Friederike Heine

March 22, 2012 | International Edition

Ashurst has the option of walking away from its deal with legacy Australian firm Blake Dawson if it agrees a tie-up with a US law firm before the planned merger with Blakes is approved, Legal Week has learned. Terms of the tie-up, finalised in September last year, specify that during the two-year period between Blakes rebranding as Ashurst at the start of this month and the proposed merger between the two firms going live in 2014, Ashurst has the option of abandoning the Australian deal in preference of a US tie-up.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

March 21, 2012 | International Edition

Ashurst has appointed Paris-based banking partner James Collis as its new managing partner, following Simon Bromwich's decision last month to step down from the role ahead of schedule. Collis, who will relocate to London to take up the role in the new financial year (1 May), has had a key role in shaping the firm's European banking strategy alongside banking chief Mark Vickers.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 21, 2012 | International Edition

Morgan Lewis & Bockius has taken the lead role for Deutsche Boerse on its lawsuit against the European Commission (EC) over the rejection of its merger with NYSE Euronext. The US firm's Frankfurt office has been instructed to advise the German stock exchange following its decision to sue the European Commission at the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 20, 2012 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC), White & Case and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have won roles on the bidding battle for hedge fund administrator GlobeOp, after US software company SS&C Technologies last week trumped an earlier offer from buyout house TPG Capital. CC corporate partner Steven Fox, who joined the magic circle firm last year from Ashurst, is leading the firm's team advising SS&C on UK law alongside CC partners Lee Coney (corporate), Roderick McGillivray (finance), Simon Crown (regulatory) and Sonia Gilbert (employment).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 20, 2012 | International Edition

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has hired the Financial Services Authority's (FSA's) former director of enforcement and financial crime, Margaret Cole, as its new UK general counsel. Cole, who will join the accounting giant in the autumn after serving a period of gardening leave, will take over from Owen Jonathan when he retires from the professional services giant in December.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

March 20, 2012 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells litigation partners Graham Huntley and Helen Brannigan are leaving the firm to set up a commercial litigation practice in London. The new firm, which will be called 'Signature Litigation', will be led by Huntley - Hogan Lovells' former investment banking and funds dispute resolution chief - and Brannigan as principals, with several associates from Hogan Lovells also joining the new venture.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

March 15, 2012 | International Edition

Jones Day and Fasken Martineau have taken lead roles on Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation's (ENRC) $1.25bn (£1bn) settlement with First Quantum Minerals in the dispute over the Kolwezi copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The dispute, which concerns Canadian mining company First Quantum's stake in the Kolwezi project, kicked off after the mine was seized from First Quantum by the DRC Government in 2009. ENRC subsequently purchased a majority stake in the mine in 2010, prompting its former owner to launch litigation proceedings.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 15, 2012 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse is bringing in an external body to value the business with a view to potentially seeking external investment during the next financial year. The firm is currently reviewing options presented by the Legal Services Act, including a potential conversion to an alternative business structure (ABS), as well as the promotion of some of its senior non-lawyer employees – including London-based chief operating officer Charlie Keeling – to the partnership.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 15, 2012 | International Edition

"The fact that there are at least 15 Dewey CVs currently circulating in the City speaks for itself," says one London recruiter. "We are anticipating a handful of senior departures in the coming weeks..."

By Friederike Heine

6 minute read

March 15, 2012 | International Edition

Partner hiring by US firms in London increased by over 25% in 2011, with firms adding more partners to their City bases than at any time over the last five years. Legal Week's annual survey of hiring trends at the City operations of some of the largest US and transatlantic firms found there were 116 partner hires during 2011 across the 45 firms taking part in the survey. The overwhelming majority of these (101) were partners at their previous firms.

By Friederike Heine

4 minute read