Friederike Heine

January 17, 2012 | International Edition

Vinson & Elkins has made up two London lawyers to its partnership in a global promotions round of 14. Dispute resolution lawyer Mark Beeley and private equity and M&A specialist Robert Dixon have been promoted to the partnership in the energy-focused firm's City base.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 16, 2012 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins has strengthened its Paris corporate practice with the hire of two partners from Debevoise & Plimpton - including the co-head of the US firm's Paris arm Patrick Laporte. Laporte and fellow corporate partner Pierre-Louis Clero both joined Debevoise in 2005 from Linklaters, where Laporte had been a partner for six years. Both advise across a wide range of public and private M&A, joint ventures and commercial agreements, acting for industrial clients including companies in the media and advertising, telecommunication, transport, energy and finance sectors.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells have taken lead roles on the £143m sale of 26 private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) projects by two infrastructure funds managed by Barclays. Freshfields advised Barclays Infrastructure Fund Management on the sale to HICL Infrastructure Company, which was announced last month (19 December). London finance partner Nick Bliss led the magic circle firm's team, working alongside corporate partner Karen Fountain.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Former Fulbright & Jaworski partner Richard Simkin is set to be sentenced in March after pleading guilty to charges of false accounting and fraud. Simkin, who resigned from the US firm's London office in September 2008, and his wife Zakia Sharif, who was dismissed as an office manager by the firm in the same year, have admitted to stealing as much £100,000 from the firm in false expenses claims, according to reports in The Times and The Evening Standard.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 12, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters managing partner Simon Davies is set to run uncontested for another term at the helm of the magic circle firm. Davies, who was elected in 2007 to take over from predecessor Tony Angel, is currently the only partner in the running for the position.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 11, 2012 | International Edition

Online trading company London Capital Group (LCG) has appointed its first-ever group general counsel with the hire of ex-Slaughter and May lawyer Martin Creek from Axiom Legal. Creek, who joined LCG earlier this month, has become the company's first-ever in-house lawyer.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 10, 2012 | International Edition

Shearman & Sterling is set to bulk up its London projects practice with the hire of Ashurst energy partner John Inglis. Inglis, who joined Ashurst from Norton Rose in 2007, is a member of the firm's energy transport & infrastructure team in London, focusing on the development and financing of energy projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 09, 2012 | International Edition

Reed Smith is to lose 15 lawyers in Hong Kong as part of a 50-strong team leaving to join a trio of ex-former partners at newly formed firm Howse Williams Bowers (HWB). The team, which includes 35 members support staff, will reunite with Reed Smith's former co-head of professional indemnity Chris Howse, insurance litigation partner Kevin Bowers and corporate partner Chris Williams, who all quit in December to form HWB.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 09, 2012 | International Edition

Greenberg Traurig Maher's (GTM) burgeoning London office has posted turnover of £8.7m for its first full year in the City, according to the firm's new LLP accounts. The revenue figure, which covers the period between 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2011, is significantly up on the £3.5m the firm took in during its first eight months in London after launching in 2009 with the hire of ex-Mayer Brown heavyweight Paul Maher.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 09, 2012 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has strengthened its London corporate practice with the hire of Eversheds' Russia chief David Levin. Levin, who joins the firm today (9 January), has been at Eversheds since 2008, before which he led US firm Chadbourne & Parke's London corporate practice.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read