Friederike Heine

March 14, 2012 | International Edition

EDF Energy has appointed a new group general counsel with the hire of Eric Thomas from electronic systems company Thales Group. The appointment, which Thomas took up last month, sees him replace Alain Tchernonog as GC at the Paris-headquartered energy company after the latter was promoted to general secretary earlier this year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 13, 2012 | International Edition

Linklaters and Allen & Gledhill are to officially end their alliance as the Singapore firm continues its tie-up talks with magic circle rival Allen & Overy (A&O). The firms have reached a decision to formally terminate the joint venture, which has been in place since 2000, over the last few days, with one Linklaters' partner suggesting the venture will be wound down before the end of the financial year in April.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

March 13, 2012 | International Edition

Withers litigation partners Jeremy Scott and Andrew Ford have resigned from the firm to launch a London office for Australian litigation boutique Lipman Karas. The two London-based partners, who will be joined by associates Peter Leckey, Oliver Stokes and Caroline Stripp at Lipman, are set to open the Australian firm's third office before the end of the financial year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 13, 2012 | International Edition

The Leveson Inquiry has spent more than half a million pounds of taxpayers' money on barristers since the public inquiry into press regulation launched six months ago. The bulk of the legal fees (£536,100) spent between July 2011 and 31 January 2012 have gone to the core counsel on the inquiry - 39 Essex Street's Robert Jay QC, Temple Garden Chambers' David Barr and Carine Patry Hoskins of Landmark Chambers.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

March 12, 2012 | International Edition

King & Spalding has added two partners to its London disputes practice with the hire of a Bird & Bird litigation duo. Jane Player - the joint head of the UK firm's international dispute resolution practice - and fellow Bird & Bird partner Sarah Walker will join King & Spalding later this year, taking the number of partners in the US firm's London office to 15.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 12, 2012 | International Edition

The Inner Temple has launched a new scheme for university students from under-privileged backgrounds intended to encourage social mobility and diversity at the Bar. The so-called 'Pegasus Access Scheme', which launched today (12 March), includes a total of 42 participating chambers across the UK and is the largest coordinated scheme of its kind at the Bar.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

March 09, 2012 | International Edition

Former Fulbright & Jaworski partner Graham Simkin has been sentenced to 16 months in prison 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. Sharif has also been sentenced to 16 months.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has taken the lead role on French asset manager Amundi's two recent multibillion-euro asset-backed note programmes issued on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The instruction, which came through the transatlantic firm's Paris office, saw the establishment of a €10bn (£8.3bn) English law programme and a €10bn French law programme, which will be used to invest in secured structured products through a single Luxembourg securitisation vehicle.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

US litigation specialist Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has set out ambitious plans to expand across Asia and Europe. The firm has earmarked Germany, Switzerland and Singapore for office launches within the next two years, with an office in Hong Kong planned for a later date. Germany, where Quinn Emanuel launched a two-partner office in Mannheim in 2010, is expected to gain two new bases, with an opening in Hamburg expected imminently and a launch in Munich expected before the end of the year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 08, 2012 | International Edition

Dundas & Wilson managing partner Donald Shaw has resigned from his position, it was announced yesterday (7 March). The reasons for the move remain unclear, but a firm spokesperson confirmed that Shaw will remain with the firm and return to full-time client work.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read