Pui Guan Man

July 08, 2013 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) has seen revenues fall 2.5% and profits per equity partner (PEP) dip 9%, as the firm becomes the last of the UK's four biggest magic circle firms to announce its financial results for 2012-13. The firm saw revenues fall to £1.271bn, down from £1.303bn last year, while PEP now stands at £1m, after average equity partner count rose from 400 to 411 over the year.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

July 04, 2013 | International Edition

Clifford Chance (CC) and Willkie Farr & Gallagher are among several firms to have advised on private equity giant Cinven's €1.5bn (£1.3bn) buyout of German ceramics producer CeramTec. CC acted for Cinven with a team led by Frankfurt private equity and M&A partner Christopher Kellet. Support came from London lawyers including finance partner Roderick McGillivray, capital markets partner Michael Dakin, antitrust partner Greg Olsen and corporate partners Brendan Moylan and Jonny Myers, who is also the firm's Cinven relationship partner.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 04, 2013 | International Edition

Linklaters has emerged as the top-ranked European M&A adviser for the first half of 2013, as deal values and volumes across the continent fall to their lowest levels since 2010. Research from Legal Week's exclusive data provider Mergermarket shows that the firm advised on 87 European deals with a total value of $72bn (£47bn) during the six-month period, while the firm also topped the UK rankings by value, with roles on 32 deals worth a total of $32bn (£21bn).

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

July 03, 2013 | International Edition

Allen & Overy (A&O) has posted static turnover and profits per equity partner (PEP) figures for the 2012-13 financial year. A&O, which has become the first of the magic circle firms to announce its financial results this year, has seen turnover rise marginally to £1.19bn, up on £1.18bn in 2011-12, while PEP stayed broadly flat at £1.1m, compared with the £1.2m figure recorded last year.

By Pui-Guan Man

3 minute read

July 03, 2013 | International Edition

Weil Gotshal & Manges and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan have secured a key win for the billionaire Barclays brothers and Irish businessman Derek Quinlain and a high-profile High Court battle over iconic hotels the Berkeley, the Connaught and Claridge's. Handing down judgment this morning (3 June), Lord Justices Arden, Moore-Bick and Rimer unanimously refused to overturn aspects of the High Court's decision last year, when it dismissed the claims brought by property developer Patrick McKillen.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 02, 2013 | International Edition

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has sealed the hire of SJ Berwin Germany real estate chief Hans Thomas Kessler in a boost for its recently launched German operation. Kessler, who joined SJ Berwin from Beiten Burkhardt in 2008, will work alongside HSF's Frankfurt head Ralf Thaeter - who launched the German offering after joining from former Herbert Smith ally Gleiss Lutz earlier this year - and former Norton Rose corporate partner Nico Abel.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 01, 2013 | International Edition

Field Fisher Waterhouse has posted a 2.5% dip in revenues for the 2012-13 financial year, with profits per equity partner (PEP) also falling marginally after an eventful year for the firm. The UK firm has seen turnover drop by 2.5% to £95m, down from last year's figure of £97.5m. PEP is down 2% to £402,000; however, net profit available to full equity partners has risen to £18.3m, an 8% increase on the £17m recorded in 2011-12.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

July 01, 2013 | International Edition

SJ Berwin has advised broadcaster Sky on its successful trademark claim against Microsoft, whose 'Skydrive' cloud service was found to infringe on Sky's brand in the UK and Europe. The dispute, which began in 2011, saw Justice Sarah Asplin rule that the US software giant infringed the 'Sky' trademark in naming its cloud service 'SkyDrive', ruling that the name is likely to confuse customers.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

June 28, 2013 | International Edition

Allen & Overy's (A&O's) Italy office has seen a seven-strong team of lawyers depart for White & Case, including partner Paola Leocani. Leocani joins the US firm's Milan office alongside a counsel, three associates and two trainees. Leocani joined A&O's international capital markets practice in 1998 and was made up as a partner in 2006. She has worked on mandates including the Italian Government's €18bn (£15.4bn) bond sale in 2012, the third issue of a four-year inflation-linked bond.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read

June 27, 2013 | International Edition

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hengeler Mueller are among a line-up of top firms to have advised on a dual-track deal that has seen private equity giant BC Partners purchase Germany's Springer Science+Business Media for €3.3bn (£2.8bn). Swedish private equity group EQT Partners and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC settled on a sale to BC Partners after considering both an initial public offering (IPO) and a direct sale of the science publisher. Hengeler advised EQT, with separate teams handling the sale and proposed listing. The sale team comprised M&A partners Hans-Joerg Ziegenhain, Alexander Nolte, Maximilian Schiessl and Albrecht Conrad, tax partner Matthias Scheifele, finance partner Daniel Weiss and labour partner Christian Hoefs. Hengeler's team on the proposed IPO included Schiessl and fellow corporate partners Reinhold Ernst and Dirk Busch.

By Pui-Guan Man

2 minute read