Friederike Heine

March 30, 2011 | International Edition

Standard Chartered Bank has concluded a review of its international legal panel, with the bank reappointing all six of its current advisers for another two-year term. Magic circle firms Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Linklaters and Slaughter and May are among the firms to have been reappointed. The other firms on the roster are Hogan Lovells and Baker & McKenzie.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 30, 2011 | International Edition

The UK's top 100 law firms saw a marginal increase in fee income over the third quarter of 2010-11, with research from professional services firm Deloitte showing an average increase of 2.8% compared with the same period last year. The accounting giant's quarterly legal sector survey found wide disparity in revenue growth over the three-month period ending 31 January depending on the size of the firm, with the top half of the table outperforming those at the bottom.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 30, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May has appointed two new practice stream heads, with the magic circle firm also electing five new members to its partnership board. Paul Stacey is set to take over as head of finance from Andrew Balfour, who is retiring at the end of the financial year, while Sara Luder will replace Tony Beare as head of tax. Beare will remain a partner in the firm's tax practice.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 30, 2011 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins has made one counsel to partner promotion in London in a six-strong global promotions round. Holly Neavill, who is both US and UK-qualified, will join the partnership in the firm's London restructuring practice as of Friday (1 April).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 29, 2011 | International Edition

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has won an arbitration victory for the Alfa-Access-Renova (AAR) group in its dispute with BP over its proposed $16bn (£10bn) strategic alliance with Russia's Rosneft. The arbitration tribunal ruled last week (24 March) that BP will not be allowed to enter into an alliance with Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft, which would have involved an equity-linked partnership to pursue joint projects in the Russian Arctic shelf.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 29, 2011 | International Edition

The Co-operative looks set to offer legal advice to the general public from its network of bank branches, as its considers a converstion to an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) later this year, in a move that would make it the first retailer to do so. The retailer is looking into the option of forming a one-stop shop for financial and legal services when the Legal Services Act (LSA) comes into force in October this year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 28, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has instructed fellow magic circle firm Slaughter and May to advise in relation to the firm's professional negligence dispute with banking giant Credit Suisse and Linklaters' subsequent related claim against former Italian alliance partner Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners. Linklaters has appointed Slaughters dispute resolution partner Deborah Finkler to defend the firm against the €136m (£115m) claim brought by Credit Suisse earlier this month, which relates to advice given by the magic circle firm to the bank on a bond deal with Italian food company Parmalat nearly 10 years ago.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 25, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz have taken lead roles on a multimillion-pound two-part deal involving Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive. The deal will see Unilever sell its Sanex personal care brand to Colgate for €672m (£590m), while also paying $215m (£132m) for a portfolio of Colgate laundry detergent brands in Colombia.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and US firms Kirkland & Ellis and Weil Gotshal & Manges have picked up roles on the planned initial public offering (IPO) of British vacuum technology producer Edwards Group, which is expected to value the company at £1.5bn. Magic circle firm Freshfields has been instructed by Edwards Group, fielding a team led by London corporate partners Simon Witty and Natasha Good, who are working alongside US-qualified corporate partner Don Guiney.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

Slaughter and May has stood down from the Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) legal panel in the wake of discussions regarding risk management, it has emerged. Slaughters has indicated that the decision was taken earlier this year after discussions regarding RBS' broad prohibition on panel advisers limiting liability on individual transactions. It is understood that there was particular concern over the ban on limiting risk on work that could carry liabilities to third parties, such as vendor due diligence reports.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read