Friederike Heine

January 20, 2011 | International Edition

Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft is set to bring in a high-profile team of energy and commodities partners from McDermott Will & Emery, including the firm's former London managing partner Doron Ezickson. Ezickson is set to join Cadwalader alongside a group of partners led by Washington-based Paul Pantano, who is a member of McDermott's management committee and head of the firm's energy & commodities advisory practice.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 20, 2011 | International Edition

Howrey's Brussels chief and global antitrust co-head Trevor Soames has become the latest in a string of partners to quit the US firm's European network. Soames, who works from Brussels and London, sent an email to contacts earlier today (20 January) confirming that he has left the firm.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2011 | International Edition

K&L Gates has strengthened its project finance and regulatory practices with the hire of two partners in its London office. Project finance partner Matthew Kidwell joins K&L Gates from fellow US law firm Shearman & Sterling, where he was a partner in the energy team. He advises international oil and gas companies on all aspects of the energy chain including oil and gas exploration, production, refining, pipelines and transportation, regulation and power generation and transmission.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2011 | International Edition

Ashurst has upped the number of hours partners must commit to the firm, with all partners now formally obliged to carry out at least 50 hours of firm-related work each week. Partners must spend the equivalent of 10 hours each weekday on either billable client work or other firm-related activities - over 40% more than was previously required.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 19, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters and Weil Gotshal & Manges have taken lead roles on Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) £925m sale of the Priory Group to buyout house Advent International. Linklaters advised the seller with a team of lawyers led by private equity co-chief Ian Bagshaw, who was assisted by corporate partner Iain Wagstaff and managing associate Alex Woodward.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has rejigged its legal team following the departure of two senior officials for of counsel roles at US firms Covington & Burling and White & Case. The head of the SFO's anti-corruption team, Robert Amaee, has left the government body to join Covington & Burling as of counsel, as Covington moves to strengthen its London white-collar crime group.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Cravath Swaine & Moore have picked up lead roles on US medical giant Johnson & Johnson's attempted £7bn bid for Smith & Nephew. Freshfields has been fielding a team led by corporate partners Barry O'Brien and Ben Spiers advising longstanding client Smith & Nephew, which has not formally confirmed or denied this month's reported takeover approach.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

City partners are shrugging off concerns about the eurozone and domestic spending cuts to face 2011 in a generally upbeat mood, with nine out of 10 law firms expecting revenue growth over the year. Legal Week's quarterly business confidence survey found that nine out of 10 partners (90%) expect revenues at their own firm to grow over the next 12 months, with 88% expecting revenues across the top 50 as a whole to increase.

By Friederike Heine

4 minute read

January 18, 2011 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has strengthened its London debt capital markets (DCM) practice with the hire of Dennis Dillon from the City arm of Sidley Austin. Dillon, who joined Hogan Lovells this week (17 January), is US-qualified and specialises in structured finance transactions, working with clients such as Merrill Lynch.

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read

January 17, 2011 | International Edition

Linklaters and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have taken lead roles on a multibillion-pound strategic partnership between BP and Russian energy giant Rosneft. Linklaters advised longstanding client BP on the $16bn (£10.1bn) share swap backing the deal, which will see the UK company take a 9.5% stake in Rosneft, worth around $8bn (£5bn).

By Friederike Heine

2 minute read