Jeremy Hodges

April 14, 2010 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has agreed to use a contract lawyering business as the firm begins to see an upturn in work levels. The magic circle law firm, which currently operates a fee earner to partner leverage of 3:1, is considering a number of options to maintain that level when commercial activity resumes, including contract lawyers, outsourcing and the firm's alumni network.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 14, 2010 | International Edition

Weil Gotshal & Manges has made a key hire for its London litigation team, taking on McDermott Will & Emery's disputes partner Juliet Blanch. Blanch - who heads up the law firm's international dispute avoidance and resolution practice group - is set to join Weil Gotshal's two-partner London disputes group, headed up by partner Matt Shankland.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 14, 2010 | International Edition

Morgan Lewis & Bockius has moved to beef up its London energy team with the hire of the former group legal director and company secretary of British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL), Susan Quint. Quint, who left BNFL at the end of 2009, had been group legal director and company secretary since 2007, having previously held the role of general counsel.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 14, 2010 | International Edition

Corporate partner Cline set to succeed Moyle as new managing partner of Latham's London base Latham & Watkins corporate partner Nick Cline is set to take over as head of the US firm's City practice, replacing incumbent London managing partner Andrew Moyle.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 14, 2010 | International Edition

The Conservative Party has rejected calls to restrict foreign takeovers but will push ahead with moves to curb the level of foreign workers in the UK, as the party unveils its election agenda. In one of the measures most closely watched by City advisers, shadow business secretary Ken Clarke rejected Labour proposals to raise the threshold to secure shareholder approval for corporate takeovers and moves to cut voting rights of short-term shareholders such as hedge funds.

By Jeremy Hodges

3 minute read

April 14, 2010 | International Edition

Harbottle & Lewis has advised new client npower on a deal to succeed Coca-Cola as the sponsor of the Football League from the beginning of the 2010-11 season. Npower has sealed a three-year deal, worth a reported £21m, to take over from Coca-Cola as the sole sponsor of the Football League Championship, League One and League Two. The drinks giant has sponsored the competition since the 2004 rebranding of the three divisions.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 13, 2010 | International Edition

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has unveiled its new-look legal panel, with the number of external firms the organisation uses cut back from nine to five. The nuclear clean-up group has signed up Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Pinsent Masons to its roster for the first time, while DLA Piper, Burges Salmon and Field Fisher Waterhouse have all been retained.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 09, 2010 | International Edition

Nabarro's corporate team has closed £1bn worth of emerging market listings within a week, rounding off a successful first quarter for the firm. In late March, the UK top 25 firm advised Arden Partners as financial adviser to Indian power supplier KSK on its move from the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) to a secondary listing on the Official list with a market capitalisation of £800m.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 08, 2010 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Sullivan & Cromwell have advised on a joint venture between Daimler, Nissan and Renault that will see the automakers team up to develop a new wave of energy-efficient cars. The agreement will see the German, Japanese and French car manufacturers take stakes in each other to share technologies and build smaller, electric-powered vehicles.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read

April 07, 2010 | International Edition

Bird & Bird has bolstered its London corporate group with the double partner hire of Richard Eaton and Struan Penwarden from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe. The duo is expected to join Bird & Bird's corporate group in London towards the end of the month, having been at Orrick since October 2008.

By Jeremy Hodges

2 minute read