Claire Ruckin

January 21, 2011 | International Edition

Scottish firm Brodies is expanding its ranks with five partner hires as the firm prepares to open up a new office in Aberdeen. The firm last week bulked up its competition offering with the hire of Mark Clough QC from Addleshaw Goddard, where he was partner and head of the London competition team.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 21, 2011 | International Edition

Herbert Smith's highest-earning partner took home £1.22m in 2009-10, an 8% increase on the previous year's top figure, according to the firm's limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts. The accounts, recently filed at Companies House, also show that the firm significantly reduced net debt over the financial year - down 41% to £24.4m from £41.5m in 2008-09.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 20, 2011 | International Edition

Maclay Murray & Spens has elected a new chief executive with Chris Smylie taking over the reigns from Magnus Swanson. Smylie will take up his new role on 1 June 2011 when Swanson's third term at the helm of the big four Scots firm comes to an end. Swanson will return to fee earning as a partner in the firm's corporate practice.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 19, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds has expanded its disputes team in Birmingham with the hire of Pinsent Masons' head of fraud, Mark Surguy. Surguy joined the national firm last week (10 January) as a partner in the commercial dispute resolution group from local rival Pinsents, where he was a legal director and head of the fraud group.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 19, 2011 | International Edition

Addleshaw Goddard has replaced Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in advising Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as it bids to retrieve capital owed to it by former partners of now-defunct firm Halliwells. Addleshaws finance litigation partner Ian Hastings is acting for RBS, which is attempting to claw back money lent to ex-Halliwells partners through professional practice loans (PPLs).

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 19, 2011 | International Edition

The Government looks set to reform 'no win, no fee' deals in civil litigation following this week's European court ruling that such arrangements risk breaching human rights legislation. The judgment from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) partially backed Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in its dispute with the model Naomi Campbell, finding that the success fee used by Campbell's lawyer breached MGN's right to freedom of expression.

By Claire Ruckin

4 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) could become part of an FBI-style National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of the coalition Government's efforts to confront fraud costing the UK £30bn every year. It had been expected that the Government's shake-up of UK financial regulation would see the SFO disbanded in favour of a new Economic Crime Agency (ECA). Home Office policing minister Nick Herbert, who earlier this year took over the job of creating the ECA from the Treasury, is set to launch a long-awaited consultation in the spring on what the ECA should look like and how it will operate.

By Claire Ruckin

3 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

Eversheds' staff costs dropped by £21m during 2009-10 on the back of headcount reductions at the firm, according to its recently-filed limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts. During the last financial year the UK top 10 firm saw staff costs fall to £147m - a 12.5% drop on the previous year's figure of £168m, according to the filings with Companies House.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

Mishcon de Reya has bolstered its corporate practice with the hire of Saul Sender from Reed Smith. Sender will become the 13th corporate partner at Mishcons when he joins the City law firm as a partner in its London office next month (7 February). He specialises in corporate finance, capital raisings and M&A work and has recently advised on a number of mining deals in Africa.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

Calunius Capital has raised a £40m fund to invest in commercial litigation in a move that will see the specialist funding broker turn investor. The Guernsey-incorporated fund launched at the end of last year as Calunius Litigation Risk Fund and will seek to invest the money across 30 commercial litigation and arbitration cases above £3m in value.

By Claire Ruckin

2 minute read