Jeremy Hodges

May 31, 2022 | Daily Business Review

Putting together a successful case is incredibly challenging and can take years to conclude.

By Jeremy Hodges

4 minute read

June 01, 2010 | International Edition

Kirkland & Ellis has hired highly-rated private equity partners Gavin Gordon and David Arnold from Ashurst, Legal Week can reveal. The duo are set to join Kirkland's City office, marking the US firm's first major investment in London since 2008. It is understood that Kirkland has offered seven-figure pay deals to the pair, who are expected to be tied into a six-month notice period at Ashurst.

By Jeremy Hodges

3 minute read

June 01, 2010 | International Edition

US duo Vinson & Elkins and Baker Botts have taken the lead roles on Statoil's $3.1bn (£2.1bn) sale of a 40% share in a Brazilian oilfield to Sinochem. China's Sinochem won a contested auction to buy the stake in the Peregrino oilfield, located offshore to Rio de Janeiro in the Campos basin.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

June 01, 2010 | International Edition

Dubai, the gaudiest of financial centres, has lived its short existence in the glare of public life. As such, it was inevitable that the default of Dubai World would not only teach the emirate a chastening lesson but provide a singularly public restructuring. However, as Dubai World's workout looks to be reaching some sort of conclusion with the announcement last month that the state-owned conglomerate has reached a deal to restructure £16bn worth of debt, thoughts must now turn to how much damage has been sustained to its reputation and its chances of restoring former glories. In many ways, the news could have been worse. There is still plenty going for Dubai and the emirate remains the place from which many law firms are choosing to target the rest of the region. It is true that recent years have seen a greater flow of investment from law firms into other markets, but Dubai has a major head start on rival markets and is by far the largest international centre for professional services in the region.

By Jeremy Hodges

3 minute read

May 28, 2010 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) has boosted its corporate energy team in the City with the recruitment of two partners from Herbert Smith. The transfer of the pair - Paul Griffin and John Geraghty - marks a rare partner-level appointment in the London market for A&O.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

May 26, 2010 | International Edition

Hogan Lovells has elected Washington-based litigation co-head Craig Hoover to its firmwide board. He replaces Gernod Meinel, who left Hogan prior to the Lovells merger along with 18 other Berlin-based partners to set up new independent firm Raue, which officially launched on 1 May.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

May 26, 2010 | International Edition

The Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have called on the legal community to consult on a good practice guide for merger inquiries. The two bodies jointly launched the consultation yesterday (25 May), asking for input from law firms, consultants and market research agencies on a best practice framework for presenting consumer survey evidence in merger investigations.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

May 26, 2010 | International Edition

White & Case has made a double partner hire from Gide Loyrette Nouel's London office as the firm continues to rebuild its banking and capital markets practice in the City. Gide partners Michael Doran and Christopher Czarnocki are set to join the US firm's banking and capital markets practice.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

May 26, 2010 | International Edition

Ashurst and Allen & Overy (A&O) have taken roles on Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) European disposal programme, as the bank sold its factoring businesses in both France and Germany. In France, the issue share capital of RBS Factor has been sold to financial services company GE Capital, while a similar deal completed at the end of March saw the General Electric subsidiary buy out RBS' German business, RBS Factoring.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

May 26, 2010 | International Edition

Given the timing and structure of the merger, it was inevitable that the creation of Hogan Lovells would lead to jokey comparisons to the UK's new coalition government. But perhaps a political allusion that better illustrates the challenge this tie-up faces is the plain fact that Lovells' transactional practice has for years been viewed in the City much like Churchill's famous putdown of Atlee: as a modest team with much to be modest about. Whether that perception was entirely fair (in truth, it was probably a little overdone), unlocking the merger's potential will require demonstrably overcoming this assumed poverty of ambition. In short, Hogan Lovells has to start looking more like a home for the City's most talented deal-doers, and a natural place to turn for major plcs with important work to get done.

By Jeremy Hodges

3 minute read