John E Morris

September 16, 2002 | Law.com

If discretion is the better part of valor, then knowing what not to say is certainly one of the most important skills of lawyering. But you wouldn't know it by the much-publicized blasts two firms have taken recently at departed partners. The point-counterpoint exchange of press releases over Pillsbury Winthrop partner Frode Jensen III's departure for Latham & Watkins was only the latest salvo in mud-slinging matches over partner moves.

By John E. Morris

3 minute read

January 01, 2009 | The American Lawyer

Can words truly capture what a wine tastes like?

By John E. Morris

3 minute read

November 23, 1999 | Law.com

Bottles labeled aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena have been vetted by a panel of masters -- men who are trained and certified by a local society devoted to preserving the balsamic vinegar tradition. Theirs is not the $5-a-bottle "balsamic vinegar of Modena" found on the shelf of your corner grocery. But the labeling laws allow both the bastard and the baptized to call themselves balsamics. Only the word tradizionale differentiates one from the other. That's the law -- and therein lies the problem.

By John E. Morris

11 minute read

July 12, 2000 | Law.com

There is good food and drink to be had all over London. Here are some eateries off the tourists' beaten track that are worth seeking out.

By John E. Morris

4 minute read

February 23, 2000 | Law.com

Your firm has taken the plunge. You're going to open a London office. You know the locals drive on the wrong side of the road, and you've already discovered that they speak a different language. But there is one thing you're unlikely to be prepared for. It is the locals' drinking habits. Beer, wine, and champagne are so much a part of business existence in London that the entire city seems at times to be engulfed in a fog, fermented and distilled, as dense as any rising off the Thames.

By John E. Morris

6 minute read

December 13, 2000 | Law.com

The European Parliament will debate the European Union's long-stalled takeover directive, setting the stage for a clash between those who want to open Europe's economy and those who want to protect local companies from takeovers. The dividing lines were drawn in the Parliament's legal affairs committee, as members lined up to make various changes in the measure, which took three years to negotiate.

By John E. Morris

6 minute read

December 06, 2000 | Law.com

An alliance of European socialists and a center-right German member of the European Parliament submitted a blizzard of amendments to Europe's Takeover Directive in an attempt to preserve more defenses for companies facing hostile bids. But the 19 changes on the table are so problematic that they could kill the takeover measure altogether.

By Victorya Hong and John E. Morris

7 minute read

March 26, 2007 | Law.com

Private equity colossus Blackstone Group filed a preliminary prospectus Thursday for an IPO of up to $4 billion. The filing makes clear that the IPO isn't a means to raise capital for investments. Part of the proceeds will be used to buy stock in the management entities from Blackstone's partners, apparently allowing them to take cash out. Regulatory restrictions will prevent the firm from investing more than about 40 percent in its funds or other securities or in buyouts, a securities lawyer said.

By John E. Morris and David Carey

5 minute read

August 01, 1999 | Law.com

The inside story of what it took to put Clifford Chance and Rogers & Wells together: how major compensation differences were papered over, why the merged firm will be a formidable competitor, and what must happen now for it to score big.

By John E. Morris

25 minute read

January 06, 2000 | Law.com

If Keith Clark's shoulders are sagging a little more than usual these days, there's a good reason. As chairman of the world's largest law firm, he's carrying a globe on his back. New York's Rogers & Wells and Germany's Pdnder, Volhard, Weber & Axster merged with Clark's firm, Clifford Chance, to create a new 3,000-lawyer global behemoth with estimated revenue of $1.2 billion its first full year. Will the firms' herculean gamble pay off?

By John E. Morris

6 minute read