Friederike Heine

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

Legacy Lovells partners are set to receive their first bonus payments under US merger partner Hogan & Hartson's bonus structure. Hogan Lovells International will pay out 7.5% of its profits from 1 May to 31 December 2010 as partner bonuses. Both salaried and equity partners will be entitled to the bonus, which will be split between payments in May and September this year.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

French insurer Axa has finalised its global legal panel after a five-month tender process, with the company appointing at least eight firms to its roster of preferred advisers. Clifford Chance, Hogan Lovells, Clyde & Co and Holman Fenwick Willan have all been reappointed to the panel alongside US firms Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, Dewey & LeBoeuf and Mayer Brown. French law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel has also been reappointed.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 23, 2011 | International Edition

A raft of US and European firms have taken roles on Liberty Global's $4.5bn (£2.8bn) acquisition of Germany's Kabel Baden-Wuerttemberg (KBW) after a competitive auction led by private equity sellers EQT Partners. US cable operator Liberty instructed both Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and US firm Ropes & Gray on the deal, with the firms advising on M&A and financing respectively.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 21, 2011 | International Edition

Howrey's last remaining London partner has joined US firm Fulbright & Jaworski's City office, following the firm's decision to dissolve last week (15 March). Litigator John Evans, who joined Fulbright's disputes and investigations practice in London today (21 March), has more than three decades of experience in private practice, including 17 years as a partner at Ashurst and five years as a partner in Howrey's London office.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 21, 2011 | International Edition

Weil Gotshal & Manges has added to its London capital markets practice with the hire of a new partner from Shearman & Sterling. Rob Ferguson, who will join Weil's partnership from his of counsel role at Shearman, has a mainly issuer-focused equity practice, and advises on a range of capital markets transactions including high yield and investment grade debt and equity offerings. His investment banking clients have included Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Standard Chartered Bank.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 21, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has filed negligence claims against Italian law firm Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners relating to advice given by the magic circle firm to Credit Suisse on a deal with Italian food company Parmalat nearly 10 years ago. The claims, which were filed in the Admiralty and Commercial division of the High Court earlier this month (10 March), see Linklaters suing the Italian independent law firm as well as launching a number of claims against individuals. These include Gianni's former UK managing partner Bruno Bartocci, now a partner at Legance in Italy, and former London associate Andrea Platania. Gianni founding partners Francesco Gianni and GianBattista Origoni are named as legal representatives of the firm.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 18, 2011 | International Edition

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has confirmed a new timetable for the introduction of an aptitude test for the Bar Vocational Training Course (BPTC). The body's current pilot scheme is set to conclude in October this year, with the BSB subsequently submitting its findings to the Legal Services Board for approval two months later.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 17, 2011 | International Edition

Former Clifford Chance (CC) funds chief Jason Glover has completed his first deal since joining Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's City office in January, advising on a €4bn (£3.4bn) fundraising for private equity firm BC Partners. The deal, which is the biggest fundraising in Europe since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, saw Glover advise European buyout house BC Partners alongside a team from his former firm, with corporate partner Nick Benson taking the lead role at CC.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 16, 2011 | International Edition

Latham & Watkins has appointed London banking partner Dominic Newcomb to co-head its finance practice outside the US. Newcomb replaces London finance partner Christopher Hall in the role, with Hall's decision to step down announced at Latham's annual partnership conference in New York earlier this month (3 March).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

March 16, 2011 | International Edition

Herbert Smith and DLA Piper are among six firms to have been appointed to brewer Molson Coors' first formal UK legal panel. The panel, which was put together by legal director and company secretary Sue Albion after a competitive tender process, also includes Nabarro, Squire Sanders Hammonds, McGrigors and Beauchamps.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read