Friederike Heine

May 13, 2011 | International Edition

Former Simmons & Simmons senior partner Dame Janet Gaymer is to take a key role in the fundamental review of legal education and training being carried out by the three biggest legal regulators in England and Wales.Gaymer has been appointed alongside former Court of Appeal judge Sir Mark Potter to chair a consultation panel which will advise on the wholesale review of legal training and education.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

May 12, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has opted not to increase its associate pay bands for the 2011-12 financial year. The announcement makes Linklaters the third magic circle practice to confirm its stance on associate salaries for the year ahead, and means that a lawyer with one year post-qualification experience (PQE) will earn £68,000 from 1 May, with £61,500 for newly-qualified associates.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 11, 2011 | International Edition

SNR Denton has taken a lead role alongside a raft of City firms on Societe Generale's £78m disposal of Esporta to rival gym chain Virgin Active. The transatlantic firm advised Virgin Active, which is majority-owned by Sir Richard Branson, on the deal which sees Virgin acquire 55 Esporta gyms.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 11, 2011 | International Edition

Balfour Beatty is set to review its roster of UK legal advisers, with the construction giant planning to ramp up its use of legal process outsourcing (LPO). David Mercer, general counsel of Balfour Beatty's UK construction services division, is leading the review, with the process being overseen by global general counsel and company secretary Chris Vaughan, who joined in 2007 from SABMiller.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 11, 2011 | International Edition

Hunton & Williams is set to see lawyer headcount in its London office shrink by almost 50% between the middle of April and the end of May, following a strategic refocusing. The US firm's City base, which had 36 lawyers last month, is set to be left with around 20 following a series of exits including five partners departing for rival US firms.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 11, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters could be set to back away from its decision to reduce its international salaried partner rank following the election of former banking chief Robert Elliott as the magic circle firm's new senior partner. Elliott, who saw off litigation chief John Turnbull and European managing partner Jean-Pierre Blumberg to win the role last week (2 May), is planning to consider making the firm's partner remuneration system more flexible – looking at both the lockstep and the 
salaried or national partner rank.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 09, 2011 | International Edition

King & Spalding is set to launch a competition practice in London with the hire of Hogan Lovells of counsel Suzanne Rab. Rab, who joins King & Spalding this week as a partner, has advised on cartel, market and merger control investigations in the UK and across Europe.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 05, 2011 | International Edition

Bain Capital has hired its first-ever European general counsel, with the US buyout house appointing Simpson Thacher & Bartlett London corporate associate Bart Gombert to the role. Gombert, who is due to join Bain in London later this month (16 May), has been hired with a remit to oversee Bain's legal function across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as the organisation expands its interests outside the US.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 05, 2011 | International Edition

Ashurst has moved to rebuild its US securities practice in London after all three partners in the group handed in their notice earlier this year. The top 10 City law firm has hired two partners for the team - Linklaters corporate finance partner Ray Fisher, who is currently based in the magic circle firm's New York office, and Jennifer Schneck, who left Linklaters' London office in 2009. Both joined Ashurst this week.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

May 05, 2011 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has boosted its infrastructure and project finance practice in London with the hire of energy partners Matthew Williams and John Deacon from US law firm Hunton & Williams. The two partners, who joined the firm earlier this week (1 May), both focus on the energy sector, working on project finance deals as well as related regulatory, trading and M&A matters.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read