Friederike Heine

April 22, 2012 | International Edition

Anheuser-Busch InBev has appointed ex-Halliwells lawyer Anna Tolley as its new UK & Ireland GC following the departure of Claude Bahoshy earlier this year. Tolley, a litigator who joined the company in 2009 from Halliwells, will now oversee the company's UK legal team...

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 19, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters, Kirkland & Ellis and Dickson Minto have all taken advisory roles as troubled gym chain Fitness First attempts to secure a rescue deal ahead of a potential takeover. Investment fund managers Oaktree Capital Management and Marathon, which are being advised by Linklaters London restructuring partner Yushan Ng, have acquired more than 75% of Fitness First's debts and are expected to agree a debt for equity swap to take control of the gym chain after it missed an £18m interest payment last month.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 19, 2012 | International Edition

"Maher's departure forced the US to take a closer look at the firm's remaining corporate clients in London, and it looked pretty grim. The City office had to redefine itself and change its client focus, which inevitably resulted in departures..."

By Friederike Heine

6 minute read

April 19, 2012 | International Edition

Turmoil at Dewey & LeBoeuf this week spread to the firm's international offices as it emerged that the new management team is pressing to restructure its debts. The firm's Dubai and London offices have seen a string of partner departures, with teams and individuals in countries including Italy and Russia also considering splitting away from the embattled US firm.

By Friederike Heine

8 minute read

April 18, 2012 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf has kicked off a restructuring of its Middle East operations that could result in the closure of the firm's Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha offices. Confirmation of the restructuring, which is being led by the managing partner of Dewey's Riyadh base, Khalid Al-Thebity, comes after a 12-lawyer walkout from the firm's Dubai office to Dechert earlier this week.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 17, 2012 | International Edition

The College of Law has agreed a £200m sale of its legal education and training business to buyout house Montagu Private Equity, in a deal which marks the end of a strategic review by the charity's governors. The College announced the sale today (17 April) at the same time as announcing that its charitable activities will be spun off into a separate entity to be known as The Legal Education Foundation.

By Friederike Heine

4 minute read

April 17, 2012 | International Edition

Weil Gotshal & Manges is set to ramp up its Hong Kong presence as the firm moves to new premises in Hong Kong's business district. The move to Alexandra House, which will more than double the US firm's current office space, will allow it to accommodate all its current lawyers in Hong Kong as well provide capacity for expected future expansion.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 17, 2012 | International Edition

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has appointed two London lawyers to its partnership as part of a global promotions round of 11. The promotions, which will take effect next month, include Scott Hopkins - an M&A lawyer who has spent two years on secondment at the Takeover Panel - and Penny Madden - an international arbitration lawyer. The new additions take the number of partners in the London office to 31.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 16, 2012 | International Edition

Nabarro has seen two partners leave its London office including international committee chair Michael Hales, who is joining Australian firm Minter Ellison as a partner in Perth. Hales, who advises on a broad range of commercial disputes, has been a partner at the firm since 1996 and has a practice which covers banking, corporate, e-commerce, tax, regulatory and fraud disputes.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 16, 2012 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf is set to lose its London private equity team to McDermott Will & Emery, less than a year after hiring a partner duo from Taylor Wessing to launch the practice. The firm launched the dedicated private equity team last summer with the hire of Taylor Wessing's private equity head Mark Davis and fellow partner Russell Van Praagh.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read