Anna Reynolds

October 23, 2013 | International Edition

Linklaters has hired a three-partner team from Paris-based Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton to boost its disputes practice in the French capital. Matthieu de Boisséson and Pierre Duprey join from Darrois Villey along with Andew Plump, who has been appointed as counsel. Roland Ziadé has been elected as partner from Cleary, which he joined in 2002.

By Anna Reynolds

1 minute read

October 22, 2013 | International Edition

SJ Berwin private equity partner Ed Harris is leaving to join Hogan Lovells' London corporate practice, just weeks before the merger between his old firm and Asia-Pacific giant King & Wood Mallesons goes live.

By Anna Reynolds

2 minute read

October 21, 2013 | International Edition

Ashurst, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Clifford Chance and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett have landed roles on the £4bn IPO of Merlin Entertainments Group. Merlin – which owns Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers and the Legoland theme parks - is controlled by Danish investment company Kirkbi and private equity houses CVC and Blackstone. Merlin's investors will sell some of their stakes but remain shareholders.

By Anna Reynolds

2 minute read

October 21, 2013 | International Edition

Linklaters has relocated its Nordic private equity head Roger Johnson to London to work alongside partner Nick Rees following the departures of private equity heads Ian Bagshaw (pictured) and Richard Youle. Johnson joined Linklaters in 2012 as a partner from Hannes Snellman and headed up the firm's private equity offering in the region from his base in Stockholm.

By Anna Reynolds

2 minute read

October 17, 2013 | International Edition

Supermarket chain Morrisons has unveiled its first-ever formal legal panel, with a host of firms winning places, including Allen & Overy (A&O), Ashurst, Eversheds and DAC Beachcroft. The panel review – which has been overseen by recently appointed general counsel Mark Amsden – has been divided into six categories: property, employment, personal injury (PI), licensing and regulatory, Scotland and an 'everything else' panel, which covers corporate, commercial, litigation, pensions and IP. Amsden said Morrisons' debut panel would give the retail giant "better leveraging ability" than it had in the past, when it used an informal roster of firms. He admitted that the retail giant, Britain's fourth-largest supermarket chain, had previously overspent on legal fees.

By Anna Reynolds

3 minute read

October 17, 2013 | International Edition

Linklaters private equity co-heads Ian Bagshaw and Richard Youle are set to leave the magic circle firm to join White & Case. Bagshaw (pictured) and Youle, who have been key in helping to build the magic circle firm's private equity practice have been partners at Linklaters since 2007 and 2006 respectively. Bagshaw joined Linklaters from Clifford Chance, where he made partner in 2004. He has acted for a number of key buy-out clients including Rhone Capital, Triton, 3i Group and Bridgepoint.

By Anna Reynolds

3 minute read

October 15, 2013 | International Edition

Ashurst's dispute resolution partner Ben Tidswell (pictured) has been elected as the new chair of Ashurst, replacing current senior partner Charlie Geffen in the firm's top management position. Tidswell - who will take up the role from 1 November - ran against Geffen and legacy Blakes competition and consumer protection partner Peter Armitage. Voting closed at 12pm yesterday (Tuesday) and it is understood that Tidswell won the support of the majority of partners in the first round of voting.

By Anna Reynolds

3 minute read

October 15, 2013 | International Edition

Mishcon de Reya has re-elected its managing partner Kevin Gold (pictured) to serve a three year term in the firm's first management elections. Two serving departmental heads have also been re-elected at the firm. Head of corporate Nick Davis and dispute resolution chief Kas Nouroozi both stood unopposed for their roles.

By Anna Reynolds

2 minute read

October 15, 2013 | International Edition

4 Pump Court Chambers has hired former Clifford Chance lawyer Katherine Surgeoner to join its management team in a newly created senior role. In her new role Surgeoner will work alongside Pump Court's chief executive Carolyn McCombe and its senior clerks to help develop chambers' increasingly international work load.

By Anna Reynolds

2 minute read

October 15, 2013 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have acted on M&G Real Estate's £315m acquisition of London's Bankside development from Land Securities Group. Bankside - situated on the Southbank next to the Tate Modern Gallery - comprises 380,000 sq ft of office accommodation let entirely to The Royal Bank of Scotland until 2027 and 73,000 sq ft of retail space let to several retailers, including Marks & Spencer, WH Smith, Pret a Manger and Starbucks.

By Anna Reynolds

2 minute read