Legal Week

August 25, 2009 | International Edition

Roschier has elected a new chairman with Stockholm managing partner Axel Calissendorff to step into the role later this year (30 November), replacing Tomas Lindholm. Earlier this year Calissendorff was named as co-senior partner alongside Lindholm as the first step in a succession plan for the firm's management, with Ulf-Henrik Kull replacing Lennart Simonsen as managing partner.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 25, 2009 | International Edition

Hogan & Hartson's former UK corporate head Jonathan Coppin has emerged as a non-executive director at Yorkshire technology company Metalysis. Coppin spent more than 20 years as a City lawyer, including stints as a partner with Norton Rose and Shearman & Sterling, before announcing his intention to leave Hogan and the law in November 2007.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 25, 2009 | International Edition

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has taken the lead role on financial services company BBVA Compass's acquisition of Guaranty Financial Group, a Texas-based bank teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Last Friday (21 August) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took possession of Guaranty, before turning it over to BBVA, which gained $12bn (£7.3bn) in assets and $11.5bn (£7bn) in liabilities.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 25, 2009 | International Edition

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom is cutting the size of its 2010 summer associate class in half and adjusting its recruitment strategy by making all of its offers on a single day in late September, reports The Am Law Daily. Skadden recruited 225 summer associates this year and expects to hire a little more than 100 next year, though the precise figure will depend on offer acceptance rates, said Skadden recruiting partner Howard Ellin.

By Legal Week

3 minute read

August 25, 2009 | International Edition

Weil Gotshal & Manges has made its first lateral partner hire in the City this year, with the New York firm set to bring in Allen & Overy (A&O) tax partner Brenda Coleman. Coleman is expected to join Weil's London office on 21 September on a part-time basis after 11 years as a partner with the magic circle firm. Prior to her time with A&O she was a partner with Herbert Smith, having trained with Slaughter and May.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 24, 2009 | International Edition

Based on the briefs they submitted on Monday (24 August), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of America (BoA) heard two different orders from Manhattan federal district court Judge Rakoff on 10 August, when he told both sides to supply additional details on the preparation of BoA's proxy and disclosure materials for its September 2008 merger with Merrill Lynch. The SEC's 38-page brief included some of those specifics. Bank of America's 30-page filing focused instead on arguing BoA's innocence.

By Legal Week

6 minute read

August 24, 2009 | International Edition

News Corporation has made two senior appointments to fill newly-created legal roles. Former Office of Fair Trading (OFT) international legal head Andrea Appella has joined the media organisation - which owns a range of titles including The Times and Sky TV - as director of legal, competition and regulatory affairs for Europe and Asia.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 24, 2009 | International Edition

Trainee-to-be Hannah Gates on moving to London, the Aldi baked beans she's hoping will see her through the LPC and the ancient Chinese wisdom that's helping her adjust to her new life

By Legal Week

3 minute read

August 24, 2009 | International Edition

Lehman Brothers' European creditors have suffered a blow after the High Court rejected a proposed scheme of arrangement which would have seen a timetable put in place for the return of assets. Linklaters is advising Lehman's administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which made an application to the High Court in relation to the proposed scheme at the beginning of August when presiding judge Mr Justice Blackburne decided to reserve his judgment.

By Legal Week

2 minute read

August 24, 2009 | International Edition

Charles Russell and Trowers & Hamlins have won roles to act as administrators to two Bahraini banks. The City firms were appointed earlier this month by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), serving as local banking regulator, with Charles Russell acting as administrator of Awal Bank and Trowers acting for The International Banking Corporation (TIBC).

By Legal Week

2 minute read