Friederike Heine

January 23, 2012 | International Edition

Nabarro's international alliance has added a new Spanish firm with the addition of Roca Junyent, the country's fifth-largest independent law firm. The alliance, which also includes France's August & Debouzy, Germany's GSK Stockmann + Kollegen and Italy's Nunziante Magrone, now comprises 960 lawyers based in 23 offices across nine jurisdictions.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 20, 2012 | International Edition

Kirkland & Ellis London head Jim Learner is set to leave the firm this summer to take up a role at a US private equity house. Learner, who was involved in launching the US firm's London office in 1994 and is now responsible for all European operations, announced his forthcoming departure to staff earlier this week.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2012 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells and Browne Jacobson have taken lead roles on private equity group Kelso Place Asset Management's acquisition of a majority stake in fashion brand Nicole Farhi. Kelso Place has purchased the stake from OpenGate Capital, which has owned the fashion label for less than two years, after acquiring it for £5m in March 2010. The resale value is undisclosed, but is understood to value the company in excess of £5m.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2012 | International Edition

Baker & McKenzie has 
been selected as FTSE 250 telecoms company Colt's preferred legal adviser for commercial work following a three-month tender process involving more than 45 firms. The appointment, which took effect earlier this month (1 January) and will run for an initial period of three years, will see Bakers providing all commercial, IT, telecommunications and regulatory advice to the company across Europe.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2012 | International Edition

GDF Suez has appointed a trio of firms to its inaugural global legal panel in the wake of its £5bn reverse takeover of electricity generator International Power last summer. Linklaters and French leader Bredin Prat, both longstanding advisers to GDF Suez, have been appointed to the roster, which will cover transactional work in all of the jurisdictions in which GDF Suez operates. US firm Shearman & Sterling has also been selected for the panel.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2012 | International Edition

Friederike Heine assesses Linklaters' high stakes bid to reshape its practice to secure world-beater status...

By Friederike Heine

8 minute read

January 19, 2012 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse has overhauled its management structure following a 10-month governance review. The new structure, which is set to be implemented at the beginning of the 2012-13 financial year, will see the firm run by an executive committee appointed by managing partner Matthew Lohn and overseen by an elected supervisory board led by a chairman.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 18, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters and Nabarro have been appointed to advise on one of Europe's biggest carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects - expected to attract investment of just under £5bn. The pair are advising 2Co Energy on the planned Don Valley Power Project in Derbyshire, where 2Co plans to build a coal gasification plant that will generate 650 megawatts of power and capture 90% of its entire CO2 output. Planning permission for the power plant has already been granted, with construction expected to start in 2013.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

January 18, 2012 | International Edition

Dechert has relaunched in Frankfurt after pulling out of the region in 2005, with the US firm making a combination of hires and relocations to staff the new office. Funds partner Achim Putz, who joined the firm in 2010 from SJ Berwin, will serve as the managing partner for the office. He will be joined by Benedikt Weiser and Carsten Fischer, who are joining from Mayer Brown and tax consultancy WTS Group respectively.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 18, 2012 | International Edition

K&L Gates has become the latest US firm to launch a white collar crime and criminal defence practice in London, bringing in Addleshaw Goddard business crime specialist Elizabeth Robertson. Robertson has been a partner with Addleshaws since 2007 and was a member of the national firm's fraud and regulatory team until handing in her notice earlier this month. She specialises in international and domestic corporate crime and regulatory investigations, including corruption and financial services enforcement.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read