Friederike Heine

September 20, 2012 | International Edition

Ground-breaking in the 1970s and still ahead of its time, Friederike Heine explores Latham & Watkins' approach of drafting in young associates to help run what has become one of the world's top law firms

By Friederike Heine

12 minute read

September 06, 2012 | International Edition

Even by the standards of an organisation as regularly publicly lambasted as the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the damning High Court verdict of its investigation into property tycoons Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz was humiliating.

By Friederike Heine

6 minute read

August 17, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Kirkland & Ellis have taken lead roles on Travelodge's £635m debt restructuring, which will result in the company's bank debt being almost halved. CC advised Travelodge on the deal, with London-based head of insolvency Mark Hyde taking the lead.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 16, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters' former UK real estate chief Anne Byrne is set to take up a new role as FTSE 250-listed Capital & Counties Properties' (Capco's) first in-house lawyer. Byrne, a partner at Linklaters since 2001, is expected to leave the firm in September and will join Capco in February 2013, when she will serve as the principal legal adviser to the board and the company's senior management.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 15, 2012 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf's wind-down team has offered to spare the defunct firm's ex partners from all potential litigation from secured lenders as an incentive to participate in the proposed partner clawback settlement. The latest revisions to the so-called 'partner contribution plan' were posted to a secure web link overnight, with lead bankruptcy lawyer Al Togut and chief restructuring officer Joff Mitchell also confirming that the deadline for signing up to the agreement had been postponed again.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

August 15, 2012 | International Edition

Slaughter and May corporate partner Nigel Boardman and dispute resolution partner Richard Swallow helped Standard Chartered yesterday (14 August) reach a $340m (£217m) settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) over allegations that it breached US sanctions and hid transactions with Iran. The magic circle firm provided UK advice to the bank, alongside Wall Street leader Sullivan & Cromwell, where corporate and financing partner Rodgin Cohen and dispute resolution partner Samuel Seymour provided US advice. Both firms were instructed after the alleged illegal activity took place.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

August 14, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton have taken lead roles on Bank of America Merrill Lynch's $882m (£563m) sale of its non-US private banking operations to Swiss private bank Julius Baer Group. The London office of Linklaters is advising the Swiss bank, which will increase its assets under management by 40% through the acquisition. The team is being led by London corporate partners Matt Bland and Dan Schuster-Woldan, who worked with lawyers from the magic circle firm's New York office including UK-qualified corporate partner Casper Lawson.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 14, 2012 | International Edition

Proskauer Rose's London office owed the US partnership a total of £13.7m at the end of its 2011-12 financial year, according to UK limited liability partnership (LLP) accounts recently filed with Companies House. The loan was driven by lateral recruitment, with Proskauer making seven partner hires in London over a 12-month financial period ending on 31 October 2011, as well as its move to new City premises in 10 Bishops Square.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 13, 2012 | International Edition

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy has strengthened its City leveraged finance practice with the hire of Neil Caddy from Mayer Brown. Caddy will join the US firm's London arm later this month as a partner after around two and a half years with Mayer Brown. He joined Mayer Brown as a partner in early 2010 from Allen & Overy and in 2006 spent a seven month secondment with the financial sponsors group at JPMorgan, which remains one of his clients.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 13, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters has seen its trainee retention rate drop to 78%, with the magic circle firm keeping on 51 of its 65 trainees qualifying this autumn. The figure, which compares with a retention rate of 93% this time last year, reflects the fact that only 60 of the firm's trainees applied for positions, with 53 of these offered positions. Of those offered a job on qualification, 51 accepted

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read