Friederike Heine

August 19, 2011 | International Edition

Gibson Dunn and Slaughter and May have won lead roles on Hewlett-Packard's (HP) £7.1bn takeover bid for Britain's largest software company Autonomy, in a deal which could become the largest ever in the history of the European IT sector.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 18, 2011 | International Edition

Norton Rose, DLA Piper and Reed Smith have taken lead roles on the recent acquisition of G&J Greenall, the UK's oldest distiller and bottler of gin and vodka from hotels business De Vere Group. Norton Rose advised a private investor group on the acquisition of the business, which has seen the formation of a new company, G&J Greenall Group, led by the current chief executive Christian Rose.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 18, 2011 | International Edition

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a guide to help prospective owners of alternative business structures (ABS) understand what steps they need to take to earn an operating licence.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 03, 2011 | International Edition

Shearman & Sterling and White & Case have taken lead roles on a $20bn (£12.3bn) joint venture (JV) that will see Dow Chemical and Saudi Arabia's Aramco build a petrochemical complex in the Saudi city of Jubail. US law firm Shearman has taken the lead role for Dow Chemical, fielding a team led by London managing partner Nick Buckworth, who worked alongside fellow project finance partner Ben Shorten.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 03, 2011 | International Edition

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's London office has picked up a role working alongside Clifford Chance (CC) on private equity house Apax's latest multibillion-euro fundraising. The US firm's London funds chief Jason Glover has been appointed to work alongside a team of CC partners in London and New York led by Nigel Hatfield and a team from Simpson Thacher in New York on the fundraising for Apax VIII, which is hoped to raise around €9bn (£7.9bn).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 03, 2011 | International Edition

Barclays is launching the second phase of its global panel review, with the bank this week to send out a tender document to law firms across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. The review, which is being led by Barclays Capital EMEA general counsel Erica Handling and Barclays deputy group GC Michael Shaw, comes just over a month after Barclays concluded a three-month review of its roster of external advisers in the US and UK.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 03, 2011 | International Edition

While the world and his wife seem to be reviewing their transatlantic merger options, Proskauer Rose's recent spate of London hires marks something of a U-turn after years of casting around for a sizeable City union. Last week's announcement that Nigel van Zyl and Oliver Rochman from SJ Berwin and Kate Simpson from US rival Kirkland & Ellis were set to join the top 50 US law firm came after the arrival in the spring of high-profile corporate duo Russell Carmedy and Michael Nouril from Jones Day.

By Friederike Heine

4 minute read

August 03, 2011 | International Edition

Baker & McKenzie is freezing pay for its City associates at last year's levels, with trainees the only London lawyers to see increases in salary rates. The international firm has opted to hold rates at 2010 levels, meaning newly-qualified (NQ) associates at Bakers' City arm will continue to earn £61,000. Lawyers with one year's post-qualification experience (PQE) will earn £68,000 and two and three-year PQE rates will remain at £74,000 and £82,000 respectively. Associates will progress through the pay bands as normal.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

August 02, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells and Ashurst have taken lead roles on the £4.7bn takeover bid for Northumbrian Water by a Hong Kong consortium. Freshfields has won the lead role for the consortium - which is led by Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) - and is fielding a London-based team headed by corporate partners Piers Prichard Jones and Edward Braham (pictured), working alongside Hong Kong corporate partner Simon Weller.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

August 02, 2011 | International Edition

News International's former director of legal affairs, Jonathan Chapman, has restated his desire to clarify "alleged inaccuracies" in statements made during select committee hearings last month. In a letter sent last week (26 July) to select committee chairman John Whittingdale MP, Chapman refers to evidence given during Parliamentary hearings on 19 July, repeating his claim that there were "serious inaccuracies" in statements made to the committee regarding his role.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read