Friederike Heine

February 02, 2011 | International Edition

US buyout house Apollo Global Management has hired former O'Melveny & Myers private equity partner Paul Loynes as its first-ever European head of legal. Loynes, who left O'Melveny's London office in October last year having made partner in 2006, will be based in London but will report to global chief counsel John Suydam in New York. During his time with O'Melveny he spent one year on secondment to the US law firm's New York office.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

February 02, 2011 | International Edition

The National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) has extended the three-year term of its clinical negligence panel by another year as the Department of Health (DoH) conducts a broad review of the body's role. The extension means firms on the roster, last overhauled in April 2008, will see their terms extended until March 2012. Both the clinical negligence and non-clinical panels (already due to expire next year) will now go to tender in the coming months, with fees expected to be reduced as the Government pushes ahead with spending cuts.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

February 02, 2011 | International Edition

City firms including Linklaters have picked up advisory roles as E.ON prepares to sell its UK power networks. Linklaters is advising German utility company E.ON, a longstanding client of the firm, on the sale. London corporate partner Matthew Middleditch is leading a Linklaters team that also includes fellow corporate partner Roger Barron.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

February 01, 2011 | International Edition

K&L Gates is opening a new office in Brussels today (1 February) as the US firm continues to expand its presence in Europe. The firm has recruited two partners from US rival McDermott Will & Emery to launch the new base. Brussels-based duo Philip Torbol and Patrice Corbiau have been handed a remit to build up the firm's offering in the Belgian capital, although the specific number of laterals the firm plans to recruit is as yet unconfirmed. The new office opening is a part of the US firm's aggressive expansion strategy for Europe. The firm has launched six European offices in rapid succession, with a London base opened in 2005, Paris in 2008, Frankfurt in 2009, and Moscow and Warsaw in 2010.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 31, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters has secured a lead corporate role for The Carlyle Group on the buyout giant's £450m acquisition of Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH). The City law firm was instructed to advise Carlyle on the acquisition of IDH from the buyout division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Linklaters fielded a team under private equity head Ian Bagshaw, finance partner Brian Gray and competition specialist Nicole Kar.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 31, 2011 | International Edition

Sidley Austin has strengthened its London antitrust practice with the hire of former BT Global Services general counsel and commercial director Tim Cowen. Cowen, who has joined Sidley as the third partner in the London antitrust practice, left BT in 2009 after 18 years with the company. He was recently appointed to the panel of members of the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal and is the immediate past chairman of both the Competition Panel at the Confederation of British Industry and the International Association of Commercial and Contract Management.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 28, 2011 | International Edition

FTSE 100 energy giant National Grid has cut back its UK legal panel by 25 percent, appointing 16 law firms to the roster. Allen & Overy (A&O) and Linklaters have been appointed as the company's main corporate advisers, with Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), CMS Cameron McKenna and Eversheds mandated to advise on commercial, construction and disputes work.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 26, 2011 | International Edition

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker has moved to rebuild its City employment practice with the hire of Morrison & Foerster counsel Suzanne Horne as its UK employment head. Horne's hire comes after Paul Hastings lost its UK employment team, led by Christopher Walter, to Covington & Burling in November.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 26, 2011 | International Edition

The election process to select Linklaters' senior partner has begun, with banking chief Robert Elliott and litigation partner John Turnbull among five partners already being linked with the post. The process started earlier this month when partners received an email kicking off initial soundings of the partnership, which are being led by incumbent senior partner David Cheyne. While there is not yet a formal shortlist of potential candidates, a number of partners have already emerged as contenders.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 26, 2011 | International Edition

Barclays' corporate arm is to assess its legal advisers on the amount of referral work the bank wins from their law firms' clients. Angela Williams, a senior lawyer at the bank, emailed Barclays Corporate's panel firms earlier this month to set out the policy. The decision will see the bank measure both the number of referrals firms make to clients, as well as the number of times these referrals result in Barclays winning roles on deals.

By Friederike Heine

3 minute read