for changes to the partnership tax regime, a move aimed at dealing […]
Happy New Year! For many yesterday marked the first day back at work after the holidays, but already there is plenty of news spinning out of Asia. Winston & Strawn has unveiled plans to open its fourth Asia office in Taiwan in the coming months. Pinsent Masons is to welcome three new partners in Singapore […]
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has named former SJ Berwin litigation head, Craig Pollack, as its global coordinator for dispute resolution. The move follows the departure of legacy Mallesons Stephen Jacques partner Beau Deleuil who quit the firm having held the newly-created position for just a month (4 December 2013). In addition to his new […]
A new corporate boutique has been created through the merger of teams from two existing small Paris firms, led by six partners with experience of international practices including Clifford Chance. Dethomas Peltier Kopf Juvigny (DPKJ) has been formed through the merger of Dethomas Kopf, a boutique founded just last year, with a team from established […]
Burges Salmon has witnessed the departure of legal director Suzanne Tarplee, who has jumped ship from its rail group to Stephenson Harwood. Tarplee’s exit marks the second from Burges Salmons’ rail group in four months, following former transport head Nick Olley who left to become the Department of Transport’s general counsel in September 2013 (13 […]
DWF and Weightmans are the first two firms to confirm that they are reviewing the way they define fixed-share partners as a result of HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) proposed changes to the partnership tax regime. The new rules seek to clarify the definition of LLP membership by determining whether fixed-share or salaried partners should […]
Former Dundas & Wilson chairman David Hardie has stepped down from the firm weeks after it unveiled a planned merger with CMS Cameron McKenna. The Edinburgh-based corporate and finance partner stepped down as chairman in June 2012 despite having a year of his term left. His resignation came just months after former managing partner Donald […]
It’s early days, but so far 2014 looks to be a promising year for London’s planning and real estate lawyers. Just look at Queens Park Rangers’ latest move– trying to score a new 40,000-seat stadium to replace its current 18,000-capacity Loftus Road ground. The football club has signed up Macfarlanes for the bulk of the […]
In this podcast, Wragge & Co’s head of pension strategy, Vivien Cockerill, talks to Richard Lee about the latest on workplace pensions reform, to Glyn Ryland on managing pension scheme deficits by incentive exercises and to Peter Shave on financial support directions — what they are and how they work. If you are registered and […]
Winston & Strawn is set to launch an office in Taiwan after hiring a four-partner team from rival Washington DC firm Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner last August. The firm’s Taipei initiative will be headed by Washington DC based partner John Alison, who joined the firm from Finnegan along with three patent litigation partners last summer. Alison […]