Friederike Heine

October 26, 2011 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins, SJ Berwin, Ashurst and Kirkland & Ellis have picked up roles on Bain Capital's €640m (£557m) disposal of the microconnections unit of French electrical goods manufacturer FCI to private equity fund manager 
Astorg Partners. The deal saw Latham advising Bain on French law and M&A aspects of the sale, with Paris private equity partner Thomas Forschbach leading a team that also included M&A partner Denis Criton. Forschbach initially advised Bain on its £724m acquisition of FCI in 2005.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 26, 2011 | International Edition

Ashurst has become the first leading UK law firm to introduce a quota for the number of women it wants to employ in management positions, with the City firm aiming to have one quarter of its management posts filled by women within the 
next three years. The target has been introduced by the Ashurst Committee, which was created at the start of 2011 by senior partner Charlie Geffen and global head of corporate Stephen Lloyd with the intention of improving the retention of female lawyers.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

October 26, 2011 | International Edition

"The practice was too top-heavy. We want to make clients happy by doing a range of less profitable work, but that work needs to be staffed at the junior level" - What do recent departures from Ashurst's real estate practice mean for the firm?

By Friederike Heine

4 minute read

October 26, 2011 | International Edition

Australia's Minter Ellison has added a third partner to its London office with the hire of Mayer Brown corporate specialist Michael Wallin. Wallin, who will join the firm next month (1 November), is Australian-qualified and will work with Minter's clients in the UK and across Europe. His arrival will take the number of partners in Minter's London office to three, alongside corporate partner Michael Whalley and finance partner Nigel Clark.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 25, 2011 | International Edition

The number of candidates applying to study law in the 2011 academic year has fallen by more than 5% on last year, according to figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). The figures show that only 13,139 applied to study law at the 26 universities that supplied figures to UCAS, after 13,858 applied last year, equating to a drop of 5.2%.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 24, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has been instructed on Cinven's planned €5bn (£4.3bn) private equity fundraising, marking the magic circle firm's first major mandate for the European private equity house. London funds chief Jonathan de Lance-Holmes will take the lead role on the fundraising, which is due to kick off in the New Year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 23, 2011 | International Edition

Taylor Wessing is to launch a second London office in east London's 'Tech City' as the firm looks to add to its client base with more UK and international technology start-ups. The new office, which will be based near Old Street in Islington, will be staffed with lawyers from the firm's technology, media and telecoms, venture capital, intellectual property, tax, inward investment and employment practices.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 21, 2011 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins, SJ Berwin, Ashurst and Kirkland & Ellis have picked up roles on Bain Capital's €640m (£557m) disposal of the microconnections unit of French electrical goods manufacturer FCI to private equity fund manager Astorg Partners. The deal saw Latham advising Bain on French law and M&A aspects of the sale, with Paris private equity partner Thomas Forschbach leading a team that also included M&A partner Denis Criton. Forschbach initially advised Bain on its £724m acquisition of FCI in 2005.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 20, 2011 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse has elected a new managing partner, with the firm's head of regulatory Matthew Lohn replacing Moira Gilmour in the role. Lohn was elected to the role following a contested vote that also saw technology and outsourcing head Michael Chissick put himself forward.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

October 19, 2011 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells is putting international expansion and client development at the centre of its first post-merger strategy review. The transatlantic law firm has drawn up a list of key jurisdictions it would like to enter by the close of December 2014 as part of a review conducted by co-chief executives Warren Gorrell and David Harris.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read