Friederike Heine

May 21, 2012 | International Edition

Ex-Greenberg Traurig Maher (GTM) former UK restructuring chief Lyndon Norley has resurfaced at US investment bank Jefferies Group, as a managing director and head of European restructuring & recapitalisation investment banking.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 21, 2012 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf's London arm has seen a further four partner departures, including restructuring duo Mark Fennessy and Hazel Miller who are set to join their New York counterparts at US rival Proskauer Rose. Fennessy and Miller's forthcoming departures come just days after New York bankruptcy chief Martin Bienenstock announced his departure for Proskauer alongside a six-partner team.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 18, 2012 | International Edition

Kirkland & Ellis' outgoing London managing partner James Learner has confirmed his next role, with the partner set to take up a non-legal role at US private equity firm Huntsman Gay. Learner, who was involved in launching Kirkland's City base in 1994, is moving on to become managing director at the Salt Lake City-headquartered buyout house. He will be based in Huntsman's Palo Alto branch.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 18, 2012 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse has confirmed it is in merger talks with LG, in a move which could create a law firm with revenues of more than £150m, placing it just outside the UK top 20. The merger talks are at a very early stage, with no proposals yet put to partners at either firm. A spokesperson for Field Fisher confirmed: "Like the majority of mid-market firms, a merger is on our agenda. Field Fisher has ambitious growth plans and we recognise that a merger is a way to achieve those goals." She continued: "We would like to grow our offices in Europe, to strengthen our core practice areas and to offer clients greater international reach. As such we have been in talks with several firms, including LG, and have been exploring the benefits that such a merger would bring." Field Fisher has 153 partners and more than 220 lawyers across seven European offices. The firm posted a 2.2% increase fee income to reach £94m for the 2010-11 financial year, while profits per equity partner (PEP) rose 7% to £510,000. LG, meanwhile, has 73 partners and 196 lawyers. The mid-market firm saw both revenue and profits fall significantly at the close of last year, with turnover for 2010-11 coming in at £59m, 9% down on the £64.9m posted the previous year, a result which saw the firm drop out of the UK top 50. PEP, meanwhile, fell 10% to £412,000 from £460,000. A tie-up with LG would gift Field Fisher new offices in Monaco, Dubai and Moscow, while LG would benefit from Field Fisher's presence in Brussels, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Manchester, Munich and Paris. LG has been openly looking for a merger in recent years, with the firm entering into serious discussions with Scotland's Shepherd and Wedderburn last summer, which are understood to have ended around September 2011 after the Scottish firm opted out of the talks.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 17, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters and Kirkland & Ellis have taken lead roles on Triton's £550m sale of Scandinavian installation provider Bravida to US investment house Bain Capital.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 16, 2012 | International Edition

Covington & Burling has made a second consecutive anti-corruption lateral hire in London, with Steptoe & Johnson partner David Lorello joining the US firm this week (15 May). Lorello, who made partner at Steptoe in 2010, is US-qualified and focuses on US, UK and European regulatory issues.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 15, 2012 | International Edition

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks has been charged alongside five others with perverting the course of justice in relation to phone-hacking. In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed its intention to charge Brooks (pictured) - who is being advised by Kingsley Napley criminal litigation head Stephen Parkinson - with conspiring with her husband Charles Brooks to destroy evidence relating to phone-hacking.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 15, 2012 | International Edition

Nabarro has made up just one lawyer to its partnership in this year's round, with the sole promotion coming in the firm's Sheffield base. The firm has added employment lawyer Tracey Marsden to its partnership ranks, with the promotion coming after five London lawyers were made up in last year's round.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 14, 2012 | International Edition

Goodwin Procter has expanded its recently launched City arm with the hire of Linklaters real estate sector co-head Joe Conder, who also headed the magic circle firm's UK investment team. Conder, who will join Goodwin's real estate capital markets practice in London when he has served out his notice period at Linklaters, focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including M&A, development funding and leasing.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 14, 2012 | International Edition

Greenberg Traurig has sealed the hire of Dewey & LeBoeuf's highly touted Warsaw office and London corporate finance duo Frank Adams and Federico Salinas, with the firm also closing in on a deal to take on Dewey executive partner Steve Horvath. The deal will see Dewey's Poland team - which currently comprises six equity partners and more than 50 lawyers - launch an office in the country for Greenberg.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read