Friederike Heine

January 06, 2012 | International Edition

Kirkland & Ellis has increased newly-qualified lawyer (NQ) salaries to £97,000 in a move which will bring it in line with rival US firms including Weil Gotshal & Manges. The salary increase, which represents an 8% increase on last year's rate of £90,000, places the firm at the top end of the US firm salary spectrum.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 06, 2012 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells is set to lose five highly-regarded energy partners in its Washington DC office to DLA Piper, including global energy co-chief Kevin Lipson. The five-partner team, which focuses on the natural gas sector, has been hired with a remit to build up DLA's burgeoning US energy practice in an area that has seen much corporate activity over the past year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 05, 2012 | International Edition

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has strengthened its corporate restructuring practice in London with the hire of partner Dominic McCahill from rival US firm Weil Gotshal & Manges. McCahill, who will become the sixth partner in Skadden's London restructuring practice, will report to London corporate restructuring chief Chris Mallon. The firm's restructuring practice sits alongside the corporate group, which currently comprises 16 partners in the City.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 05, 2012 | International Edition

Reed Smith, Bingham McCutchen and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld have become the latest US firms to announce their annual promotions rounds, with all three firms making up new partners in their London offices. The promotions rounds, which took effect last week (1 January), have seen Reed Smith make up a total of 22 partners, including four in London - shipping lawyers Helle Kjaerstad and Robert Wilkins and energy lawyers Vassia Payiataki and Paul Skeet.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

January 04, 2012 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf has dramatically expanded its Johannesburg arm with the hire of an eight-partner team from local law firm Werksmans. The team is led by mining partner Morne van der Merwe and banking partner Wildu du Plessis, who will both take on management roles on arriving at the top 25 US law firm. Van der Merwe will become co-chair of Dewey's natural resources practice, while du Plessis will become co-managing partner of the Johannesburg branch.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 04, 2012 | International Edition

Dewey & LeBoeuf has dramatically expanded its Johannesburg arm with the hire of an eight-partner team from local law firm Werksmans. The team is led by mining partner Morne van der Merwe and banking partner Wildu du Plessis, who will both take on management roles upon arriving at the top 25 US law firm. Van der Merwe will become co-chair of Dewey's natural resources practice, while du Plessis will become co-managing partner of the Johannesburg branch.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 04, 2012 | International Edition

Ropes & Gray has strengthened its corporate and private equity practices in London with the hire of former Clifford Chance (CC) partner and real estate specialist Ian Morpeth. Morpeth, who joined the US firm as a partner yesterday (3 January), left CC at the beginning of last year to join Oppenheimer Investments as global chief operating officer.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 03, 2012 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has announced its second partner promotions round as a merged firm, with eight London lawyers making the cut out of a global total of 35. The promotions, which took effect last week (1 January), take total partner count at the firm to more than 800 across its global network. In addition, the firm has also made 46 of counsel and consultant appointments.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read

January 03, 2012 | International Edition

McDermott Will & Emery has become the latest law firm to expand into Turkey, with the US firm's new office set to operate in conjunction with Istanbul's Fora & Sanli. The association, which is required in order to comply with local bar rules, takes effect today (3 January).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

December 22, 2011 | International Edition

Shearman & Sterling London-based project finance partner Kenneth MacRitchie is set to leave the firm at the end of this month to join UK Green Investments as general counsel. MacRitchie, who was a partner in Shearman's London office for 15 years, focuses on advising lenders in the oil & gas, petrochemicals, transport, power & gas and telecoms industries. He previously headed the US firm's London office, before being replaced by Anthony Ward in 2008.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read