Friederike Heine

September 19, 2011 | International Edition

Freeth Cartwright is set to expand its UK presence to Milton Keynes, with the takeover of seven-partner property boutique Kimbells. The merger, which will take effect on 1 November, will see Kimbells' existing Milton Keynes office rebranding as Kimbells Freeth.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 16, 2011 | International Edition

DWF has become the latest law firm to agree an exclusive deal to send all of its future trainees to study at the College of Law. The College will provide the Legal Practice Course (LPC) to all of DWF's future trainees from later this month, with the students able to study at any of the law school's eight UK locations.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 16, 2011 | International Edition

McGrigors is considering a number of changes to its employee benefits system relating to the firm's maternity leave and sick pay policies. The firm is proposing the introduction of bonuses for mothers who return to work early, as well as a new policy which will allow the firm to reduce the pay of women who take a second period of maternity leave within 18 months of their last.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins and Shearman & Sterling have taken lead roles on Bridgepoint Capital's €600m (£527m) acquisition of Infront Sports & Media, a Swiss agency that sells media rights for seven national football federations. Infront instructed US firm Shearman, which fielded a cross-border team led by London corporate partner Creighton Condon and Milan corporate partner Fabio Fauceglia. The firm also provided tax and competition advice on the transaction.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

Baker & McKenzie has been appointed as the sole legal adviser to the BBC Trust on regulatory matters following a competitive tender exercise. The Trust, which acts as the broadcasting company's governing body, has instructed Bakers in this capacity since its inception in 2007, but re-tendered earlier this year after the appointment of Lord Patten – a former Cabinet minister and chairman of the Conservative Party – as its chairman. The competitive tender process involved half a dozen UK law firms including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Simmons & Simmons and Field Fisher Waterhouse.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has launched an initiative which will see one finance partner assigned to each of its key corporate clients in an effort to cross-sell the City giant's services across both practice areas. The initiative, led by global head of corporate Jeremy Parr and newly-appointed global finance chief Jim Rice, is intended to secure both corporate and finance mandates from the majority of the firm's so-called 'platinum' clients over a three-year timeframe.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

Kirkland & Ellis has added three London lawyers to its salaried partnership as part of an 80-strong global promotions round. The City promotions, which are effective as of 1 October, are shared between two practice areas, with two lawyers made up in finance and one in capital markets. Kirkland currently has around 100 lawyers in its London office, making up approximately 7% of the top 20 US firm's global headcount.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

Ladbrokes has introduced an electronic billing and online performance review system for its legal advisers ahead of a review of the gambling company's eight-strong panel next year. The e-billing and law firm appraisal system, introduced this month, allows Ladbrokes' in-house team, which is headed by general counsel Jonathan Adelman, to assess firms according to criteria including 'value for money', 'responsiveness' and 'commerciality'.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

McDermott Will & Emery is planning to double its lawyer headcount in London in the wake of a restructuring that will see the firm refocus its City practice around six key practice areas. The US firm wants to build its London operation up to more than 100 lawyers over the next three years, compared with a current team of 53 lawyers. The office will focus on corporate, energy and commodities, tax, employment, intellectual property and private client work, with London managing partner and European chair Hugh Nineham also planning to rebuild an arbitration practice and launch a white-collar defence team within the next year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

September 14, 2011 | International Edition

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has pledged to champion the UK's £23bn legal services industry including lobbying key foreign jurisdictions to open their markets. In a speech delivered in London today (14 September) Clarke said he would "go in to bat" for the UK's legal services market, arguing that he was part of a "Government supporting the business of law".

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read