Friederike Heine

April 11, 2011 | International Edition

McGrigors has made its first foray into the US market by signing a referral deal with US firm Husch Blackwell. The so-called 'principal partner' relationship will mean that both organisations will have preferred supplier status on transatlantic work, with the initiative focusing on infrastructure, financial services, energy and government affairs.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 08, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters' senior partner election is nearing its final stages, with the three contenders presenting their manifestos to the partnership at the magic circle firm's annual partner conference in Paris. Global banking chief Robert Elliott, head of litigation John Turnbull and European managing partner Jean-Pierre Blumberg are all expected to present their strategies for the firm during the conference, which ends tomorrow (9 April).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 08, 2011 | International Edition

White & Case competition partner Alastair Sutton has left the firm's Brussels office to join Brick Court Chambers as a barrister. Sutton, who joined the chambers' Brussels arm earlier this week (5 April), has been appointed by Brick Court as a door tenant. He previously spent more than 10 years with the European Commission before practising law in Brussels with Forrester Norall & Sutton, which merged with White & Case in 1998.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 08, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Dechert are among a raft of advisers to pick up roles on the €386m (£340m) initial public offering (IPO) of German industrial parts maker Norma Group on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Freshfields and Dechert jointly advised the issuer - a portfolio company of private equity house 3i - with teams led by Frankfurt capital markets partner Andreas Koenig and Munich corporate partner Berthold Hummel respectively.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 07, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters, Clifford Chance (CC) and Scottish leader McGrigors have taken major roles on Arcus Infrastructure Partners' £760m takeover of Scottish ports operator Forth Ports. Linklaters took the lead role for the acquirer, which already holds a 22.8% stake in the company. The magic circle firm fielded a team led by London corporate partner Iain Wagstaff (pictured), who manages the relationship with Arcus.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 06, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters and Norton Rose have won hotly-contested places on Prudential Group's new global legal panel following a five-month competitive tender process. The review, which kicked off in October and closed last month, also saw legacy advisers Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells reappointed.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 06, 2011 | International Edition

Squire Sanders Hammonds has picked up a lead role acting for Deloitte on the administration of struggling wine retailer Oddbins. The transatlantic firm's team is being led by London restructuring partner Cathryn Williams, after Deloitte partners Lee Manning and Matthew Smith were this week (4 April) appointed as joint administrators to Oddbins.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 06, 2011 | International Edition

Olswang has become the latest City firm to announce its 2011 promotions, with five London lawyers made up to the firm's partnership. The promotions, which will take effect on 1 May, mark a significant increase on last year's round, when Olswang made up just two, with one in London and one in Berlin. Three of the five new partners are female.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 06, 2011 | International Edition

Michael Todd QC has taken over as head of Erskine Chambers, following John Cone QC's decision to step down last month after more than five years in the role. Todd, who took up an open-ended term this week (4 April), stood uncontested for the role as the second most senior member of Erskine Chambers.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

April 05, 2011 | International Edition

Pensions specialist firm Sackers & Partners has re-elected Ian Pittaway as senior partner for his third consecutive term in the role after a unanimous vote. The 26-partner firm has also re-elected Mark Greenlees as deputy senior partner. Both are former chairmen of the Association of Pensions Lawyers and are well-known among the pensions industry.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read